Misadventures of a gringa: My life in Lima

The old wives of Peru speak.. and everyone listens

2012-05-19T10:42:00.003-05:00

Being surrounded by medical personnel and patients a lot of the day, it's impossible not to pick up on a few interesting ideas about medical care in Peru. Here are a few of our favorite gems:

1. Always cover your neck with a scarf. Otherwise, the cold can literally enter your throat that way.

2. Asthmatics are forbidden to eat certain foods, most notably chocolate and the color red additive.

3. Tomato seeds cause kidney stones. Therefore, they are always removed when cooking.

4. Vitamins stimulate appetite, growth, and general health and well-being; basically considered a cure-all for children.

5. Cold drinks will give you a cold. Best if room temp or slightly warmed.

6. Drinking "water" often means sugar water. Seriously. Sugar is added to regular drinking water to enhance the flavor. This can get you into trouble if you're hoping to take fasting glucose first thing in the a.m. (One of my friends learned the hard way)

7. Pills must be taken with an excessive amount of water. Otherwise, it won't make it to the stomach.

8. Excessive hugging (one might call smothering) your children promotes general health, well-being, and serves as a treatment for malnourishment. Not an exaggeration.

Makeshift Mistura

2012-05-19T10:28:00.004-05:00

Less than a week in Peru. Instead of freaking out, I decided to do the next best thing: hold a Peruvian cook-off, utilizing all the skills we haven't practiced all year to try our hand at the delectable dishes we've become so accustomed to eating.

On the menu (with recipes included in case you want to put them to the test):

DRINKS/TRAGOS

Prep work

Pisco Sour
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup key lime juice
- 1 1/2 cups pisco
- 3 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups ice
- Angostura Bitters

Preparation:
1. Make sugar syrup: Put sugar and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, remove from heat, and let cool.
2. Place sugar syrup, lemon juice. pisco, and ice in a blender, and mix well. Add the egg whites and mix until just frothy.
3. Serve in small tumblers, with a dash of bitters in the middle of the foam.

*Note* - Feel free to get creative and try different fruit variations. Most popular: maracuya (passion fruit), fresa (strawberry), aguaymanto (goldenberry)...

Chilcano
Ingredients:
4 ounces ginger ale
2 ounces pisco
1 lime

Preparation:
1. Fill a 8 ounce tumbler with ice cubes.
2. Pour the pisco and ginger ale over the ice.
3. Squeeze the lime juice into the glass.

Algarrobina

Ingredients:

3 oz. of Pisco De la Motta
1 oz. of Algarrobina syrup
2 oz. evaporated milk
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 egg yolk
4 ice cubes
Cinnamon

Mix the ingredients in a blender for 1/2 minute in maximum speed. Serve in a glass and decorate with cinnamon powder.

Chirimoya + Cusquena. Good stuff

ENTRADAS/FONDOS
Causa

Ingredients
- Yellow (Yukon gold) potatoes -- 2 pounds
- Oil -- 1/2 cup
- Lime or lemon juice -- 1/4 cup
- Ají amarillos chile paste (optional) -- 2 or 3 tablespoons
- Salt and pepper -- to taste
- Filling (see variations) -- 2 cups
- Hard-boiled eggs, sliced into rounds -- 2 or 3
- Pitted black olives -- 6 to 8
Method
1. Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until they are tender and cooked through. Drain and set aside to cool.
2/ When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them. Put the potatoes through a ricer or mash with a potato masher until smooth. Stir in the oil, pepper paste if using, lime or lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
Line a casserole dish or baking pan with plastic wrap, pressing it down to fit the dish. Spread half the potatoes into the bottom of the dish and smooth out. Spread the desired filling evenly over the potatoes. Spread the remaining potatoes evenly over the filling. Chill thoroughly.
3. Lay a serving platter upside-down over the top of the potato dish. Using both hands, flip the dish and platter over, letting the causa fall onto the platter. Remove and discard the plastic wrap.
4. Garnish the causa decoratively with the hard-boiled eggs and olives and, if you like, a sauce. Cut into portions and serve.

Variations
- Potatoes: Peru has hundreds of varieties of potatoes. Bright yellow types are usually used for causa rellena, the color boosted by the ají peppers. Yukon gold are a good substitute in the United States. If you can find blue potatoes, give those a try too. Instead of lime or lemon juice, some cooks use bitter orange juice.
- Fillings: Chicken or seafood salads bound together with mayonnaise are very common causa fillings. For seafood, try tuna salad, crab salad, shrimp salad, poached or fried fish or seafood, smoked trout or seafood ceviche. Vegetarian fillings include sliced avocados, sliced or grated cheese, sliced or chopped tomatoes, corn kernels, thinly sliced red onions.
- Garnishes: Hard-boiled eggs and pitted black olives are the classic Peruvian garnish. You can also use shredded or whole lettuce leaves or any of the filling ingredients to garnish.
Sauces: Sauces are often drizzled over a finished causa. Try mixing mayonnaise a little lemon juice, ketchup or avocado puree and drizzle it decoratively over and around the causa with a squeeze bottle. Or make Salsa Huancaina: 12 ounces feta or ricotta cheese; 5 fresh, chopped ajís amarillos peppers; 1/2 cup milk; 2 cloves garlic; 1/2 cup oil; salt and pepper. Put the cheese, peppers, milk and garlic into a blender and puree. With the blender still running, drizzle in the oil until the sauce has a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
- A popular alternative way to form the causa is rolled up like a jellyroll, or pionono. Spread the potatoes into a smooth rectangle over a layer of plastic wrap. Spread the filling over the potatoes. Lift the plastic wrap from one end of the potatoes and roll the potatoes up over the filling. Place seam-side down on a serving platter, garnish and serve in slices. Causa rellena can also be formed in a springform pan or as individual portions.

*Notes* - Causa takes its name from the old Incan Quechua word kausaq, which means "giver of life," another name for the potato. Rellena is the Spanish word for "stuffed."

Ceviche
Ingredientes:
½ kg de pescado de preferencia tollo, cojinova, perico , 10 Limones, Ajo molido 200Gr , Sal al gusto, 01 Ají limo , 02 Cebollas rojas, 02 Choclos (opcional), 03 camotes (opcional), Canchita serrana (opcional) , Lechuga (opcional).

Preparación:
Cortar el pescado en trozos o decir que lo corten para cebiche, lavarlo y ponerlo en un recipiente de vidrio (pyrex) de preferencia, Cortar las cebollas en juliana, exprimir los 10 limones sobre el pescado en el recipiente, sacar pepas antes de exprimir limones, echar 1 (una) cuchara de ajos molidos mezclar con sal al gusto, hechar la cebolla , revolver o mezclar y esperar de 5 a 10 min y servir, acompañado de choclo, camote, canchita, etc , picar el aji limo y esparcir en el cebiche.

Tiradito
Ingredients:
- 600g of white fish (sea bass, flounder, grouper, sole, etc).
- Juice of 15 key limes
- 1 ají limo seeded, deveined, and finely diced
- 4 tbsp ají amarillo paste
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper

Preparation:
- Make a dressing with the lime juice, ají limo, ají amarillo paste, ginger, salt, and pepper. Set aside (preferably in the fridge).
- Slice the fish into fine, sashimi-like pieces (stripes about 6cm long, 2.5cm wide, and 1,5cm thick). Place in a cold serving dish, the pieces on a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Cover with the dressing and serve immediately. As with ceviche, tiradito can be garnished with sweet potatoes and boiled corn grains.

Lomo Saltado (by Rafael)

Ingredients (6 pax):

- 1kg fine tenderloin fillet cut 3cm x 1cm

- 1pc skinless ginger, cut into 4 small pieces

- 2 med red onions, cut into thick long strips, washed and strained

- 3 shallots

- 6 garlic cloves, crushed

- 3 T soy sauce

- 1/3c rice vinegar

- 1c beef stock

- 4 tomatoes, cut into eights

- 1 yellow aji pepper, seedless, veinless, cut into thin strips

- 2 limo aji peppers, seedless, veinless, cut into thin strips

- handful cilantro

- handful parsley

- 1/3c stout/black beer

- 1/2c pisco

- vegetable/olive oil

Preparation:

1. Season meat with salt and pepper. Heat the pan, add pisco and reduce completely. Add the meat and saute over high heat until browned. Remove.

2. Pour a bit of oil, add onion, ginger, ajies. Cook a little. Add the crushed garlic. Season. Add the beer, vingegar, and soy sauce. Keep cooking until reaching syrup consistency.

3. Add the tomato and saute for a min. Add the beef stock. educe to 1/4 original volume. Add the meat back to the pan, as well as minced cilantro, parsley, and shallots

4. Serve with rice, french fries, and if desired, a fried egg.

Butifarritas (mini Peruvian sandwiches)

Ingredients:

- French bread sandwich rolls

- Jamon del pais (or shredded rotisserie chicken)

- Sliced Palta (avocado)

- Sliced camote (sweet potato), cooked

- Salsa criolla (see recipe below)

- Lettuce

- Mayo, mustard, salsa de aji, ketchup, etc, etc

Preparation:

1. Split the rolls in half lengthwise and spread insides lightly with mayonnaise if desired.

2. Divide jamón or chicken among the four rolls, and place inside rolls with lettuce.

3. Add 1/4 cup salsa criolla to each roll. Add slices of palta y camote. Flavor with whichever salsas you desire. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Salsa Criolla
Ingredients:
- 2 red onions, sliced in very thin half moons
- 1-2 ají or jalapeño peppers, sliced into very thin matchsticks
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or parsley, or both
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Soak the onions in salt water for 10 minutes. Drain and let dry.
2. Mix onion with the rest of the ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
3. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Rocoto Relleno

Ingredients:
1/2 cup raisins
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 chile peppers (aji preferred; if not, anaheim or similar), seeds and veins removed, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup beef broth
1 hard boiled egg, coarsly chopped
1/3 cup sliced black olives
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
4 rocoto peppers (if not available, bell peppers are fine)

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them plump in the water for 10 minutes.
3. Sauté the chopped onions, garlic, and peppers in the olive oil until soft and fragrant.
4. Add the cumin and paprika and cook 2 minutes more, stirring. Add the ground beef and cook until browned.
5. Drain the raisins and add them to the ground beef. Add the beef broth and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until most of the liquid is gone.
6. Stir in the hard boiled egg and the black olives. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Remove beef mixture from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco.
8. While the beef is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Slice the tops off of the peppers and reserve. Clean the inside of the peppers, removing the seeds and veins.
9. Cook the peppers in the boiling water until bright red and just tender, about 8 - 10 minutes. Drain peppers and blot dry with paper towels.
10. Fill each pepper with some of seasoned ground beef mixture. Top with remaining queso fresco.
11. Place the peppers on a baking sheet, with the tops alongside them (but not covering the filling). Bake the peppers for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the filling is heated through.
12. Serve warm.

*Note* - unless you want your mouth to fall off from the heat of the rocoto, you might want to take the advice we got from friends AFTER attempting this dish. Besides taking extra care to deseed/devein the pepper, 1.- Boil the rocotos three times with fresh water and sugar, changing the water every time; 2.- Soak overnight in a mixture of vinegar and sugar. The next day, drain them, wash them very well, and boil for 5 minutes covered in water and the juice of two limes. Drain and rinse them.This is Blanca Chávez‘s (one of Arequipa‘s most famous chefs) favorite method. 3.- Put a good amount of salt inside each rocoto and with the help of a spoon, scrub very well and then rinse them.

Also not to be forgotten as traditional/popular dishes: Aji de Gallina and Tacu Tacu. These were not prepared bc frankly, I don't really like them that much.

Dessert = "homemade" strawberry cake from La Mora...

... and gifts!

Friendship bracelets.. haha

Wrapping things up

2012-05-06T22:44:00.003-05:00

It's happening. No matter what I do, how much I try not to think about it, my time here is quickly coming to an end. We are now approaching the 2 wk mark, the length of a glorified holiday. My thoughts and focuses are shifting. No longer do I spend most of my brain power on kids and lung sounds and pneumonia and bureaucracy and budgets and ceviche and sunsets and weekend getaways. Baltimore and my life as a med student has started to relentlessly invade my thoughts. I had to find an apt in Baltimore, come to the realization that my friends will be actual doctors soon (scary), plan logistics for a weekend trip in upstate NY to see 2 of my closest friends tie the knot, make doctors' appts, deans' appts, hair appt, make my online Amazon purchases to have certain luxuries like a hair straightener that I've done without for almost a year, drop a grand to schedule Step 2 CS, etc, etc, etc. Deep breath. Ok.

In the meantime, life goes on. In my last month here, I...

1) finally made a trip to Polvos Azules, a giant market of cheap electronics and other goodies. And by cheap, I mean 3 seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm, 1 season of Game of Thrones and 2 movies for about $15. I also mean 450 of the greatest latino hits in a 3 CD collection for about $3. Finally, we hit the pirating motherload.

2) had an unexpected visit from a friend/research mule to deliver a very important replacement ultrasound and to enjoy a weekend of wining and dining in Lima

When 2 worlds collide.. in Peru

3) commissioned a piece of artwork.. sounds so legit, doesn't it?

3) finally did the weekend beach thing... 3 wks after the official season ended. Deserted Lima beach houses in bright, happy sunshine is quite the sight and makes for a very relaxing getaway.

Playa Santa Maria in the "off-season"

4) had 2 consecutive (and very random) 5am nights out. That hurt.

5) made s'mores and fondue on the malecon during a Sunday music night

Yes, that is a xylophone
in the background

6) finally made it to El Mercado (my personal fav), La Gloria, and Rafael, 3 of the "top restaurants" in Lima

La Gloria - num num num

7) started serious data analysis and faded myself out of data collection (meaning exponentially more time in front of the computer screen)

watching ultrasound videos.. super fun

8) caught some pre-Incan erotic art and such at the Larco Museum

Dirty pre-Incan STD

9) contemplated surfing, then decided it wasn't for me, at least not in the questionable waters off the coast of Lima

10) admired every sunset I could while sketching, writing, working out, or simply staring in awe

11) experienced the magic of Dracula in Peru

12) ate lots of ceviche/mariscos

13) maintained a surprisingly calm state during all this... while preparing for the moment when it all explodes. I'll let you know how it goes.

Bests

2012-04-27T12:57:00.004-05:00

With less than a month left, I can't help but think back on my time in S America and everything I've learned along the way... For this installation, we'll be reviewing my "bests" list.

*Disclaimer: I make no claim as a skilled critic or know-it-all. Basically, I have good memories at these places and think the following are good bets if you find yourself around without the faintest idea where to start.

And along with the bests, I've compiled an album of some of my favs HERE.

Let the reflecting begin!

Best ceviche any day restaurant = Pez Amigo on La Paz (Miraflores)
Best go-to fast food = Falafel from Tierra Santa (Av Schell, Miraflores)
Best supermarket = Wong, hands down
Best Fusion = San Ceforino, Peruvian-Italian (San Isidro)
Best restaurant overall = El Mercado (on Av La Mar)
Best view = Sunset from Malecon by light house
Best culinary experience = Mistura festival, Lima
Best chill bar, great atmosphere = Posada del Angel (Barranco)
Best (only) bagel = Don Mamino Cafe (San Isidro)
Best alfajor = La Mora (Av Grau, Miraflores)
Best build-your-own salad = Crepes and Waffles (28 de Julio, Miraflores)
Best frozen delight = Pinkberry-- and to make it Peruvian, get the lucuma fro yo
Best sushi = Sushi place in Larcomar
Best Chifa Fusion = Madam Tusan
Best Peruvian beer = Tres Cruces
Best place to find non-Peruvian beer = Chez Phillippe (San Isidro)
Best cocktail = Pisco soda (not popularized just yet but basically pisco, soda, and lime)
Best weekend trip from lima = Huacachina sandboarding
Best once-in-a-lifetime adventure = Amazon Great River Raft Race
Best place for tea time = El Virrey (Av Bolegnesi, Miraflores)
Best fast food chain = Pardo's Chicken
Best way to spend your Saturday morning = Bioferia
Best way to spend your Saturday afternoon = Hash Harriers
Best way to spend your first Sundays in Lima = Jogging/walking up Arequipa (no cars) to El Centro
Best place to find all traditional dishes in 1 place = El Centro food market on Sundays
Best camping/trekking overall = Huaraz
Best pollo a la brasa = Kiriko (Parque Kennedy)
Best tourist sandwich place = La Lucha (Parque Kennedy)
Best movie theater experience = VIP Lounge (Larcomar)
Best way to spend your Tues = 7 soles movie night
Best unique way to spend an evening = Jam session on the malecon with wine and s'mores
Best piano bar = Munich (El Centro)
Best pizza, fancy = Antica
Best pizza, delivery = D'nnos
Best pisco sour = News Cafe (San Isidro)
Best website to download tv/movies = Cuevana
Best place to get cheap electronics/dvds/etc = Polvos Azules
Best accessible Lima beach = Playa (fill in the blank) south of Lima, basically dime a dozen
Best form of transportation = walk if you can, combi if you must

Huaraz: Where plans are best left to chance

2012-04-15T00:41:00.001-05:00

When considering that Semana Santa (Holy Wk) would be my last chance to travel before the big trip back to the states, I had few requests: I wanted to trek, and I wanted it to be somewhere beautiful. This originally led us to consider Ciudad Perdida in Columbia, but long story short, plane tix fell through, and I was stuck with a $135 cancellation penalty. C'est la vie.

About a wk before vacation, Huaraz/Ancash was confirmed.. and by confirmed, I mean a friend and I thought it sounded like a good time. Little more was prepped than purchasing overnight bus tickets and a last minute hostelworld.com booking for night #1, and we were on our way. Turns out there would be 5 of us, all in the research world: 2 guys going a few days ahead, and 3 girls catching the bus on Tues night. No trek booked, no research done. Just packed my backpack with all the camping/trekking/waterproof supplies I had 30 min before departure, and we were on our way.

Basically, we decided to wing it and couldn't have been more lucky with the outcome.

First surprise: the 10 hr bus ride I was expecting was apparently only 7. Hence, we arrived at 6am Wed. morning with a lot of time to kill. Solution: Walk from bus station to Plaza de Armas and watch the sun rise and the town awaken. Also, go to B&B early (Alpa K --- highly recommend it), check in early, and sleep away the rest of the morning.

After 4+ hrs of change-in-altitude-crazy-deep-sleep (3100m higher than the day before), we went in search of a Lonely Planet rec for breakfast - "Seeds of Hope." While I am positive that this restaurant does not exist, the wandering led us to some pretty nice finds.. mostly involving fruit stands (watermelon slices, fresh pomegranate, mandarines, etc, etc), fun trinkets, and ridiculously friendly Huarazians. Eventually, we gave up on this made-up restaurant and ventured to the Lonely Planet's backpackers' wonderland: Cafe Andino. I can see the appeal, but you def won't find authenticity in this place. Regardless, they make a killer andinocake (pancake of quinoa, kiwicha, and wheat germ) with fresh local honey. That, the couches, and array of maps and guidebooks made for a nice brunch spot.

Let the planning begin...

Round 2 of napping for the day before our big group rendezvous and planning session... which happens to be the first time we'd actually talked about what we wanted to do, but there seemed to be a consensus on 2 things: camping 2-3 days and somewhere off the beaten path. After what seemed like hrs of talking in circles, the solution from Anthula at Infinite tours (very very highly recommended) was Uruscocha, a destination with 2 lakes outside of the main national park. No park fee, remote, guide-free, nice destination, <5000m = perfect. Next, rent equipment, food shopping at market, dinner at quaint restaurant in Parque Ginebra, and picking up odds and ends around town, and I could finally slide right back into dream land.

Stocked and ready to go...
with built-in drum set

Laura's essentials when going camping in Huaraz during rainy season:
- Warm/waterproof clothes
- Lighter fluid
- Ipod
- Harmonica
- Marshmallows
- Box o' wine
- Cards if you can remember to bring them..
which I can't :-/

Thursday

Early morning we find out there's been an avalanche on the pass to Pashpa, our starting destination. After much deliberation, we decide to go with it and take our chances.. There's a good chance this "avalanche" was a little guy and easily cleared and if not, we'd have a few more hrs to walk. Turns out we were right on the first point, and thanks to our fearless cab driver, we made it to Pashpa through the mud and debris in no time. And we were off...

Beautiful countryside, cute kids asking for money to take pictures (well-trained), sheep, mountain cows, altitude giggles, folky sing-a-longs, questionable cheese sandwiches (that I would later regret), and tons of photo ops.

Shortly after my stomach turned south (likely a combo of the altitude + unpasteurized slimy cheese), the rain crept its way in, and it was time to set up camp. As luck would have it, there was a lovely little spot by a stream/meadow, perfectly situated amongst the trees to shield us a bit from the inclement weather.

Me make fire

Next on the list was fire (so the boys could feel like men), water zapping with Nancy's nifty UV bug blaster, tea time, dry clothes, and dinner prep.

On the menu for the evening: a hearty stew with sausage, noodles, variety of veggies, Peruvian beans I've never heard of before, and hot peppers and some stale bread for dipping. Somehow the concoction turned a bright yellow/orange and was mighty tasty. To accompany the stew, we enjoyed some mulled wine, followed by roasted marshmallows. Very gourmet.

The night was cold and wet. The all-weather sleeping bags must have been mislabeled, and the steam from the stew turned everything damp. I've had better sleep.

Friday

Good morning, Peru

Sunrise over the mountains. Emphasis on SUN! Clothes out to dry. Coca tea. Hot porridge with sauteed apples, cinnamon, and raisins. Perfect for finishing the trek to the lagunas, mountain running, and frolicking all the way back to Pashpa where a taxi just happened to be pulling up to painlessly take us back towards Huaraz. (*note*- the fact that the cab showed up on time and in the right location is a really big deal. Don't underestimate that ridiculously lucky tidbit.)

After almost falling over the edge thanks to the
10 sec self-timer time crunch

Can you spot the surprise?

On the way back, we discovered we would be passing right by natural hot springs. What could be better to warm your bones after 2 days of cold and wet than hot springs? We were in agreement. This was necessary. It was also necessary that 4 of us find ourselves in a tiny room at the end of a dark hallway with a moldy, empty bathtub and told brusquely we had 30 minutes... 30 minutes? For what?? After the initial shock wore of, we changed into bathing suit-like attire, turned on the faucet and let the natural hot brown water flow freely into the tub. Nothing weird about that at all....

It was like that before we got in...
I swear

Back at Huaraz a nice dinner of curry at Chili Heaven, some quality microbrews, and a bit of interesting political conversation awaited us. Then it was time to experience what nightlife in Huaraz on Good Friday had to offer.

Saturday

Laguna 69 trek. Day hike with Infinite tours. 3 bumpy hours on the bus to get there starting at 6:30am after a measly 3-4hrs of cold, interrupted sleep. I was remarkably awake by the time we got there.. Maybe it was the snack of choclo con queso I had at the entry to the park. Yum.

A light mountain run

The trek was great. 2.5 steady hrs of uphill climb to reach the lake at 4800m. We were very happy to be one of the first few up there for the day and had well over an hr to enjoy the coming and going of the sun, the partial skinny dippers, our solid snack items, and, of course, one of the bluest bodies of water I've ever seen.

On the way down, we ran into the third party of our little group who'd been having a battle with the altitude, and unfortunately, the altitude was winning. She, however, refused to turn back without seeing the lake, so we did the only thing we could do. Prop ourselves on a rock on the side of the mountain in the sleet and rain and wait... and wait. Good thing the altitude had heightened our sense of humor bc we were basically giggling our way through the cold. I recommend it. Our friend did make it (barely), and we were finally able to start our descent, now well behind the rest of our bus group. Mountain running sped things up a bit (and warmed our spirits) as we jogged past anxious hikers, an avalanche, and more mountain cows.

Hanging out

While the 3.5 bumpy hours back might have been the longest of my life, it gave plenty of time to reflect on our sweetass day and listen to our Peruvian guide sing along enthusiastically to Patsy Cline, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the like.

Sunday - Easter

DJ priest getting the crowd going

And then there were 2. Nancy and I remained after the rest of our party made their way back to Lima overnight the evening before. We, on the other hand, had time to enjoy Easter in Huaraz -- some souvenir shopping, fruit shopping, town wandering, and market going. The highlight, by far, was the outdoor mass we stumbled upon in the square. People from villages all over showed up in their Sunday best to pack into the square and patiently await the arrival of the processions. There was plenty to keep us occupied: vendors were everywhere selling everything from ice cream to instruments, while the priests, altar boys, and city officials gathered at the balcony across from us to lead us in song, dance, and revving up the party. Absolutely incredible.

Lessons:

When in doubt, blame it on the altitude
Marshmallows are always a good idea
Never underestimate the power of lighter fluid
Some things are worth the extra trouble to bring along
Think twice before eating a hot meal in the tent you'll be sleeping in later. Steam doesn't stay warm for long.
Be wary of market cheeses, especially if they're juicier than you're used to
The Sound of Music soundtrack is a good option when in open fields
Mountain running is only fun when doing so on a decline.. And when this is the case, it's really, really fun
Some people have a natural inclination to skinny dip in beautiful and remote lakes. Most people do not.
The harmonica is the perfect camping companion. Now if only I knew how to make it sing...
Ancash/Huaraz is a magical place
Sometimes, the stars align and everything falls into place. This is a beautiful thing.

You know you've been in Lima too long when....

2012-04-01T21:46:00.002-05:00

My family coming has made me realize that I've been here for a while.. A few examples of what I mean.

You know you've been in Peru too long (or just long enough)...

1. When the whiny voice comes out when bargaining with cabbies, vendors, basically anyone who'll listen

2. When everything becomes a smaller version of what it should be by tagging an -ito/ita to the tail of most nouns; cuchara (spoon) -> cucharita; bolsa (bag) ->; bolsita; permiso (excuse me)->; permisito
*note - on the last word, you know you're basically Peruvian when you add a hint of the whiney tone as well

3. When honks and whistles become a part of the background noise and are as expected as the sound of the wind, rustling of leaves in trees, or birds singing in the morn.

4. When you think twice about calling/texting someone bc you don't want to waste saldo (cell phone credit)

5. When you start to second guess whether that imaginary boyfriend you've created to deter potential suitors exists after all. Sometimes he changes jobs or nationalities, but he's always big, always close, always possessive, and you are very in love.

6. When those same 5 work shirts are now faded from all the wear, but no one seems to mind, least of all you.

7. When you realize you're not going through your make up, and the fun jewelry hasn't seen much use. Again, no complaints there.

8. When fresh food is the norm, not the exception. And ceviche is just something to be expected at least once/wk.

9. When having nothing but 100-soles bills can be just as embarrassing as having no money. And when you learn to always pay with big bills at big supermarkets bc that may be one of the only places where they won't give you a hard time.

10. When you no longer know the names/artists of the popular hits. Nevertheless, you could sing them in your sleep.

11. When the day no one comes soliciting anything on the combi, it's a dull day

12. When the mentholly-fresh flavor of Halls becomes associated with eating out - as they replace after dinner mints here.
13. When you finally learn that the extra 5 min it takes to buy a bottle of water on the way home is always worth it.
14. When the side kiss greeting is standard. Not creepy for the most part.. except for the slobbery ones from the old men.
15. When you realize there's no way to get around the awkwardness of meeting another American in Peru. Side kiss? Handshake? Hug? Or combo of the above? It can be a tragically hilarious scene.
16. When the fashion starts to become appealing. Welcome back, 80s.
17. When raw fish, cow heart, and potatoes have replaced your prior staples of chicken, veggies, and pasta
18. When the only fruit you routinely eat happen to not exist in the states: Peruvian mango, chirimoya, tuna, granadilla, maracuya, aguaymanto
19. When the last mixed drink you ordered that didn't include pisco was, well, not in Peru
20. When you no longer remember the real way to spell sandwich, sanguch, sanguche, sanwich...
21. When every intersection you cross, you come to it as though it may be your last. Stop signs are obsolete, and pedestrians never have the right-of-way.
22. When you approach everything as though it can be negotiated. No price is final. This includes any run-in with the authorities.
23. When toilet paper reaches monetary status and becomes standard to pack for the day
24. When you hail a cab and immediately head for the front window to bargain a price and quickly scan for signs of sketchiness. And when the perfect cabbie is older, looks you in the eye, and bargains a reasonable price but not too low.
25. When toilet paper finds its way in the trash by reflex. Flushing here is like a cardinal sin.
26. When fine dining is just another weekend out on the town because, well, you can afford it.
27. When 6am is a reasonable time to return from a night out. And when anything before 2am is considered a "chill night."
28. When you notice your facebook profile pics have become significantly more badass as of late.
29. When fatigue becomes the sole limiting factor to not doing something: price, availability, excitement, adventure, and novelty are never the issue.
30. When you have your own fruit lady and street choclo (corn) guy.
31. When watching the sunset on the water surrounded by surfers becomes just another evening.
32. When you stop expecting manana to really mean tomorrow.
33. When you can honestly say at the end of the day, "I'm home."

I normally don't like to do this, but I am editing into my previously posted blog bc it was just brought to my attention that there is another blog out there with basically the same title as this one.. and I'll admit, it's wittier than mine, and pretty spot on.. dammit.

You’re so used to stomach ailments that you and your other foreign friends have created a system by which to rate your bowel movements
You don’t notice if a song is in English or Spanish until ½ way through
Avoiding dog poop in the street has become a 6^th sense
You’ve come to think of seatbelts and stop signs as optional
You’re no longer horrified by the prospect of eating potatoes, rice, and bread in the same meal
You find yourself struggling to remember certain words in English
You’re so out of touch with the indie music scene that you’ve resigned and begun to listen to Lady GaGa
A phone call that lasts for more than a minute makes you feel slightly awkward
You get a little put out if the taxi driver tries to overcharge you by 15 cents
You think arriving 5 minutes late is early

More Family Foto Fun

2012-04-01T21:08:00.001-05:00

Now that I have more than tripled my Ellington Family Foto Collection, I thought it only prudent to share.

Also, you can just hit up the album by clicking HERE

The Ellingtons invade Peru

2012-03-25T19:55:00.003-05:00

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Only a matter of time. The family came, saw, and conquered. And with only 7 days to do so, it was jam-packed to the max.

(for a complete viewing of my pics.. others to come... go HERE)

Saturday, March 17
Worked all day. Packed. Pizza at D'nnos (akin to Papa Johns), beers, and ice cream - and just in time to greet the folks at Hotel Antigua. The next morning was an early one (the first of many), so we just said our happy hellos, stashed some extra luggage at my place, and opened some exciting gifts of gums, a stuffed easter chick, Cholula sauce, easter chocolates, and an egg dye kit... awesome.

Sunday, March 18
6am to airport, Cuzco-bound. Yep, that's right. Eight months in, and I'm FINALLY going to see Machu Picchu. (Insert comment here).

Cuzco is a cute town, a welcome change of pace from Lima. We spent the afternoon wandering around the city, through the Plaza de Armas and big mercado de artesanias, with little bits of shopping here and there. The fam and I tested the waters with local cuisine at Don Tomas for lunch and Pachapapa for dinner, and tried not to get altitude sickness/serrucho with our treatment regimen of acetazolamide, advil, water, and plenty of coca tea.
Side note - highly recommend Pachapapa: woodburning stove, adorable atmosphere, sickly good food without being over-the-top.

Monday, March 19

Vallo, my trusted steed

Horseback riding around Cuzco. Unexpectedly delightful day with awesome guide, breathtaking scenery, and horses not lacking in the personality departments.
There was Medianoche ("Midnight"), my mom's horse who was only comfortable at the front of the pack. Appropriate.
Mil Amores ("1000 loves"), Matt's horse, second in line, stocky and a bit ornery.
Vallo ("The Range"), my horse, a little moody, a lot spunky and not one to run with the pack.
My dad's horse (name slips my mind) - a fan of shortcuts... to the point of jumping off a ledge and taking my dad with him... until he army rolled onto the floor.
And last, but not least, Aguila ("Eagle"), Meghan's horse, not really a fan of soaring as he took up the rear and found a home there.

Cute

When we weren't riding or falling off the horses, as it were, we were checking out the big 4 ruins in/around Cuzco:
- Tambomachay - rest station for runners/water temple
- Pucca Pucara - another temple across the road from the first, also fort
- Qenqo - a big rock temple
- Sacsayhuaman, basically pronounced "Sexy woman", in the shape of a lightning bolt, very impressive

Tambomachay.. whoooaaa

Checking out ruins..
my professional opinion:
impressive

They tell me the green comes from cilantro...
still not convinced
My vote, aliens.

Dinner at Gaston's Chi Cha. Scrumptrulescent and innovative - 2 fine words to describe food in my opinion.

Tuesday, March 20

Inkaterra, just looking at it
makes you want to breathe a
relaxing sigh

Another early morning (5ish) to catch the Vistadome train to Aguas Calientes after an initial 2hr bus ride to Ollantaytambu. Then it was time for some much needed r&r at our upgraded hotel Inkaterra, basically its own village within a village, complete with a few restaurants, nature walks, tea plantation, spa, robes, and cozy lodge + fireplace with all-you-can-eat mandarines and a tea time happy hr. A little bit of paradise in the rainy season.

We only took a small break to check out Indio Feliz, a restaurant recommended to me by a number of folks, and I can see why. Very tourist-friendly, cute place.. and the food isn't bad either.

Wednesday, March 21

MACHU PICCHU. 5am.. again. but so very worth it. Bus station by 5:30, already an impressive line. To the front entrance by 6.. again, long line but remarkably fast-moving, almost well-oiled machine-like. Watched the sun rise over the mountains.

Pics that make it look like we were the only ones there (we'll pretend that's what it was). And sunshine all the glorious day. Luck is an understatement for what we experienced. And that includes our trek up Huaynapicchu. An hr of Inkan stairs and a liter of sweat later, we made it... and a little while after, the padres made it up too. Again, worth it. As was our tour and buffet lunch that followed.

Boom. It's official. Picchu passport stamped.

No break for us.. after lunch, it was back to the train station for us, Cuzco by dinner for our fastest and one of the most satisfying meals of brick oven pizza, beers, and jugos at the super quaint Nonna's.

Thursday, March 22
Early flight to Lima. Rent a car to Paracas, a beach town south of Lima. At this point, Matt and Meghan were feeling effects of the altitude/food, and I was well on my way. Jammed in a car. Crazy Lima driving. An obnoxious British GPS lady. All a recipe for disaster. This culminated when we were pulled over.. by the cops, the Peruvian cops. Immediately I knew, this was going to be good. Why were we pulled over? Speeding? Suspicious activity? Negative. Our lights weren't on.. in the heat of a sunny day bc of course that's a law in Peru, with a fine of 300 soles. Imagine this. I'm trying to translate, leaning over the front seat and working the Peruvian negotiating tactics I've picked up. The boys are getting irritable.. in English, not wanting to hand over information. Meghan is about to lose what little breakfast she had in the back. Another cop comes up, flirts with me, promises to find me in the hospital where I work (scary), and comes up with a compromise. We pay half the said fine under the table, and everything else goes away. My first dirty cop experience and with the entire family. Awesome. This set quite the tone for the rest of the drive, meaning no going 1-2km over the speed limit. It wasn't the happiest of road trips. I'll leave it at that.

Hotel Paracas

On the other hand, Hotel Paracas, once we found it, was a game changer. Luxury at its finest. Paradise on the beach in the middle of nowhere, Peru. It had a healing quality all its own... Well, in a spiritual sense. Physically, it couldn't heal me from the wrath of altitude/food that I would endure that evening. From what I hear, however, the food at the restaurant was delightful, as was the rest of my fam's night.

Friday, March 23
Islas Ballestas. The poor man's Galapagos. We were the poor men, and it worked for us. Penguins, sea lions, birds, boobies, and oh-so-much guano... enough to land square on my father's head. Hehe. Classic.

La Candelaria - carved in
stone. Not Nazca lines.
Enjoy that tidbit.

Back in time for the breakfast buffet. Too bad my stomach was still too sensitive to fully enjoy it. I did enjoy the sun and the beach and the pool and the beauty and the swanky spa music. Enough to beg and extend our checkout another hr... or so.

Then, it was back on the road again. Lights on. Speed limit. No Hunger Games trilogy to keep me occupied. Let's just say, another long drive... but when we got back to Lima, I was home! Now, we were finally on my turf.

An evening of lights, fountains, and lasers at the Magic Water Circuit at Parque de la Reserva. This time, we even witnessed light-people dancing in the midst of the grand fountain. It was mesmerizing to say the least. After the magic water, the limited number of street names and multitude of districts thwarted me again. The goal: Pescados Capitales on La Mar in Miraflores. The destination: Random block on La Mar in Magdalena. Not the same.. at all. Thank you, taxi driver, for not reading my mind and just going with your gut. We made it eventually, but another strike against Peru in the fam's book. Whoops. Hopefully, the delectable seafood evened the playing field again.

Saturday, March 24 - Meghan's bday
And so ends the crazy busy week-o-fun with the Ellington clan with our last and only full day in Lima. Sigh. This was a tough one. How do you share the brightest gems from the city you've grown to love with your family in a single day without killing them? Answer: not well.

This is how it went down. Sleep in. Breakfast at Hotel Runcu. Cab to El Centro, Plaza de Armas. Stop by the tourist center. Changing of the guards. Casa de Gastronomia museum. Inquisition museum. Artesanias market at Plaza Simon Bolivar.

Back to Miraflores via Metropolitano. La Lucha sandwiches, jugos, fries, salsas. Pinkberry lucuma/pomegranate fro yo with the best toppings. Then we split: Boys to the Corner Bar to watch March Madness, Girls to Larcomar for last min shopping/wandering by the water. Our rendezvous at the Corner was much needed for a nice little break with some good college basketball, futbol, and/or homage to Reggie Miller, and Cusquenas. Then off again for some good slow-walking and people-watching along the Malecon.

The big finale of the evening was a first for me as well. Huaca Pucllana ruins/restaurant for dinner. But not before the hotel surprised Meghan with a birthday strawberry cheesecake all her own. Adorable. But back to the restaurant... Very fancy, very elegant, very badass bc you eat dinner in the ruins. And you eat things like cheese and leek-stuffed chicken with aji risotto or red quinoa-crusted seabass with sauteed asparagus and artichokes in a red wine reduction. Yeah, that's right. I should be a food writer, eh?

And then, the evening came to an end, and I had to say goodbye, and there was nothing sweet about it.

Sunday, March 25
Recovery. Catch-up game. Back to the real world... with less than 2 months to go......

Sunset over Paracas beach

Lessons:

There's an abundance of c's in Machu Picchu.. The best way to remember where the extra one goes? Listen to the locals say this Wonder, and you'll understand: "Machu PIC-chu," high-pitched on the PIC
Cusco or Cuzco? Both seemingly correct, but I think I'm partial to bonus Z.
Acetazolamide/Diamox has very weird side effects: tingling extremities (hehe), polyuria, and maybe the prize winner - destroying carbonation. The best way I can describe it is a flat taste at the beginning then a burning sensation. Beers, cokes, all ruined when Diamox is on board.
Hunger Games should not be labeled for young adults. It reaches a lot broader audiences and deserves a more mature category. It's sophisticated and gripping... and I might have read the complete series in 3-4 days.
No matter how long I live here, my GI system will never be immune. Bummer.
Islas Ballestas. Don't forget the hat. Seriously. (and i'm not referring to the sun)
Sunblock. Underrated. I'll learn one of these days.
There must be more street names to use in Lima. They should hold a contest, or better yet, I will volunteer to add names to the pot.
A quick visit from the family is bittersweet. The time here was awesome, but it makes me even more homesick when they're gone.

Hashed again

2012-03-11T12:36:00.001-05:00

It's a sad, sad day. I officially ran out of my gum supply. But there is hope in the near future. With the family coming in less than a wk (yay!) and knowing my mother, I will likely be swimming in enough gum to last a year soon enough. This week may be a dark one, though.... I may have a mild addiction to chewing gum.

Pucusana.. unexpectedly quaint

Hash Harriers --- St. Patty's style

And by St. Patty-style, I mean there was green beer involved... but I'm getting ahead of myself.

I started off the Saturday as I start off most other days of the week.. working at the hospital. Some meetings, some shmoozing, some data revision and organization, and some leaving early for an afternoon of running around without a care in the world with Nancy, Aparna, and a number of middle-aged Peruvians in Pucusana, a fisherman town about 1.5hrs south of Lima. Every girl's dream, if I say so myself.

This hash wasn't all rainbows and sunshine, although there was plenty of that too. There was some rock climbing, 5 sets of incredibly daunting staircases (or maybe 3... my memory fails me), hills, wrong turns, rabid dogs, dehydration... Basically an emotional roller coaster that ended with a sunset overlooking the coast on a huge hill that we were forced to summit.

This kid's been hashed..
by Aparna

Mmmm, green beer
and a lot of rice

Lessons:

Peruvians have proportionately short legs or mine are proportionately long. Either way, combis were not made with my best interest in mind... and I resent that.

I really never thought my legs
were inappropriately long before

Pinkberry can fill any void.
Rainbows and clouds can look strikingly similar.. just ask Aparna.
I rarely see women driving in Lima. Last night we drove back with one.... averaging 30mph on the Panamericana Sur. I might have had a mini road rage flare up.
This week, I finally figured out that attitude is half the battle, and since I now know that (being half the battle itself).. does that mean the I've already won?

Hello Goodbye

2012-03-08T22:10:00.000-05:00

... Or rather, Goodbye Hello (but then I wouldn't be able to make the witty Beatles reference), so we'll do the next logical thing... relay my accounts backwards:

I will never get tired of these

Hello
aka Where's Wallman?

Early last week sometime, I got a text from a med school friend, this Wallman character, who was passing through Lima for the second time on his way back from a 1.5mo stent of good old-fashioned S American wandering, throughout southern Peru and a smattering in Bolivia. He and Cecily were practically already in Lima (news to me). And while hosting is one of my 5 favorite things, I was concerned about both the lack of time and exhaustion factor (with not 1 but 2 of the bossmans in town and let's not forget the steady stream of work things), but how often do I get visitors on my new Latino turf?

So it begins. Meetings and work mixed with excuses to try new things (and revisit old favorites).

V.I.P.

The oldies but goodies included strolling along the malecon, sunsets, Pinkberry, Bioferia on Saturday, El Centro food market on Sunday, KO, climbing gym, late night La Lucha sandwiches, La Noche (Barranco) + live music, sushi, and good clean fun.

As for newbies, I finally got some R&R on a beach south of Lima, read a Spanish classic (James y el melecoton gigante), taco night where I wasn't responsible for the grunt work, Mon night Jazz Zone where we listened to... well, jazz, and Tues night at the VIP Cine-Bar movie lounge watching The Artist (sooooo good).

Awesome lifeguard wear: long sleeve shirt,
bucket hat... and bright red speedo

Whew...

Goodbye
And then there was one less than there was before..

Rewind a bit further in time to the final days of February... An early farewell for one of our own, Elle. Ayacucho needed her for a new project, and she heeded the call. That means only thing: a string of despididas in many shapes and sizes. The most memorable, without a doubt, came when: La Semana del Chilcano coaligned** with Elle's last weekend here... hence, La Ruta del Chilcano. And what a ruta it was.

** I wouldn't recommend using this word in any formal setting, as your standard dictionary may not recognize it.

(Aside: Chilcano is a national Peruvian trago, 2nd only to the pisco sour, the "official" national beverage, that consists of pisco, ginger ale, and lime juice)

Stop #1: Mayta - very swanky bar with over 40 chilcanos to choose from, including purple corn, coca leaf, and rocoto (a spicy pepper).

Pit stop: Nancy and I at La Lucha - one of few ways to quickly rectify the starving gringa situation

Stop #2: "The place with the best Chilcanos on the corner of Alcanfores and Cantuarias" i.e. nameless

So much awesomeness in a single photo
Somewhere between stops 2 & 3

Stop #3: My fav kind of bar, the dive bar, with my fav kind of music, live music, in the middle of nowhere, Miraflores. And as an added bonus, this was a classic rock/80s/90s coverband from Argentina... really, how much better could it get?

Lessons:

I miss my Kindle (Did I mention I had my first pickpocket experience in Peru?)
Combis/buses are great for solid entertainment... and useful tidbits. For example, the other day there was a man selling hot pink veggie peelers at 7:15am, demonstration and all.
Manzanitas and camu camu look strikingly similar
When in doubt, make sh*# up and speak with confidence
What could be better than choclo? Answer: STREET choclo

the finger smudge adds to the effect... trust me

When Valentine's Day is a national holiday

2012-02-24T20:35:00.001-05:00

What should you do when you find out Vday is a national holiday in Peru? Go to Columbia for the weekend, of course.

This wasn't as last minute of an idea as it sounds. The original plan was to meet Nikki in Rio for Carnival, but it was a little irresponsible both financially and with work finally on the run, so we opted for Columbia instead. Not a bad second fiddle.

Columbia really made me work for a vacation this time around. It all started Wed afternoon when I realized, thanks to Nikki, that I would be flying out the following afternoon and NOT Friday as I had been thinking for weeks. Good to know. Fast forward to Thursday afternoon at the hospital. I had brought my luggage to work bc it's probably half the distance to the aiport as it would be from Miraflores. Plans to leave at 3pm for a 5:45pm flight. However, at 2:45pm I received a call from the radiologist collaborating with us (who is wonderful, might I add). She informs me that there is a patient in the ED with pneumonia. I then inform her that I have to leave soon, and she insists that this isn't a patient I want to miss. Ok. Fine. Ultrasound has already been performed. Just have to record breath sounds and let my nurses do the rest. Perfect. Now in the ED. Hysterical mom who wants to speak to someone in English. Of course. I try to calm her down. This works but takes a while... a long while. X-ray scanned. Very impressive pneumonia. Leave the rest in the hands of my nurses and leave for the airport... at 4:15pm. Slowest cab driver ever. Too many winding back roads. Arrive at airport 4:40pm only to find the front desk to Avianca closed. At this point, it was 50 minutes before my flight, and Avianca would not allow me to check-in or proceed through security. They shut down an hr before international flights. No negotiating.. not even with tears. Fine. Perfect. When's the next flight? 9:30pm with TACA. Pay a fine, pollo a la brasa, free Britt chocolate samples, quick nap, twiddle my thumbs, and I'm on my way to Bogota. Oh, and I think I'm getting a GI bug. Great. Whew, phase 1 of journey complete.

Bogota

Bed & Breakfast Chorros de Quevada in Candelaria. Super cute. Wrought iron winding staircase. Helpful staff. Next-to-no water pressure. Paper thin walls, perfect for early risers. We were not. Still would recommend it.

Plaza Bolivar, the abandoned central plaza of Bogota

Yep, the gastro is real, and it hit me pretty hard, but that is not going to keep me from enjoying my vacation with Nik. Day 1: Explore city. Bogota is an interesting place. It is a city with a lot of potential: beautiful architecture, great food (especially from the street), nice people, neighborhoods with character, bohemian vibe, exclusive bottle service-only nightclubs. But there's also a very real sense that the city isn't 100% free of its dangerous, drug cartel past. There's an eerie feel to the whole place. Machine gun-carrying police wandering the streets, an abandoned central plaza apart from the pigeons, graffiti and splatter-painted buildings even in the nicer parts of towns, swampy fountains and garbage-ridden walkways from lack of upkeep.

Food in el centro de Bogota

Places to go in Bogota if you have less than 48 hrs:
- Plaza Bolivar - gorgeous architecture, "tourist office" (" " bc not too much touristy to do, apparently), good traditional food options around the corner (Ajiaco - chicken/potato soup. Sooo good)
- Gold Museum - we never made it but heard good things

- Mercado Paloquemao - Bustling classic S American food market. Legit fruit smoothies and cheap coffee souvenirs.
- Candelaria - Bohemianesque neighborhood. Cute streets and cuter cafes/lunch places. Highly recommend Las Brujas, an adorable and quality restaurant in the basement of a cathedral. Universities concentrated here so night is full of punk kid loiterers (How old did that make me sound?)
- Zona Rosa - Nice neighborhood with fancy restaurants and the bottle service nightclubs I mentioned earlier. A microbrewery even exists, but don't get your hopes up. It kind of falls flat... get it??
- Macarena - apparently the fanciest and more tranquilo part of town with expensive shops and restaurants. We didn't make it there either.

Memorial to all missing/murdered
persons in Columbia

Next step: PLAYA.

Another layover at the Bogota national airport (the international airport is a different entity.. something that taxi drivers should know, and yet ours did not).

Cartagena

Hotel Bahia on the water. Pool and breakfast included. Faint smell of mildew and bleach in the room but otherwise cozy. The next time I'm in town, though, I'll be staying within the walled city. There are tons of shops, restaurants, bars, and great Colonial architecture well worth it and only a hop, skip, and jump from the ocean. On the first night, we found what would become our favorite spot: the beer station perched on the fortress of the walled city with a spectacular view of the water and the town itself.

The next day was spent on Playa Blanca, another must in Cartagena. Aside from the near constant hassling by locals, the beach itself is incredible: white sand, crystal blue-green Caribbean water that also happens to be the perfect temperature, and a nice breeze that will keep you from realizing how burned you really are. This beach is only accessible by boat, so getting there is half the fun, especially in the late afternoon when the waves are ginormous... better than a theme park ride.

Seafood salad. yes, please

The rest of our time was spent lazing around the pool, enjoying our fill (and more) of great seafood and fresh fruit stuffs, chiva party bus, and wandering the streets of the old city for a restaurant that I am now confident doesn't exist. Overall, the perfect weekend getaway.

Chiva Bus, comes with band,
bottle o' rum, and pepsi

Followed by the worst airport experience I've had to date.

Hanging out on the
fortress

This time got to the airport 2hrs early, with enough time to put me on an earlier flight to Bogota. Then proceeded to wait for 4hrs watching the screen change to later and later departure times. Until, finally, I was called up to the desk to be handed a ticket to Lima for the following day at the same time (9:30pm from Bogota). This wasn't going to fly. I then regressed to what I now realize is my mechanism for coping the lemons given to me at various points in my life. 1) Shock, denial, and initial sparks of anger. 2) Tears flow, pity party commences. 3) Sense of hopelessness becomes overwhelming. Begging ensues. 4) Hopelessness turns to anger and frustration. This is when the semi-intelligible arguing with authorative figures comes in. 5) Strategize. Brain starts working again in order to measure up the competition and come up with a series of plans A, B, C... and potential results, leading finally to 6) Acceptance. Laura's Steps of Desperation has worked quite well for me during my time abroad: when carrying an x-ray scanner through customs, when trying to get anything approved at the hospital, and basically at least once during every trip I take. This time, I was able to haggle a 6am flight with TACA from Bogota to Lima (cue triumphant music), but a night in the Bogota airport outside security is not exactly a walk in the park. After 1.5hrs of uneasy sleep atop my luggage, the game was on. Through security with my 105ml contact solution and travel shampoo bottle as casualties (apparently over the 100ml travel limit, thanks for that, USA) and boarded the flight on time (!). I could now relax and drift off to sleep while still at the gate. Two hrs later, I woke up more refreshed, only to find we were still at the gate. Bogota smog too thick for adequate visibility. Great. Finally, at 11:30am we rolled into Lima, only a mere 12 hrs behind schedule. Just enough time to hop a taxi and head directly to work...

Cartagena - Cuidad Vieja

Lessons:

Traveling and the trip are 2 very different things. For instance, traveling to/from Bogota almost killed me, but the trip itself was perfection.
Globalization has done one thing for humanity.. allowed for bathroom access in almost any big city around the world. Thank you, McDonald's. You saved my life in Bogota.
I have been forced to rethink my preconceived notions of cipro for gastro. In the right situations (like mine), it is actually a miracle drug.
In Arequipa, Peru, frogs are blended into a tasty smoothie. In Bogota, Columbia, it's all about the crabs.
The world mourned when Whitney Houston died... including Cartagena, Columbia. One method of honoring her: play "I wanna dance with somebody" on full blast at 3:30am in your hotel room.
Massages are not always tempting. For example, when a lady walks up to you on the beach holding a bucket of sea water and wakes you up from your restful nap by tickling your feet and yelling "Masaje! Masaje?", it doesn't exactly make you want to jump at the opportunity.

Still haven't done it all

2012-02-20T23:20:00.000-05:00

Things didn't seem to slow down much in February.

Weekend in Huacachina.. we'll get to that shortly

Week 1:

Internations craziness

Internations event, take 2. If you'll remember, this is basically the expat networking event, GREAT for people watching. Swanky bar Art Deco in Miraflores followed by late night sandwich at La Lucha.

One of the best overall meals I've had at San Ceforino in San Isidro. Italian-Peruvian fusion done right.

Charlie Chaplin tribute in a movie under the stars at Parque Reducto. After, a late night picnic on the malecon.

Yes, it is actually THE Charlie Chaplin and a very captive audience

... along with champagne
and shot glasses bc why not?

Complete with lime ice box pie...

Homemade spring rolls party, made possible by our resident spring roll expertista Nancy. Buenaso!

We can't all be pros

My now famous peanut
butter sauce.. mmmm

Six month anniversary celebration for my time in Peru (which happened to also fall on Nancy's bday, so that might have been the initial reason to celebrate). 7 soles schwarma, fro yo, hipster dive bar, and random discovery of a quality beer spot Cañas Tapas (granted, ridiculous prices). Pretty perfect anniversary, if you ask me.

Weekend - impromptu sandboarding trip to Huacachina late Sat afternoon after a crash course in taking nasopharyngeal aspirates in kids. 3.5hr bus ride turned into 5.5hrs but we arrived in just enough time for pollo a la brasa in Ica and moonlit chat by the pool at our hostel.

ummmm....

Telling image.. I'm the one struggling at the rear

Next day, early rise, quick breakfast of rolls and jam, and off to the dune buggy. So much sand, so little time. My contacts weren't very happy with me, but I wasn't too concerned. We all attempted the proper sandboarding technique, and I'm pretty sure I was the least successful. Hence, me unstrapping my feet and going belly first down a huge mound of sand. How many opportunities do you get to do that in your lifetime?

This image was not
tampered with in any way.
Sand did fly out of my shoe with
that exact trajectory.

More work challenges... bc I know you're all interested:
- Ultrasound machine out of commission for 2 wks until we were able to sequester new power cord.
- A few lab chiefs weren't happy they were left out of planning process and refused to give support. After much coaxing and paperwork, we are still waiting on a few signatures. TBD.
- Agreement of payment btwn hospital and research organization for lab tests and CXRs. Contract almost ready, inflated prices, lots of begging, a few tears, paperwork exchange, stamps of approval, hospital prices agreed, final contract TBD.
- Freezer does not freeze. Liquid nitrogen tank to borrow bc nowhere has -70C besides blood bank. Waiting on samples now.
- Lab tech has never done research before. Lots of training.
- Workers work no later than 3pm M-F.
- Asthma ward denied access bc project is "too invasive" and "isn't going to work"
- Addendum to protocol (nasopharyngeal swabs to NP aspirate) delayed an additional 2-3 wks because the secretary neglected to tell me the ethics committee required paper copies.. copies sent via email would not suffice

Lessons:

Sandboarding is like snowboarding. Both are nothing like skiing. Therefore, my experience with sandboarding involved sliding down most of the way on my assets, hard falls, and eventually turning the board into a sled.
When in doubt, dive in head first.
Schwarma is always a good idea.
There must be a happy medium btwn work and everything else.. just haven't found it yet.
Lima has some gorgeous summer sunsets

The Storm

2012-02-19T22:41:00.000-05:00

Ok, so Argentina rocked. I think we can all agree. I often look back on Patagonia and think how tranquilo everything was, almost too quiet and relaxing. This, I now know, is a shining example of what people call "the calm before the storm." 2012 opened with a bang, complete with fireworks and pisco, if you recall. And, I can honestly say, the excitement has continued in a big. big. way.

Jan 3. Flight to the states. No wacky equipment transport. This might have been one of my first real family emergencies. No need to worry, my dear readers.. everything worked out. Let's just say I was exactly where I needed to be. And with the added bonus of quality family time, chicken attack, new puppy love (literally), some country living, and 36hrs in Baltimore, I might even go so far to call it a bit of a blessing in disguise.

Still, I would have called that a light rain. I'm getting used to the impromptu trips and whirlwind tours. The 17hr trip back with the boss man really set the tone for the coming weeks. Work. A lot of work. Grant writing. Little sleep. Meetings across the city. Photo scanner in the hospital. My own office.. sort of. Two workers: 1, a veteran field worker; the other, a very green lab tech student, and, like me, full of energy and could not have predicted the work that was ahead. My project was about to begin.

Despite it all, how can you not love this?

What to do before actually starting project in Lima, Peru (I may or may not have done these):
- Make nice with EVERYONE... and meet everyone from every possible dept and advertise your project like there's no tomorrow. Seriously, you don't know where you'll end up needing help.
- Find someone to be principal investigator AT the hospital. You may be asked to pay an extra fee for the ethics committee service.
- If any exams will be performed by hospital staff, set up account (personally) with the hospital in order to plan payment. This may delay full start up by 2 months.
- Find someone who has done it all before, and latch on early. Ask a lot of questions. Take a lot of notes, and bake cookies.
- Buy supplies sooner rather than later. I'm talking office supplies, staplers, folders, soap, cotton, pens, thermometers, measuring tape... the whole shebang.
- "Pilot" before you think you need to. This means playing with equipment, getting to know hospital staff, writing protocols. You will be eternally grateful... to yourself.
- Take advantage of ALL the free time you have when you have it bc it is fleeting (i.e- TRAVEL!)

Can't win 'em all

What to realize when actually starting:

Fabiola prepping samples

Fa- Work is hard

- Don't be surprised if you find yourself playing boss man, secretary, IT guy, office manager, PR, trainer, cheerleader, scapegoat, delivery/supply guy, and overall troubleshooter
- Long hr days reminiscent of med school return
- Should have taken more Spanish classes
- Cultural idiosyncrasies will suddenly take a turn for the worse
- You will forget something new every day.
- Money permeates everything.
- The transition from med school scut to supervisor isn't an easy one.
- No hand-holding allowed.
- "No te preocupes.. manana" - will become one of your least favorite phrases
- Put on a happy face... daily.

Oh, and did I mention, Jill came to visit a day after I flew in with my boss? We're talking Jan 12 thereabouts... yeah, it's been a while. That was a Thurs if I recall.. Worked hard on Fri, and took the weekend off. Best decision ever.

BIRDS!

Saturday - Bioferia in the a.m. Reading in the park. Metro to el Centro to see the Catacombs (my first time).. Basically a lot of bones in a gorgeous church with parades of pigeons at the entrance.
On our way back to the metro, we decided to mozy around a bit and ended up mozying into quite the sketch ball barrio. How did we know this? The pristine sidewalks turned to trash piles. And if that didn't give it away, the 2 cops who chased us down and reprimanded us for being in this neighborhood did. They then proceeded to escort us, in sandwich fashion, with big guns on display a few blocks back, to their cop car, and then free ride to the nearest metro stop, which was surprisingly far away. They were also very chatty in a noncreepy way but, of course, the question of marriage was inevitable. Highlight for sure.

All dolled up at Astrid & Gaston

The highlights continued for an afternoon in the park, lucuma fro-yo, and a fancy pants dinner at Astrid & Gaston. This time, we went big. Huge even. A five hr, 11 course tasting menu. Buenaso. Best: the most tender grilled octopus I've ever tasted (I didn't know octopus could be tender). Worst: sea foamy sea conch, with emphasis on the sea part. I thought I was swallowing ocean water. Gross. Most creative: papas en la playa. Basically boiled potatoes on a bed of sandy bacony breadcrumby bits to dip in peruvian huacaina sauce, like a baked potato party in your mouth. Talk about a food coma.

Sunday: I wish I could say that after stuffing my face (in an elegant manner, of course) for 5 hours straight the night before, I wasn't able to eat for days. That is false. Sunday, after a bit of work, we strolled to what is rapidly becoming my fav food spot, Pez Amigo for killer ceviche, tiraditos, and crab salad. Yum. Then to Vivanda supermarket to pick up all exotic fruits we could find for a tasting platter while watching The Help on my computer.

Fruit extravaganza! A few winners.
Most were not.

Monday: Back to work. Meanwhile, Wallman arrives. Late dinner at all-you-can-eat buffet at La Bisteca, because why not let the weekend food fest linger a bit longer. Followed by an overstuffed walk along the malecon in the moonlight with my peeps.. how romantic.

TBD.

Lessons:

When emotions fly, Spanish does not
When referring to someone as "especial" in Peru, it is not considered a compliment. From what I can gather, this term falls somewhere btwn difficult and pain in the ass. There are a lot of special people at Hospital del Nino.
Again, it's the little things in life... like the adorable little old fruit lady at the hospital who often throws in a few extra bananas bc she knows I love them. Or the guy who waits on combis to drive by and give me his seat, hands me a pamphlet to read entitled, "Dreams have no boundaries," and notifies me when my combi is on its way.
El Centro de Lima is not a place to "just wander"
I'm realizing a lot of my tour guiding is more of food touring through the city... not necessarily a bad thing, right?

Bienvenidos, 2012

2012-01-03T20:38:00.003-05:00

I have a good feeling about 2012. Not completely sure why. Maybe it's bc I spent the transition standing on the beach sipping from a vat of pisco (the homeowners own a pisco company) and watching fireworks explode all around us. Subdued and simple, I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Jug o' pisco

Well, this entry means I'm back in Lima in all its glory. It's nice to be "home." Since coming back from my nature overload in Patagonia, I've been taking a lot more walks in parks.. and along the malecon. On Jan 1, I witnessed an elderly man lay down newspaper for his wife to sit on in the park. He then repeated the task for himself and laid down beside her in his Sunday best. That, my friends, must be love.

Another way to ring in the new year: my second trip to the post office. 1.5hrs and a lot of deep breathing exercises later, I got my package from my grandma... this was going to be good. I tucked the oversized wrapped box under my arm, marched out the door, marched onto a combi, strolled down to Parque Kennedy to enjoy the park and the unveiling. And in the box, I found:
- a dancing/singing Christmas bear
- a gaudy decorative wreath
- 2 golf towels
- 1 pair of workout shorts
- 9 UT Longhorns chip clips (that's 3 packages)
- 1 box of Flipsides (half cracker, half pretzel)
- 1 very melted, very unrefrigerated cheese log
100% random and 100% perfect.

Day 2 of 2012, I finally tasted what has been named a top 50 restaurant IN THE WORLD. Astrid & Gaston. Not too shabby. Curry peruano, lomo saltado, perfectly cooked tuna, and for dessert, the esfera sensible ("sensitive sphere"... involving a lot of chocolate, lucuma, strawberries, and a touch of heaven) and a revolving box filled with mini chocolate, alfajores, and Turkish delights (?). Good company. Good food. A solid evening.

Thoughts

I have discovered FroYo in Lima. On Schell St. Build your own. Flavors like lucuma and natural and fresa and chocolate with all the fresh fruit fixings. Perfect find for summertime.
My grandma is insane...ly awesome

Aventura Argentina, the Final Frontier: Making photographers of us all

2011-12-31T08:55:00.000-05:00

23-26 December, 2011

I have to say that the last leg of the journey was, by far, my favorite.. not detracting from the previous 9-10 days. Patagonia is just that amazing. This leg of the journey, I also took solo, which I'd done before but to a much smaller scale.

But first, to get there, I crossed over to becoming a bit more Latina.. After waiting in line at the airport in BA for 2 hrs, and with the real fear of missing my flight to the promised land, I followed the lead of a cute family in line before me: I rolled my suitcase out of line and around the front to position myself as the next person behind an attendant. No one said a word. No reprimands or "I'm sorry, miss, but you need to get back in line." I just shamelessly cut in front of 30+ people, and no one said a word, which gave me a weird little thrill.

Patagonia began for me in the tiny town of El Chalten, about 2.5hr bus ride from the airport. This town was basically created for tourism and rightly so. Nested in the midst of the Glacier National Park (which has free entrance, by the way), this ski resort-esque town is fully of granola, free spirits, and Europeans. It's the kind of place where English, REI, and Teva sandals thrive, and tourists = population more or less. Upon arrival, I felt almost like an impostor with my roller suitcase, jeans, and converses, but I settled into my cramped room at the Hostel Condor de los Andes, and went out to explore. This inevitably brought me upon the microbrewery El Cerveceria for dinner, for another bonus: real flavorful beers in S America. Kudos to you, Chalten.

Fitz Roy!

Hike #1: Tres Lagos y Fitz Roy (starting from Hotel Pilar at the northern border of the park).
8 hrs, with the main event after 1.5hrs of hiking straight up with man-eating mutant flies attacking your every move. Worth it. 100%.

Met a quirky ginger at the lago, a "contact improv dancer" from LA going on month 6 in AR (I'll let your imagination run wild with that one). This free spirit instantly felt the need to tell me about getting whooping cough from a vaccine, a shaman fixing her ear for $1500USD, and her lover in Mendoza. Entertaining to say the least, and I finally had pictures of myself other than the self-portraits I'd been taking along the way.

Main event: Tres Lagos

Christmas Eve - apparently bigger than the day of. All the restaurants were either reservation only or had special menus for the occasion to a tune of 200+pesos. With no room at the inns, we were about to give up (we being a German girl I met at the hostel and myself), when we stumbled upon more Germans, a father daughter duo, and a restaurant where we found a nice table for 4. Not the traditional Italian Seven Fishes I'm used to but a pleasant holiday treat nonetheless.

Throughout the trip, here's a taste of the conditions:
- Sunrise - 5:45
- Sunset - 23:00
- Weather - perfect. 75 and sunny with a nice breeze/windy

Cerro Torre

Hike #2: Laguna Torre with view of Cerro Torre
Another 8hr hike, more unbelievable beauty. Perfect way to spend Christmas day.

Hikes #3-4: Condores y Aguilas (views of the town and Lago Viedma, respectively)
Short hikes with breathtaking views, fresh air, and incredible wind.

Lago Viedma

And just like that, my time in Chalten was over. Next stop, El Calafate...
The bus there (3hrs) was quite an interesting one. I sat alongside 8 Indian men in matching Messi jerseys. Through their constant chattering and mix of English and non-English, I gathered they worked with computers. Shocking.

ETang would accompany me for the final 2 days down here, starting with another disgustingly large lunch, which included papas fuertes, blue cheese oozing over natural fried potatoes... aka sin in a basket.
After stuffing our faces, let the booking fiasco begin. I am, of course, referring to the trekking adventure tour we had been trying to book for days to the glacier Perito Moreno. Hielo y Aventura has a monopoly on the glacier, and is the only trekking company allowed on the ice (for unclear reasons). Therefore, the rest of the day consisted of me and ETang going to and from their office begging for 2 openings for the next day. First there was 1 cancellation, which filled in less than 15 min, then no spots, then 1 spot again, and (wait for it..) 5 min later, another cancellation. That's what I call suerte. Seriously, like winning the lottery, but the exchange of money went the other direction. It wasn't the Big Ice trek, but we would be "mini-trekking" on a glacier the next day. Badass.

Mini-trekking on Glacier Perito Moreno. Easily made top 5 coolest things I've ever done behind the Amazon River raft race, bungee jumping in Costa Rica, and a few other things. The glacier alone is super impressive, one of the few "stable" glaciers in the world and also bc the entire glacier park is really close to sea level. 1.5hrs on the glacier. Crampons. Fancy camera, courtesy of ETang. Photos.. oh, so many photos, which unfortunately, can't fully capture the magnificence of this thing. Our glacier time ended as all should, with whiskey on the rocks (rocks, being glacier ice) with alfajores. It was a pretty perfect moment.

I would love to riddle this post with oh soo many photos, but that might be a bit tacky and excessive, so you can scan through them HERE for Chalten and HERE for Perito Moreno glacier time.

I can assure you, NOT photoshopped

Lessons

Airports bring out the worst in me
My things have the properties of gas. They expand to whatever space they're given and are not happy in cramped hostel rooms for long.
El Chalten has a lot going for it. Flies are not one of those things.
I now have an even bigger friend crush on Tina Fey after reading Bossypants, if that were possible
I think the indoors are damaging to my soul
I am already planning my return to this country within the next 10 yrs: Ushuaia (+/- Antarctica), Torres del Paine W circuit in Chile, and Big Ice trek in Calafate... let me know if interested
There's just too much beauty in one place here.. Argentina should really learn to share.

Aventura Argentina, take 2: Learning how to "taste" wine takes lots of practice

2011-12-31T00:06:00.000-05:00

Stage 2: Mendoza (19-21 December)

For more photos, check the album HERE.

My first luxury experience while in the act of traveling. Executive class. 30,000 mi over the sea? Not quite. Riding low on a 2-story super bus. Seat almost reclines to full bed (would have been 150 more pesos for that bonus). Champagne, plush leather, mediocre food, better than mediocre wine, music videos, Shakira, Lucky 7 (a movie I would not recommend.. you can do better, Patrick Dempsey). 14 hrs and 9.5 hrs of sleep later, we were in the wine country of Argentina: Mendoza.

Hot, sunny, and dry. Reminds me of home. A little tour of the city revealed there weren't going to be tons of barrios here. Just 1 main plaza, 1 main street, 1 restaurant row, 1 bus station (again, in sketch part of town), and there you have it... Mendoza.

Bodega (vineyard) #1: Melipal for late lunch and wine pairing.
5 courses of empanadas, corn casserole, steak jugoso, chocolate delight, and something else I can't remember, but we all ate (and drank) every last bit. I somehow felt both severe pain and euphoria at the same time. Success.

post-wine frolic

Afterwards, to help it all settle, we went for a bit of frolicking among the grapes (but not too close) and waited for our chariot to take us back to the less picturesque city.

More wine and chillaxing at the hostel Chimbas until we somehow became hungry again. This was the moment I realized that Google doesn't have all the answers. Sad day, I know, but Google maps failed us. The famous restaurant we were told to find and stay close to (El Palenque) didn't exist where Google told us it existed. Because of that, we ended up in a hostel in the boondocks (without AC). No harm though. At least the place was cute. Lesson: apparently even Google has flaws, however few there may be.

Day 2: More bodegas, this time with a rental car and license to kill (nah, just kidding. we were safe). To the Uco Valley.

Bodega #2: La Azul. Smallest vineyard and one of the youngest in the area. Everything happened in a cute square box-of-a-building. Free wine tastings. French and American oak barrels. Super charming.

yeah, that's a beet shot

Bodega #3: Tupungato Divino. Off the map. Chance encounter. Sergio, the man, owns this place: Restaurant, Hotel, Vineyard. aka Paradise. He doesn't sell his wine though. He's too badass for that. Sergio just bottles it to enjoy it and share it with random strangers who pass through. It's deadly, by the way. As is the food.. in the best way possible.

Bodega #4: Salentein. Started by a Dutch car salesman turned oil tycoon, this was by far the largest, and gaudiest, vineyard on our journey. Impressive nonetheless, complete with art museum and wacky, expensive modern art statues on the front lawn. I'll be the first to admit, however, that they do make good wine.

After a full day of fine-tuning our palates, we mozied back to town exhausted. I had know idea the finer things in life were so tiring... Guess I'm just not in wino shape like I thought.

Day 3: Let the detox begin. After over a wk of gluttonous eating and drinking our way through Argentina, we felt it was time to enjoy the fresh air, beautiful countryside, and the tallest mountain in the Americas.. at the Aconcagua National Park. 3.5 more hrs in the rental car (mostly sleeping from my end) and a few near death experiences, and we had arrived. Enough time for a 6hr hike in the wind-tastic national park. Worth it.

That night while walking to the square to catch my bus to the boondocks (aka hostel), I stumbled upon a huge concert and the band playing the theme song to Spiderman in Big Band-style. Very impressed. Thank you, Mendoza, for ending on such a glorious note. (get it?)

Lessons:

My degrees of separation to Topher Grace (of That 70s Show) shrank to 2 on this trip. Bonus.
Google maps hasn't quite extensively detailed Mendoza (or Patagonia) yet... Not sure why. You'd think those Google folk would be jumping at the chance. Hell, I'd do it, but with my direction sense, the map would probably be worse off than it would be otherwise.
I am a master of sleep. It is a gift I am very proud of.
Wine is good. And yes it's true.. There is such thing as too much of a good thing.

Aventura Argentina, take 1: "There must be something to this steak/wine diet... or just really good genes"

2011-12-30T19:47:00.000-05:00

For more photos of the fun (w/ captions), check it HERE.

Okie doke, folks, my holiday adventure saga in the land of steak, wine, and beautiful people will come to you in 3 parts, if all goes well. And as with most things, we'll begin at the beginning: Buenos Aires.

Day 1, Friday, 16 December, 2011: Arrive after an "overnight flight" of 4.5hrs, but good thing for me, I slept most of the way. It's a gift really.

We'll start the journey in a barrio- (neighborhood-)specific way, since that's basically how we explored it anyway, and each has its own interesting personality.

And it begins... with steak

Recoleta - where Alana and I stayed. Very commercial. Big city feel with international stores, big buildings, and business people. Good restaurants (Buenos Aires Grill).

Recoleta Cemetery is where Evita is buried. Huge mausoleums. Creepy and awesome.

Evita's grave.. "Don't cry for me Argentina.."
(in Madonna's voice)

Proof I was there:
bench gone wild

To get that bit of cultural enrichment we all crave, head to MALBA modern art museum and you will hold your nose up a little higher that day. Seriously though, it's pretty sweet. Crazy colors, all Latino artists, good, clean fun.

El Alamo. TX would be proud.

Bar called El Alamo. Don't let the name fool you as it did us. Apparently named after a famous bar in Miami. There was no knowledge of anything significant with the same name in TX. Go figure.

I am not ashamed to say that we also checked out the Beatles Museum/Pub. Not as obnoxious and over-the-top as I was expecting but rather tasteful, which was a tad disappointing. In the theater district (note to self- come back next trip), the restaurant/museum was tucked away among comedy shows and bigger productions with crowds already lined up outside. Another reason to come back, I suppose.

El Centro - Your standard city center. Government buildings. Bus station in sketch part of town. Parks. Impressive architecture. Pink presidential palace. You know, the usual.

San Telmo - One of the oldest barrios in BA. Very cute, quaint, and quiet throughout the week with impromptu tango performances in the streets and central plaza. Great place for a glass of wine/lemonade in the afternoons.

San Telmo on a Sunday

Sheer madness on Sundays with the epic market that happens in the street every week. All tourists in BA will be there sifting through rows of identical souvenirs for hours. Systems overload.

La Boca - Another one of the oldest barrios in the outskirts of the city. Known for colorful houses and not much else. Good for pretty photos and escaping the madness of the San Telmo Sunday Market.

Palermo - The biggest collection of neighborhoods, broken into Soho (bohemian), Hollywood (ethnic restaurants), and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head. Expats love it here. There's a nice botanical garden and not-so-nice zoo, a lot of cute "bohemian" cafes and shops, and a really sweet evening market at Plaza Serrano with quality souvenirs I much preferred to San Telmo or anywhere else really.

Botanical Garden - Palermo

The gringo trifecta: TGI Friday's,
Benihana, and Starbucks

If you're looking for a place to watch American football, you will find it at Club Sugar in Palermo Soho. Don't let the name fool you, surprisingly manly inside. You will also be one of 4 people in the entire place actually watching the huge projector screen: you, your friend, and 2 obnoxious expats from TX and Baltimore, respectively. Yes, that happened. The guy from Baltimore was responsible for the Benihana in BA. There were also political discussions. We left at half-time.

Also, I would highly recommend La Cabrera, the famous steakhouse where they serve champagne and pizza while you wait for your table... for 2 hrs.

La Cabrera feast.. still not sure why all the tiny dishes

Las Cañitas - Tiny offshoot of Palermo. Tranquilo, few tourists, lots of sidewalk cafes and smart cars.

Things to know about Argentina, specifically BA:

Things are more expensive than you've been told
4 pesos roughly equal $1
In Argentina, $ is used for pesos. It would be silly to think everything was written in US Dollars... so don't.
BoA does not have an agreement with any Argentinian banks, unlike Peru and most other countries on the face of the planet. This means ATMs will charge you a lot to take money out... and you will need to take a lot of money out.
There is no haggling with cab drivers. Meters are the mainstream.
The letters "ll" are pronounced like "j." In my opinion, trying to imitate this would be like going to England and trying to talk with a British accent. Faux pax.
Argentina is a big country. Like really big. Bigger than you are thinking right now. Seriously. Makes traveling around a bit more of a challenge.
People in BA are beautiful. All of them. Every last one. If only the red meat and wine diet did the same for me.
There are parks and big trees everywhere. Sounds like a minor point, but it can be really striking... at least it was to me.
It can be exceedingly difficult to tell tourists from locals. Don't feel bad if you strike up a Spanish convo with someone from Germany who has no idea what you're talking about. It's happened to all of us.
Hotels and hostels are very different in many ways. In a hotel, you will have 0-1 roommates who you know (presumably), your own shower, and maybe even a concierge (Wilton Hotel). In a hostel, you may have 5-9 roommates, 2 of which are over 70yrs old and snore like the devil (Arribo Hostel). At the latter, you may pay $8USD. I am still at the point where I will pick the hostel every time.

And the winner is...

Metro entertainment,
complete with kazoo

Comida tipica: Lima (ceviche) vs. BA (bife de chorizo). Tie
Wine: BA, hands down
Cocktail: Lima (pisco sour), hands down
Landscape: BA (TREEEEEESSSS!!!)
Architecture: BA
Location: Lima (el mar)
Dance: BA (tango).. I don't even know if Peru would have a dance to claim...
People, looks: BA
People, personality: Lima
Public transport: BA, big time
Style: BA
Cost of living: Lima
Fresh produce: Lima (we do have the selva here)

And still to come, wine country and paradise found...... stay tuned.

Another curve ball

2011-12-14T23:15:00.000-05:00

Yes, there may be a stingray in the mix

6 December, 2011

There are some days that lift the spirit. This, for me, was one of those days. I had the pleasure of accompanying the most adorable family: ex-fogarty fellow and pediatrician, her husband, and cutest 4mo baby you can imagine, complete with dimples, to CASP (Centro Ann Sullivan del Peru). CASP is a center for children with learning disabilities, and you won’t find many of these in Peru, let alone South America. Some of the Fogartys last yr volunteered, and I was hoping to continue the tradition.

(A few days pass without writing...)

Let’s continue with CASP. The staff was great. The kids are awesome. Their vision and mission are inspirational. They aim to not only treat and care for these kids in Lima, but also to expand, teach, and promote the development of centers like these even in the far reaching areas of the selva (jungle) and sierra (mountains). Unfortunately, they, like me, need money. And hopefully, I can do a little bit to help while I’m here, in addition to hanging out with some super cute kids in the meantime.

Afterwards had a lovely lunch with the adorable family at a hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop. You know, the us'.

Best supermarket in Lima (and notice the lack of gray sky!)

7 December, 2011

Back to the hospital. A little less inspiring. More meetings to get radiology and the lab involved. Another ultrasound session canceled. More emails. And then came an interesting phone call (in my new self-designated office) from the boss man.

But first, rewind to convo from the Friday before

Boss man: “We are buying an x-ray scanner for the project. We need to get it to Peru somehow. When does your visa run out?”

Me: “Not until April.”

Boss man: “Well, want to make a quick trip to Bmore?”

Me: “….”

Boss man: “Hello?”

Me: “Um, yes.. that would be awesome.”

Boss man: “I’ll look into it and get back to you.”

Back to present.. at 3:30pm in the hospital

Boss man: “Ok, how about the Dec. 8 flight? We can get you back before your trip to Argentina, and you won’t have to lose a wk in Jan.”

Me: “…. Ok, let’s do it.”

Boss man: “Book it. Send me the bill.”

And about 18hrs later, I was on a plane to Washington DC Reagan.

But before we get there, the “meantime” is worth telling.

Being a rigid, structured kind of person in my core, this lack of notice and planning threw me for quite the loop. I pretend to be flexible, and I even trick myself at times to the point of either starting to loosen up a bit or just getting really good at lying to myself. Anyhoo, I immediately started making lists, mostly pointless ones, and stressing out about souvenir shopping, of all things… oh, and the work thing, especially since I had 2 meetings scheduled for Friday, 1 on Saturday, and another on Tues. And the best part of all this? Thursday, Dec 8, 2011, is a holiday. Of course it is.

The next day my OCD lists were out of control: packing in the a.m., taxi seguro to and from hospital to pick up equipment, emails galore, finish packing, lunch with Madeline and Eric at Punto Azul, a fancy cevicheria that was good but didn’t blow me away, and souvenir shopping on Av Petit Thourars (highly recommend for last min 1-stop shops). Still full from lunch and with tasteful junk in hand, Madeline and I stumbled upon a holiday mercado in Parque Kennedy. By that time, I had caught the shopping bug, and it was all downhill from there.

Downhill is a pretty adequate adjective for what was to await me at the airport. The American Airlines line wound so far that there was no longer a neat black fence to keep people honest. Therefore, people became dishonest and found their place in line to be wherever they happened to wiggle their way. An hr or so later I had made it to the front of the check-in line for 2 min of face time, then off to the next line. Four more lines and 2.5 hrs later, I made it to the gate… just in time to board. Better luck on Duty Free next time I suppose.

10 December, 2011

Arrive in DC at 10am. First-class service, thanks to my dear friend Nikki, who picked me up and took me out to a wonderful lunch at a very DC-awesome sushi restaurant. Drive to Bmore, passed out in the passenger seat, stop at the Natty Boh store, and then it was time to start the freeloading all over again. This time, I spread my wealth to yet another friend’s place with the composite name Timjamillian, Jilljaminothy, or Benjillothin…. I could go on, but I will not. The point is I stayed there, and I felt at home yet again in a new location.

Friday out with friends. If anyone ever wants to know where to go in Baltimore, please just ask for the Horse in Fells. It won’t let you down.

Saturday was my day of rest (aka recovery), some errands, post office (oh so efficient... finally), Whole Foods (x2), amazing Greek food carry out at Samos, and late night tv with friends as lazy as me.

Dinosaur mittens at REI

Sunday was REI, Target, burgers, fries, Christmas cookies, and rabbit stew (?).

Monday came and so did work. Full day of meetings and the reason I came for this visit in the first place: the scanner, and what a scanner it is… all 90+lbs of it carefully packaged in a 3-wheeled suitcase (previously with 4 wheels). And another trip to Bmore quickly ended with my gals, JRads, pizza and beer.

13 December, 2011

Flight wasn’t too bad. Customs was. I got the red light. I knew I would get the red light. It was my third time through, and I got the red light. I got the red light, and my bag with the scanner went through their scanner and got stopped… and searched… and questioned (well, the bag’s owner got questioned). By this time, it was 1am, I was tired and running through all the possible scenarios in my head, some of which included gun-slinging, deportations, bribing, seducing, and polygraph tests (I think this was one of the first times watching too many movies was a detriment). Instead of any of the above, I got away with paying $70 (bribing?) and calling it a day.

Lessons:

While I played, others were
forced to do less fun things

Sweet potato in sandwiches = stroke of genius.
It is totally acceptable to buy a beer (just 1 of the original 6-pack) from a bodega, walk down the street to a nice restaurant, sit down, and enjoy… at 2pm on a Thursday afternoon.
If there is a shopping gene, I have 2 copies.
It is well-worth doing whatever you have to do to ensure you have checked in and printed your boarding pass before setting foot in the Jorge Chavez Lima International Airport. Could save you 1.5hrs of poorly managed lines and your sanity.
Home really is where the heart is.
Nothing like cold, fresh air, Michael Buble singing this, everyone but me studying for finals, baking cookies, and rabbit stew to really get into the spirit of the holidays.
Fourth year doesn't seem like the walk in the park I was told it would be... at least not for my friends.
“It’s true what they say. Chivalry is dead.” -Tim, on me sleeping on the couch, while Ben sleeps in his own bed.
Third time's the charm. wahh wahh wahhhhhhhhhhhh

14 December, 2011

So I’m sitting on my couch doing a little work (i.e. looking through 100s of amazing photos on the National Geographic Photo Contest,) and I’ve been listening to ice cream truck music-esque versions of Christmas carols for the past 30 min… Not as uplifting and spirity as you might think.

Also, the neighbors’ window is in plain view from my spot on the couch, and it looks like a seizure-inducing Christmas strobe light party going on over there. Because I don’t hear rave music and know they have 2 toddling twin girls who I have only heard (with all the tantrums), I can only deduce that they must be trying out the worst possible setting on their Christmas tree lights.

The Christmas spirit has a different vibe here.

Classic combi story

2011-12-06T08:19:00.001-05:00

Combis are dangerous. No, I didn’t get robbed or mugged or molested or anything else you can probably come up with. I kind of pulled my arm out of socket. Here’s the story: I was super paranoid carrying a huge backpack filled with $20,000+ worth of ultrasound equipment in an overcrowded combi (I know, not the smartest idea I’ve had). As per usual, the driver felt the need to accelerate like he was on the autobahn with heavy traffic less than a block ahead, and as per usual, he then slammed on his breaks when he finally realizes he’s in Lima at rush hour. Standing with only 1 arm partially holding on, I lunged forward, grasping with my left hand until it found a side rail, with my body continuing in a forward motion. Result: pain and a funny look on my face, I’m sure. Classic gringo move.

No real reason for this pic here... I just like the ocean

It's beginning to look a lot like... summer?!

2011-12-04T19:39:00.001-05:00

3 December, 2011

Playa Hermosa in December

My 4 month anniversary. I can’t really believe it. Time is flying. Work is going somewhere. Christmas is fast approaching, and summer is in full swing.

Oh, the Christmas Tree of Parque Kennedy

Work. Trabajo. What can I say without sounding like a broken record? More setbacks. Frustration. One grant disappointment (still in the running for a few more). “Patience” (or working on it). Waiting. And more waiting. Unforeseen obstacles. Piloting started but really just barely and in the very early stages. The more we pilot, the more I realize how much more there is to do before the study can really get underway. For the holidays, Santa will hopefully be bringing me a study nurse and lab tech, along with an x-ray scanner and ultrasound memory card. Just in time for a full month of intense piloting, putting us on track to start collecting data in Feb… only slightly behind the initially planned schedule. Ha. Despite the setbacks, it’s nice to see things moving. The ball has starting rolling and seems to be picking up speed.

Keeping it classy at InterNations

And speaking of work, I’ll go ahead and throw this in while I’m at it. Four months in, and I went to my first organized expat event through InterNations. As with most new things here, it was quite the experience. Interesting crowd. Swanky bar. Lots of people from all over the globe here for mining, engineering, natural gas, finance… basically, the kind of people I have never been in contact with in my life. A networking fest but without any real reason/need to network. At one point, someone I talked to was shocked and appalled that I didn’t have a business card. Pretty sure my title would look impressive: “Laura Ellington, (almost) MD”.

Hash time

TUBO = the "punishment" for mapping
your first hash

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, except it’s 70-80s and sunny, and I spent Saturday at the beach less than an hr away from the city… Hashing. Basically 1 beach further south than Arica where we were 2 wks before, the Playa Silencio hash was quite the adventure. We started the hash chit-chatting with some of the crew from our first go, and in the meantime, the 3-4 runners had already taken off leaving Nancy, Aparna, and myself to find our own way. Bad idea. Following yellow arrows may sound simple, but trust me, it can be quite a challenge. Arrows never seem to be where you want them to be. I think we spent the first 30 min backtracking, following arrows pointing the opposite direction, and cursing whoever thought this was ever a good idea. Then we found the light. We found the path. We found the beer stop. And it was good. Post-hash dinner on the beach, eating “Peruvian chicken” (aka rotisserie chicken) and watching the sunset in a cloudless sky. I think I’ve said it before, but life is good.

Bonus thoughts:

The more I learn and practice my Spanish, the more I realize that plans for reaching fluency might have been a tad too ambitious.
Peruvian equivalent to fruitcake = very tall, airy sweet bread with jellied green and red fruit-like chunks sprinkled throughout. If that doesn’t sound appetizing, then I adequately described the Paneton.
Two days without internet in the apt has been more devastating than I’d like to admit.
Internet companies must universally want to make your life miserable. We were told the tech would come: Fri 4-8pm, Sat 8am-12:30pm, and when that didn’t happen, Sun 8-10am.. and was here by 11:30. Really??
December gives me an odd craving for hot chocolate, regardless of the climate.
Don’t let the name fool you. Cheesecake in Peru is not cheesecake.
Eating an alfajor is a lot like life: To really appreciate the good stuff (i.e. alfajores at La Mora), you have to experience the spectrum of the not-so-good first.

"The good stuff"

So many great places for ceviche, but I might have found a new fav: El Pez Amigo. Great quality ingredients. Quaint atmosphere with somewhat of a hole-in-the-wall vibe, and a crab salad that would make even Baltimore jealous. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

Tiraditos de 2 Ajies

Ceviche mixto

It's so funny how normal my life seems here, but the second I stop and think about it, I'm not so sure.
Would another year here be so inconceivable??

Thank you, Adsense

2011-11-30T00:09:00.001-05:00

So I just recently installed an application allowing advertisements to be displayed on my blog, since it's world-renowned and everything. To my surprise, Google's Adsense already has me (and my readers?) pegged.

Shout out to good ol' Birj for spotting this one.

Rowing has found me once again

2011-11-29T13:02:00.001-05:00

Saturday, 26 November, 2011

Fireworks for us?

So I left off with Thanksgiving, and I’ll start this entry with some more turkey love. This time we were not the hostesses. Our new roomie invited us to one of her friend’s gorgeous apt on the other side of Miraflores: 2 floors, balconies, 1 tenant, basically a palace. The night was lovely, met a few more expats, had another round of turkey and dressing. No complaints.

Ladies of Av Grau

Rewind to earlier on Saturday…

I think I might have joined a rowing club. A free rowing club on top of that. This is the kind of thing you would never find in the states, at least not to my knowledge. Well, this was brought to my attention by a spunky 60yo lady at the hash. She invited the 3 gringas in attendance to join her at her next rowing event, the following Saturday at 9am. This is the kind of networking I could get into. Anyway, we ended up on the beach in Barranco under a big canopy and waited (surprise) for about 45 min when we started to see this huge canoes being lugged down the beach towards us. All of a sudden, I got the feeling that this was legit and that my days on the Amazon would finally pay off. For the most part, I was right. Before going into the ocean, we had a mini lesson from a tiny, intense Argentinean woman who’s probably been rowing for longer than I’ve been alive. We grabbed our lightweight, waxed and polished paddles (what I would have given for those on the Amazon), life vests, and waited to be called and join our “team.” If you are picturing a scene from your childhood on a playground during recess when you pray you aren’t the last person called, then you know exactly how this went down.

Remando (Rowing) 101

In our teams and on the water in a much more hydrodynamic floating device than I’m used to. A few flashbacks from Iquitos, mostly pleasant ones. 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 start playing in my head again and I sink into a meditative rhythm. How could I have possibly missed this? But somehow I do. “HUT!” signaling change sides in one fluid motion. How on earth did I get here? Is this really my life? Rowing. Stopping. Fresh pineapple. A swim for the adventurous few. Even picking up a few bits of trash we can get our hands on in the ocean, which the change in wind dragged in, leaving the dolphins at bay for the day (Did I mention that dolphins usually swim alongside the canoes? no big deal).

Lessons:

Two days of Thanksgiving is one day too many.
Peruvians like noise: whistles, horns, screams… You name it, you’ll hear it.
Looks like I’ll be adding rowing to my growing list of hobbies here.
I have rediscovered quinoa and, appropriately, in its birthplace of Peru. Yummm
Need a crepe or waffle fix in S. America? There is actually a successful chain that claims just that, and it's popping up in the southern hemisphere. I have to admit, it’s not that bad.

Just another day in Lima con Pavo

2011-11-25T18:26:00.001-05:00

Yes, Thanksgiving happened, and I was not in the one country that actually celebrates this holiday of food. In Lima, it was just another day: Everyone went to work, except for the kids in American schools. Everyone boarded combis to reach their distant or not-so-distant locations. Everyone went to the supermarket and tried to muscle their way to the front of something resembling a line. No one greeting each other with a "Feliz Dia de Accion de Gracias!" (the "thanksgiving" equivalent) or spoke of family or food or tradition or thanksgiving. And for someone who has a ridiculous amount of all holiday spirit, it was a little tough for me.

Instead, I spent a large part of the day prepping for our huge feast in the evening. If you're interested, these are the recipes (word-for-word) from mi madre. Have fun deciphering them:

Biscuits and cornbread

Dressing
make a thing of cornbread
Mix all together----1/4 c oil in skillet---pour into mix (I usually melt a little butter in the skillet
or cake pan is what I use.----pour the melted butter in the mix and pour back into pan.
Bake @ 400 X 20 minutes

Get 2 large things of hungry jack biscuits or pillsberry dough boy biscuits. bake according
to directions.
Crumble the cornbread and biscuits together.

Saute large onion and a bunch of celery and add some sage.
Then pour on top of bread mixture and add 6 eggs, and some
chicken broth until it feels good.
Bake at 350 for about an hour.

Monkey Bread
2 pkgs yeast
1 cup warm water
2/3 c sugar
1 scant c. crisco (butter) melted
Add 3 c flour
Stir in 2 well-beaten eggs
Add 3 more cup flour
Pour in 1 cup boiling water at the end.
Let rise until double
Knead. Dip chunks in melted butter
Let rise until double.
Bake@ 350 for 30 min.

As with most things in Peru, there were a few curve balls. Biscuits from scratch. No measuring spoons. Weird yeast that I've never seen before. Lots of messes. Chicken stalk from a cube... salty. Fake-smelling butter. So much butter. Metric system. Conversions. Unrefined sugar. Minimal pots and pans. Creative troubleshooting. And the end result? Crowd pleasers. And the opportunity to spread a little Thanksgiving cheer to 20-25 people who may not have otherwise been touched by monkey bread and dressing. But if I'm being honest with myself, I'd say they were subpar dishes... the ingredients were all just a little off and a little overdone.

There were also PLENTY of other scrumptious dishes to stuff myself with, including but not limited to, sweet potatoes, TURKEY, gravy, cranberry sauce (canned), causa, pumpkin pie (homemade!), alfajores, and something delectable with the name pumpkin crack. It was thanksgiving heaven. And in good peruvian fashion, guests kept on coming until about 11pm. After second helpings for all, smatterings of dessert, and vino, we were all pleasantly drifting into slightly uncomfortable food comas. On the couch, on seats around the table, even on the floor (?). All I really wanted was a good football game to watch afterwards. Instead, there was a massive kitchen decontamination and off to bed.

There's always room for dessert

Other Thanksgiving news/lessons:

It's official!! I held the approval documents in my hands today. So excited I could hardly stand it
Britney Spears plays for the first time in Peru. Apparently, not so good (review in Spanish HERE entitled "the good, the bad, and the ugly")
It's a sad time for TX football (link)
Secret Ellington recipes come through once again
Sleeping on a very full stomach still gives me crazy malaria pill-like dreams
I love the holidays... perhaps too much at times

Before

After

Water works

2011-11-25T17:40:00.001-05:00

Arco Iris (aka rainbow)

Finally. Did. It. November 23, 2011. Only 3.5 months in.

I've been meaning to check out this Magic Water Circuit for quite a while now. I see the signs at the Parque de la Reserva every day on my way to the hospital, but hadn't found the energy to go. It's akin to the Bellagio water show but better, and as with most things, is better at night... so not really something to do after work at 2-3pm when the hospital work day ends. Voted #2 of every possible attraction in Lima by TripAdvisor, so you get my point. It's something that should be seen. And while I couldn't rank it #2 or even in the top 10 things to do in Lima (many of the restaurants trump it without a doubt), I'd say it's definitely worth seeing if you have the time... and you happen to be in Lima in the first place.

The park is way bigger than I expected with 14 or so different water fountains: fountains to walk under, fountains to play in, fountains to marvel at, fountains in teacup form, and fountains that just look like fountains. The main event is Fantasia, the Bellagio-like one with music accompaniment and choreography, with the kind of mesmerizing power that those wicked screen savers also possess. I spent more time staring at the lights and water move to the music than I'll admit to anyone face-to-face. Three times a day, Fantasia has a special performance. We were intrigued and thought it prudent to witness this. What's special about this performance, might you ask? The answer, lasers. Lasers join the elegant flow of the water and lights to cheapen the affair, as lasers often do. Still mesmerizing, though, I'll admit, but not worth staying for. If interested, YouTube has captured this bit HERE.

Children being children

Letting the inner child out

T Minus 1 day and counting....

2011-11-23T17:42:00.001-05:00

23 November, 2011

Thanksgiving is right around the corner (i.e. tomorrow), and this will not be without its charm. In true peruano fashion, this will be no minor event. Being my first T-day away from home, I and the roomies decided to host a group of close friends who have also been dreaming of turkey, dressing/stuffing, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie. The intimate group of 10 or so quickly exploded to 25+ people, all in a quaint apt not quite designed for the masses. This will actually be the biggest Thanksgiving I’ve ever been a part of. The Ellingtons have been no more than 10 since I can remember.

On the menu, Alana will be tackling an 18lb turkey, her first in 10 yrs. I’ll be making the famous Ellington dressing and monkey bread with a few twists and possibly without measuring supplies. The rest of the meal is supposed to be supplied by our guests, and seeing as how there are upwards of 30 set to come, we should have plenty of food, right? Since I'm sure everyone will bring what they are supposed to... Well, that’s why my fingers are crossed.

Likely a fair assessment of what the festivities will look like mañana

Full report soon, probably after the food coma wears off, so maybe Sunday?

Lessons:

Turkey does exist in Peruvian supermarkets. Ready-to-bake Pillsbury biscuits do not.
Baking, I have been told, is an exact science. I beg to differ.
Despite my love for Peru and my life here, the holidays still know how to get me