Exploring Lima then onto Paracas

I started off Saturday with a Gourmet Food Tour. The van came for me at my Hotel and then we stopped for one other participant. This excursion was also a lovey trip around some of the districts of Lima. It was a 9 am start so the first tasting was for an organic Peruvian cappuccino—very smooth—and a chicken and chili pepper empanada. Yummy—not too spicy.

We travelled to another cafe for a Lucuma fruit shake that tasted like “cookie dough”. After a tour we had a walk about the market where we saw some of Peru’s 3000 varieties of potatoes, famous purple corn and some big artichokes. We received a little box of tasty fruit samples.

The purple corn is ground up and made onto a popular cinnamon flavoured drink.

Our next stop was Lima’s Bridge of Sigh’s. The story goes that if you can walk across the 144 foot expanse holding your breath then a wish you make will come true. I cheated a little- mane 75% will happen.

Right in this same area is a little green space with Vulture statues. This was built next to a dilapidated Church where the large vultures roost.

We traveled on to a “high end” restaurant where we made coconut ceviche and sampled a little grilled fish and a portobello slider. Everything delicious!

Our last stop was a unique restaurant in busy Miraflores (very nice tourist district where my hotel was located). In the early 2000’s a very smart guy proposed to the city that if he could build a restaurant next to the pre Inca ruins site he would financially support the restoration. To this day he contributes 8 % of his profits. The Huaca Pucllano is a favorite with tourists and locals. We had yummy sea bass ceviche and cow heart. The later being a popular street food. It taste a little like liver but milder and a little more chewy than liver but not tough.

We finished with a fancy baked egg white and cream dessert and a cappuccino.

Needless to say I didn’t need any more food until the next day!

October 2 was Election Day for city/district mayors in Peru so there could be no alcohol sales on Saturday and Sunday until the poles closed. Voting is compulsory and citizens may have to pay fines up to $64 if they don’t cast their ballots. Since we couldn’t have any Pisco Sours on our food tour the company gave us our own bottle of Pisco…….

Our travel group met up Saturday night. There are 3 of us taking the whole trip until November 20th — the rest will leave after 3 weeks. We probably will pick up more as we go south. There are two folks who are 43 years old and the rest are in their twenties………so far I’m keeping up and I have impressed them with my packing skills and my rule to only travel with a carry on bag.

Sunday was spent checking out Lima city center. This was about 25 minute by cab ($5}. The first large square is dedicated to Peru’s independence from Spain in 1821…….after 300 years of Spanish rule. Jose San Martin led the rebellion movement and he has a lovely statue shared with Lady Liberty. (Story goes that her sculptor was told to put a flame on her head but that was ‘lost in translation’ and she ended up with a Llama instead)

It was onto the next square of grand buildings and the president’s house. Corruption seems to be a common trait for this category of office holder. Five past presidents from the 90’s to now are in jaIl and the current one is under investigation.

Last stop before Ceviche lunch was the San Francisco monastery. There are about 25,000 persons’ bones in the catacombs. In the past one could pay to be buried below the church and this was thought to get you on the “express train” to heaven.

Sea bass ceviche, little dried corn snacks and Inca Kola—Peru’s favourite soft drink……….taste like cream soda.

Monday morning we took our first bus ride. The bus was very comfortable with reclining seats, foot rests, individual media screens, little curtains between the seats and a bathroom. It took 4 hours to get to Paracas. The road and high is very barren. Peru is pretty much desert. They have water from the mountains and deep wells to supply the cities and for crop irrigation. We took a driving tour outside this little fishing town/port on the Pacific coast to check out the desert.

It was then to lunch — of course Ceviche (this time mixed seafood). A sweet potato/squash and corn usually are included with the seafood “cooked” in lime/coconut juice (Tiger’s milk)). Pelicans greeted us by the door.