Chicha Morada, Pisco Sours, Anticuchos, Australians and more.

When I left everyone last time I promised an entry to come filled with happier stories. This will be that entry. I’d hesitate to call it all sunshine and rainbows, but from the moment I left my friendly Peruvian “host” the first day and moved into a small (clean!) hotel, things have been fantastic.

          Lima is something of a wild place. It reminds me very much of my time in Cairo. It’s easy to see the resemblance as you walk down traffic clogged streets listening to the concert of car horns all the while dodging the many thousands of taxi-cabs as they compete, ruthlessly, for passengers.

          Lima also has a wide and varied culinary culture which I have been enjoying immensely. With influences from the heavily spiced Andeans to Chinese influences which have contributed the humble stir-fry the combinations seem endless. Add in the super fresh seafood that arrives daily from the Pacific and you a lot of delicious variability. I’ve taken a liking to two things in particular: Chicha Morada and Anticuchos de Corazon.

A small glass of Chicha Morada next to the purple corn it's made from. To the right a Pisco Sour.

          Chicha morada is a dark purple drink made primarily from purple corn with a bit of pineapple and lemon. And lots of sugar. The taste is very unique, but it can best be described as tasting like a slush-puppy. It was one of the most popular drinks of the Incan empire and it still seems to hold a special place in most Peruvian’s hearts.

Anticuchos de Corazon with a bit of spicy aji salsa and an Inca Cola. Peruvian food and drink at it's finest.

          Anticuchos de Corazon are skewers of beef heart. Marinated in some sort of seasoning I can only assume was a gift from the gods and grilled to perfection they taste like very tender beef cutlets. They are a working class staple and a favorite of street vendors. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!

          During those long and torturous hours between meals I have been exploring the city of Lima as thoroughly as any Spanish-speaking gringo could wish. I’ve spent hectic mornings in Lima’s own black market the “Pulvos Azules” and I’ve spent lazy afternoons exploring the underground crypts of the San Francisco Monastery amongst the bones of 25,000 long dead and gone residents. I thoroughly enjoy juxtaposing the hustle and bustle of local markets with the quiet, introspective, solitude of archaic churches. After being asked to trade my money for everything from fake Rolexes to pictures of Jesus Christ wearing a soccer jersey I find it quite relaxing to only be asked to trade my money for eternal salvation.

          I’m starting to believe that people see me as an ATM with legs. I don’t blame them in the slightest; traveling never fails to make me acutely aware of the inequalities of the world.

          Perhaps even more fun than simply the experiences of traveling has been sharing these experiences with a few newfound friends. I ran into Tasha and Brett while touring the aforementioned monastery of San Francisco. They are a charming and easy-going couple of Australians who, like myself, seem to be hopelessly infected with the incurable “traveling-bug”. Over the past few days we have shared lots of laughs and a fair amount of Pisco Sours. I expect they’re reading this post so I won’t belabor the point, but they clearly both have their hearts in the right place and I’ve genuinely enjoyed spending the last few days with them. Having a few friends to comfortably speak English with has greatly alleviates the majority of the frustrations of being a lone traveler in a foreign world.

Tasha and Brett; clearly two fun-loving people.

          Every day so far has been an adventure of some sort. From major tourist attractions to local rowdy bars and from the high-rise (and high priced!) area of Miraflores to local markets swarming with people I feel confident in saying that I’ve run the full gamut here in Lima.

Well, to the best of my solo-flying gringo abilities.

          I still have a couple more days here in Lima so I still have time to get lost a few more times. I’m very much looking forward to the next leg of my journey into the heart of the past in Cusco and Machu Picchu.

          I will keep you all posted!

¡Hasta luego!

P.S. I’d like to extend an open-ended “beard-off” to anyone who’ll take the challenge. The cold-water showers of Peru are not particularly conductive to shaving. It’s only fair to point out that I have a two week head start, but we’ll work around that. All genders are welcomed.