Category: Peru
-
Going Shopping
In Pittsburgh, we cook almost every night, but in our first week in Peru it was hard to imagine cooking dinner that was more worthwhile than going out to a restaurant. Then we visited Arequipa’s main market. Now we aim to cook at least once a week. After trying alpaca steaks at restaurants around town,…
-
Cebiche & Flamingos
Some people go to the beach to swim and suntan. We go to the beach to eat fish, and in this case, look at birds. After two hours of downhill slaloming from Arequipa, the ocean breezes of Mollendo are a delightful relief. On second glance, the run-down buildings in the off-season remind one of…
-
Hoy Adobo
On Sundays, various restaurants around Arequipa set out signs saying: “Hoy Adobo” (Today Adobo). After brief investigation, we learn that the nearby suburb Cayma is THE place to enjoy this local specialty. A ten-minute taxi ride brings us to the main plaza of Cayma, a flowering park, surrounded by cafes and restaurants each accompanied by…
-
Colca Canyon
3 hours from Arequipa, through the harsh Peruvian altiplano where only vicuñas dare to tread, you reach Chivay, the gateway to the Colca Canyon. For the next 3 hours on the bus, the dirt road deteriorates, donkey traffic increases, and the canyon gets continually deeper until you reach Cabanaconde. Technically, buses can continue, but we…
-
Home Sweet Arequipa
We’ve really settled into our new home in Arequipa. Instead of renting an apartment here, we decided after very little arm-twisting to stay in a sweet little hostel with 6 spacious rooms. We wake up early in Arequipa as the natural sunlight starts filtering into our room at 6AM. Every morning, we enjoy coffee, bread,…
-
No Breakfast
When you arrive in the town of Nazca, you are there to see the famous Nazca Lines, as featured in the latest Indiana Jones movie. Everybody in town can sell you a flight over the lines. Everybody also warns you not to eat breakfast the morning of your flight. Touts and tour agencies may…
-
Dry Wine
On the way down in the airplane the tiny strip of land between the Andes and Pacific ocean is optimistically green on the topographical display. On the way down the Pan-American “highway” leaving Lima there are water towers that proclaim “Agua para todo” (water for everyone). The swirling sand dunes are just about the…
-
One Month And Counting
We leave for Peru in 1 month! Wooo! In a new twist, we’re combining work and travel, sticking to one country and attempting to settle down there for upwards of 3 months. Expect stories of searching-for-apartment-woes, pisco sours, and bumpy roads.