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getting off the compound ;)

Even though I’ve been back for a while I am reliving the sadness that it’s almost the end of the trip as I write this.  (Luckily I will soon be on the third continent of this year’s five continent travel extravaganza 🙂

Arriving in a foreign place is always such an adrenaline rush but departing is difficult so I try to do something significant and memorable to mark the final travel day.  I doubt I will ever top blowing kisses in the pitch dark stillness of the Serengeti with a Masai warrior but I try 😉

Since Lima is not risk-free I paid the dollars to have the hotel organize a driver for me when I returned from Cusco.  Yet another charming Peruvian man 🙂  Julio was widowed and we talked about his job, the challenges of raising a teenage son alone and – of course – dancing 😉   A lovely introduction back to Lima – and this time I was confident I WAS headed to the hotel!

I had booked the Miraflores Park, which is also run by Orient Express.  I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about the hotel or the neighborhood – and from my computer screen in Canada, Lima seemed very foreign.

the shiny mall carved into the cliffs

the shiny mall carved into the cliffs

But now that I was arriving for the second time I wished I’d booked something local.  It felt like I was trapped in a glamorous tourist compound.  The hotel is right next to Larcomar – not exactly the Peru of intricately woven blankets and alpaca scarves in every colour of the rainbow.

Luckily I had walked all over Miraflores on my first visit so I grabbed a map and hit the streets to find some locals and get a sense for the real Lima.

My first mission was to go back to my old neighbourhood.  There was a shop full of mouth-watering cakes near my first Lima hotel but on my initial visit I had arrived there at breakfast so was a good girl and had some delicious French toast with fresh tropical bananas instead of cake.  But who says you can’t have cake for breakfast?  It was worth the walk across town!  If you also have a weakness for cake, check out La Mora Pasteleria & Cafe.

http://www.lamorapasteleria.com/

Fortified – and needing to walk off the calories – I began an aimless wander in a new direction from the kilometres I logged on my first visit.  That’s how I discovered Avenue de la Paz.  Definitely recommend it to get a snapshot of Lima – and modern Peru.

I didn’t get to spend enough time in the country to really develop an understanding of 21st century Peru.  But wandering away from the other tourists and talking to locals every chance I got did provide fascinating glimpses.  As the young girls in Colombia told me boldly, “we’re emerging!” 🙂

cool architecture on ave de la paz

cool architecture on ave de la paz

I haven’t been to Ecuador yet but it does seem that the Andes are embracing the era of the internet and the smartphone and creating opportunities for a new generation with aspirations of a more inclusive and prosperous South America.

I live in a world of shiny things where people lead easy lives yet find ways to complain about their privileged lives without much perspective on the reality of daily life for most of the world’s population.  There are a lot more people living on a couple dollars a day at best than stressing whether their bonus will be grand enough to maintain their millionaire lifestyle.

Don’t go to Lima for the weather!  It was grey and drizzly for the vast majority of the time I spent there.

view from the hotel

view from the hotel

But great food will lift your spirits!  I wish I’d been able to explore more but did have a couple more outstanding meals before it was time for departure.

The first night I played it safe and ate in the hotel.  The restaurant is called Mesa 18.  It is an intriguing mix of world class Japanese food and luxe Peruvian cuisine.  It feels a little bipolar but I had one dish of each and both were sublime!

http://www.mesa18restaurant.com/web/mesa18/index.jsp

For my final night, though, I wanted something truly memorable.  I had spent some time at the previous hotel scrolling through restaurant options on the computer in the lobby.  I found one that didn’t seem too far from the Miraflores Park – and boasted the kind of menu I would gravitate to in Vancouver.  Rafael.

http://www.rafaelosterling.com/

I always like to know where I am going after dark in a foreign city – so I did a daylight recognisance trip to identify just how many blocks the restaurant was from the hotel – and the best route to get there – easy to remember, full of people, emblazoned with working streetlights…

Once it got to Latin dining time, I headed out.  I arrived to a lively scene for a Monday night.  Since I haven’t learned to speak Spanish yet, communication was limited.  But I soaked up the atmosphere – and the delicious inventive nouvelle Peruvian cuisine.

When I was looking for the links for this post, I discovered that I AM really good at finding restaurants in foreign locales… according to the Telegraph, I found 2 of the 5 best restaurants in Lima – without reading the article 😉  but you might want to…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ultratravel/9593866/Restaurants-in-Lima-Peru-five-of-the-best.html

My final Pisco Sour for a while.  A walk home to the hotel through the streets of Lima teeming with people living “la vida dulce”.

I was back on the compound.  But I knew I wasn’t the kind of girl who belonged there.  I was “that girl” – the crazy redhead roaming around Peru without a tour group and, as a result, being seduced by a new country and its people.  I will be back…   and you should go 😉

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eating & drinking - well, life philosophy, travel stories

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does guinea pig taste like chicken? ;)

Unfortunately I was too much of a ‘fraidy cat to be able to answer the question.  Enrique was very keen for me to try guinea pig and I wish I’d been faster with my lens as we drove by some stalls with roasted guinea pigs trussed up in display.

It was Sunday and I was informed that a roasted guinea pig is a Sunday dinner staple.  Apparently guinea pig was part of the staple Inca diet.  It’s usually the most expensive item on the menu.  What I learned on the Sunday drive was that the guinea pigs on menus in Peru are not the tiny pet rodents you likely imagine.  I don’t know what they feed the guinea pigs in Peru but they grow up to look more like a miniature suckling pig!

http://www.pariwana-hostel.com/blog/to-eat-or-not-to-eat-guinea-pig

I may have passed on the guinea pig but I ate ZERO pizza and noshed on local produce everywhere that I travelled.  And there is lots of wonderful food in Peru so it’s easy to eat really well.

aquas calientesI’ve already mentioned a couple of places.  Another culinary highlight was my surprise chef’s tasting menu!  I had been lured in by the promise of prawns flambéed in Pisco.  Aquas Calientes is full of pizza joints so I didn’t ask to see the menu until I was already seated.  That’s when I discovered it was a four course tasting menu with no prices…

But I had just been hobbled by my “trapped on the balcony” experience so I wasn’t keen to do a lot of aimless walking… especially since the vast majority of the offerings were pizza J

It ended up the first course was quinoa quiche floating on creamed corn accompanied by prawns flambéed in Pisco.  It was showy and delicious.  There were two choices for each course.  My next treat was crema of lisas with alpaca jerky; accompanied with native potatoes and Huacatay oil.  Lisas wasn’t translated on the menu and it doesn’t google so I am guessing it just means smooth and creamy.  A crema is a creamy soup, one of the big treats of Peruvian cuisine.  Anyone with a love of potatoes (like me) is in for a joy ride in Peru where there are so many varieties.  Apparently huacatay is an Andean herb.

For the main course, I had trout.  The other options involved mushrooms – mushrooms being the food in know in 20 languages so I never make the mistake of eating them, there was no other choice.  But trucha in Peru is a delight – and you should eat so much you don’t need to translate it anymore 🙂  As you can tell, I had them photocopy the menu for me because it was so delicious and I wanted to remember the details so it was trout fillet topped with meuniere sauce, accompanied by polenta gratin and grilled vegetables.

By the time I got to dessert I needed to run up Machu Picchu to wear off all the calories so I went for the tartare of fruits accompanied with bananas flambéed in Pisco on a fruit coulis.  The more indulgent option was Quillabamba’s Chocolate Passion accompanied with ice cream.

The meal was phenomenal… and when the bill finally arrived… about $35.  And I even tried some Peruvian wine!  (I would recommend the Peruvian pisco and the Chilean wine…)

The restaurant is called Manka and it’s in the Casa del Sol boutique hotel in Aquas Calientes.  a great luxury option that I am sure costs less than the Sanctuary Lodge.

http://hotelescasadelsol.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71&Itemid=48&lang=en

The meal was quite amazing.  The restaurant claims to be celebrating Peruvian cuisine and it certainly lives up to its word.  So many of the special foods of Peru all in one meal!  Trucha, prawns, alpaca, quinoa, potatoes, corn, local herbs, chocolate, bananas and flatbread!  Writing about the meal brings back such spectacular memories.  The service was also first rate and I sat beside the bubbling Urubamba River as I stuffed my face with all of this delicious food at a leisurely pace 🙂

Peru is definitely foodie paradise.  Fresh seafood all over the country.  Local specialties.  A mind-blowing variety in corn and potatoes.  It feels like a grand adventure infood sacred valley fine dining even if you forego the guinea pig… next time 😉

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eating & drinking - well, travel stories

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machu picchu planetm style ;)

OK, I appreciate it seems a little crazy to tackle Machu Picchu three days in a row, all using a different approach… but that is the curse of the overly analytical 😉  On the plus side, I have lots of insight and advice to offer others.

I felt a little guilty staying at the Sanctuary Lodge.  That is the insight you gain by being on the ground in foreign countries talking to locals.  I am still a newbie to travelling in developing countries but naively always hoping I am doing something that will provide me with a lot of pleasure and also – for bonus karma points – help the local community.

What I have learned is that you need to pay attention to how your dollars are spent.  As a spoiled western traveller it is easy to go five star and put all your funds into the pockets of multinational corporations who hardly need your support as they employ their international tax advisors to avoid paying their share of the infrastructure from which their profits flow.

Peru taught me to pay more attention next time to do my best to support local entrepreneurs and assist the local economy in moving forward.  I also find most of my expensive hotel experiences have been a bit soulless (Claridge’s one of the only exceptions – DO put it on your bucket list!).

The Sanctuary Lodge was a bit more soulful but that was due to the interactions with the staff.  It certainly isn’t a “must do” but one night is fun.  You get to take pictures of Machu Picchu from your hotel room.  It is not the Sheraton at Iguazu Falls though.  The park opens at 6am and closes at 5pm and staying right outside doesn’t offer much of an advantage over the bus from Aguas Calientes.

at guardhouse watching MP wake up...

at guardhouse watching MP wake up…

It did allow me to roll out of bed a bit later than round one and be in line before 6am so I could wander around the site almost alone.  I had already stood at the famous spot to watch the sunrise so instead I climbed to the Guardhouse for a great view of the tourist descent on Machu Picchu…

David had kindly offered to be my unofficial guide once his official tour was done.  When he was helping me figure out the travel arrangements for my solo travel plans in the Sacred Valley we’d discovered he was going to be in Machu Picchu doing an early tour the same day I would there – and he would be free by 9am… so no need for me to hire a stranger as a guide.

Since breakfast was included in my room rate, I scored some food post Machu Picchu and pre-David meeting.  Since I had been travelling alone, I had been eavesdropping and couldn’t tell how challenging the hike to the Sun Gate was but I knew David would be able to give me advice I could trust.

proof of hike :) view from sun gate

proof of hike 🙂 view from sun gate

He said it wasn’t that hard and the chance of dropping off a cliff thousands of metres was pretty low so I signed up.  It really is worth doing.  It’s good exercise and the view from the top is spectacular.  (It’s where the serious tourists who hike the Inca Trail first appear at Machu Picchu – it’s recommended not to do it first thing in the morning to give them a chance to pass through).  I would highly encourage you to sign David up as your guide J  As in the Sacred Valley, he was knowledgeable, patient and charming.

He also seems to be part mountain goat.  He grew up in the neighborhood.  So it’s great to watch him in action but I liked to stand a little further from the edge for photos 🙂

Once we had checked off the Sun Gate, he took me to the Inca Bridge.  I think the English girls I met later in the day had the name right – they asked, “so, did you go on the scary bridge?” 😉

remember - he is a professional :)

remember – he is a professional 🙂

Of course, David thought it was nothing and wanted me to take photos of him posed precariously on the edge showing how steep the drop off is.  In the end, I decided to brave it and went right to the end.  There is a cable next to the cliff you can hold as you cross.  It’s wide enough for at least a couple of people but not much more.  The view is spectacular though as long as you don’t suffer any vertigo.

scary AKA inca bridge

scary AKA inca bridge

Having burned some serious calories prior to noon, I figured I deserved lunch in the sun at the Sanctuary Lodge peeking out at the Andes.  I asked David to join me and got more insight into local culture.

It was almost too much but I went back in the afternoon to score some final shots of Machu Picchu.  It was nice to be so relaxed and I took photos of a couple of English girls and gave them my tips.  I then had them yelling “hello” for the next hour or two as we traversed Machu Picchu until close with most of the tour groups already back on their bus.

The perk of spending SO much time at Machu Picchu was that I was totally relaxed by night three.  Since I was staying at the Sanctuary Lodge and only had to walk a handful of feet to dinner, I dressed up.  It got me into some interesting conversations as a backpack and trekking attire is the norm.

The highlight of the Sanctuary Lodge experience was the pisco tasting I discovered by reading my mini English newspaper at breakfast.  I am always fascinated by local specialties and pisco is a Peruvian thing.  I understand the Chileans are trying to copy but only Peruvian pisco really counts 😉

http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/drinks/a/pisco.htm

If you appreciate spirits, it’s definitely worth having a bartender tour you through Peruvian piscos.  The food at the Sanctuary Lodge is also wonderful and the service is first rate.  I tipped my pisco guide really generously.  That’s the one thing that I think does work.  Bring lots of US dollars in small bills when you travel.  In Peru people wanted soles so that made it easier but in most countries crisp US dollar bills buy more than you might expect and you know the cash is going directly to a local you like rather than to a bank account in the Caymans.

Just to make sure I hadn’t missed anything I took the Vistadome train back to Cusco the next day.  I think it’s worth trading up from the Expedition as the price difference is small but the service experience on the Vistadome is at a high caliber.  PeruRail definitely offers some of the best rail service I have ever experienced.

isn't he handsome? ;)

isn’t he handsome? 😉

The train service included entertainment – music, fashion show… and a dancing lion in traditional costume.  I really would have been content to just watch the lion and take photos.  But, no, I became part of the show!  I just don’t say “no” very well… and someone needs to participate.  I feel bad for the performers when everyone rejects them… I have now danced impromptu for an audience on four continents – only two to go! (both are in the plan in the next year)

http://www.perurail.com/

A word of warning – dancing backwards with a lion on a moving train when you don’t know the steps will test your balance!  But you will make the guy in the lion suit very happy.  He will growl at you – or was it a purr?  I am pretty sure it was a loud, aggressive purr… but I already had a dinner date when I got to Cusco 😉

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the decadent trail to machu picchu

It is always a bit of a challenge trying to suss out the truth about travelling to an exotic foreign locale from an armchair, even in the age of google.  I wanted to make sure I walked away from Machu Picchu satiated, not ready to book the return trip to see it properly.

So I decided to add on some extra days on my own to my g adventures trip.  I figured I would know the ropes by then and travelling solo in a foreign country is always a small adventure.

my spot on the train

my spot on the train

I don’t have that much practice yet travelling solo in developing countries where I don’t speak the language so I go high end to reduce risk.  That’s how I ended up on the Hiram Bingham train bound for Machu Picchu and the Sanctuary Lodge.

Enrique had coached me on how much the taxi should cost and pointed out the train station on our drive back to the hotel the previous night.  The rainy season had washed out part of the track so the train was departing from a different station, which added complications.

If I missed that train, my whole plan unwound so I was really grateful when David offered to read the information from PeruRail to make sure I knew how the alternate plan worked.  Things are looser in Latin countries so I have learned to pay attention and ask questions.  It was a good idea I think as it ended up there were only 3 of us waiting at Wanchaq station for our bus ride to the alternate starting point for the train journey.

Just to be sure I was on the right minibus, I confirmed it with the handsome man who seemed to be in charge.  Yes, we had

sumptuous sacred valley

sumptuous sacred valley

a private minibus tour of the Sacred Valley!  I could bounce around the bus trying to get shots of the gorgeous landscape out of the window.  Not an easy task.  And the early morning light was not ideal.  But it made the journey fly by – and got me chatting with Javier.  It turned out that he was the manager of the train!  I hoped I hadn’t taken up too much of his time but he was exceptional at his job so he looked out for me on the train, making sure I got the full experience.

For someone who spent her early youth devouring everything Agatha Christie ever wrote, there is something about travel on Orient Express trains that just speaks to me.  The journey on the Hiram Bingham is shorter than on the Andean Explorer but it is more luxurious and the scenery possibly a little more spectacular (there is so much glorious scenery in Peru it is tough to rate without just giving it all 5 stars :)).

http://www.perurail.com

If you love trains, you will love the Hiram Bingham.  It’s one of those trains originating from the era when trains were the equivalent of air travel in first class.  As on the Andean Explorer, I had my own table, complete with white linen tablecloth, romantic lighting and plenty of space for all my camera equipment.

http://www.orient-express.com/web/orex/collection/trains/hiram_bingham.jsp

scenery from the train

scenery from the train

Of course we were called to the bar car for a free Pisco Sour well before lunch.  The Pisco Sour was excellent but I was again more intrigued by the chance to actually shoot the scenery without glass (and reflections) marring the shot.  We also had musicians and dancers entertaining us.  It seems like everyone in Peru likes to dance 🙂

Once that was over, it was time for brunch.  Brunch was really a sumptuous three course lunch.  More trucha!  Everything was delicious.  Since you pay a lot more for the Hiram Bingham train, the alcohol runs freely.  I tried to get my money’s worth but still preserve the ability to do some serious climbing once we got to Machu Picchu.  But it likely helped numb the pain in my damaged toes 🙂

I have only one regret re: my trip to Peru.  Next time I will try and pack more like a backpacker and bring a mostly empty suitcase!  Because I was a wimp and not doing the Inca Trail, I could afford to bring more luggage – but the train from Cuzco to Machu Picchu is ill-equipped to handle luggage so it was a challenge to figure out how to deal with it.  But if you take the Hiram Bingham train, you don’t have to worry about it!

The service is truly first class in every way so my luggage was whisked away in Cuzco and reappeared later in the day in my hotel room at the Sanctuary Lodge.  Decadent but oh so pleasant 🙂

If you take the Hiram Bingham train, you are also whisked from Aquas Calientes (where the train arrives) to Machu Picchu via private bus.  Once you arrive, you are assigned a guide who will tour you around Machu Picchu for an hour or two and then you will have time to explore on your own.  What I discovered by accident is that almost everyone books a tour to travel around Peru so if you book directly with PeruRail you may have the good fortune I had and have your “group” tour be comprised of 3 people!

This time I saw Machu Picchu in the afternoon and the guide was even better than the previous day.  As a reward for a tiny amount of exercise, we were then treated to an extravagant afternoon tea in the Sanctuary Lodge.  There was so much food (and choice) afternoon tea also served as my dinner that night.

you gotta have a tourist shot ;)

you gotta have a tourist shot 😉

Once afternoon tea was complete, most guests were whisked back to Aquas Calientes by private bus to take the Hiram Bingham train back to Cuzco.  It sounded like a lot of fun and I think I may have missed out but my armchair travel planning had me booked into the Sanctuary Lodge for the next two nights.

http://www.sanctuarylodgehotel.com

So I had to reluctantly say goodbye to Javier…  that’s when I found out he was the manager of the train.  So that gave me confidence my exceptional journey was likely just the norm.  I had watched him move around the train and schmooze with everyone during afternoon tea as part of my personal entertainment.  It’s always a delight to watch someone doing his job exceptionally well.

And there is something about Latin men… I don’t know how they learn it.  They seem to love their mothers – and I think that translates to women in general.  There is a sense of chivalry that runs deep.  And they know that not everything in life has to be logical and practical.  They understand the value of flirting to civilization.  As an incorrigible flirt, I like to think I inspire them a little 😉

You should go check it out for yourself.  Book a trip on the Hiram Bingham.  Check Machu Picchu off your bucket list.  And say “hola” to Javier 😉

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eating & drinking - well, travel stories

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hobbling around machu picchu…

machu picchu before sunrise

machu picchu before sunrise

It was hardly how I had envisioned my first visit to Machu Picchu.  When one is trapped on a tiny balcony behind a heavy wooden door worried about hypothermia, one tends to kick at the door rather hard trying to be heard.  That might work well in steel toe boots.  Unfortunately, while my Sketcher running shoes are brilliant for travel, they are super lightweight because they are mostly made of mesh…

So my toes looked like a battered housewife the entire time I was in Machu Picchu and I couldn’t take a step without pain.  At least the mesh was stretchy so I had to wince to put them on but the mesh stretched over my swollen toes.  The silver lining 🙂

I did indulge in a debate with myself regarding the day one game plan, especially since I had the luxury of three days at Machu Picchu.  I had already signed up for a 4am wakeup call and 5:30am start before I realized how swollen and bruised my toes would be…  I decided I needed to pretend I was a professional athlete and just suck it up.

Had my toes been in proper health, I could have likely seen it all in the five hours or so allotted by my g adventures tour so I would definitely recommend the independent tour if budget is more limited.

My guide had forgotten his ID so I took the bus from Aquas Caliente to Machu Picchu alone but it is an easy trip and there are lots of other tourists to follow.  It is not a bus trip for the timid – all switchbacks on narrow mountain roads where the drivers almost stop so that they can pass.  But the scenery is stunning – especially in the wee hours of the morning before the sun has woken up.

the bus from aquas caliente to machu picchu

the bus from aquas caliente to machu picchu

sunrise at machu picchu

sunrise at machu picchu

The big highlight of the first day was watching the sun rise.  Wagner, my guide, positioned me in the optimal spot.  My photography skills are not really up to shooting directly into the sun but it was spectacular to witness.

Since I had two more days to experience Machu Picchu I headed back to Aquas Caliente early and discovered a wonderful French bakery.  Then it was back on the train to Ollantaytambo where Enrique collected me.

I felt bad because I didn’t see him at first and was worried I had been left to my own devices again.  But David had told me Enrique was collecting me and they were both so amazing at their jobs it seemed unlikely…

The trip back to Cusco took quite a while so I sat in the front and we chatted while he told me more about Peru, his family and stopped or slowed down so that I could try and get photos.  Connecting with locals makes all travel journeys so much more rewarding.

The official end of the tour struck the same note.  I had left a bag at the hotel and it was already in my room!  Then I went to the restaurant where I had my first meal in Cusco – Tupananchis.  The food was excellent and they had promised me a free drink if I came back.  I was very impressed that they remembered and the food was just as excellent the second time.

http://archive.peruthisweek.com/gastronomy/features-1279

Establishing connections – and becoming part of the fabric of a place – is one of the greatest pleasures of travel.  That theme will continue to be explored as we discover Machu Picchu from new perspectives…

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spanish lessons

How exciting!  I actually managed to find functioning internet before I leave Peru… the rest will follow… as usual I will keep living my travels long after I have left the foreign locale 😉

as usual we are living in the past so just go with the tenses – they were correct when I wrote the first draft 🙂

I wrote the first draft of this on miércoles.  I learned that the night before at the Pitahaya Bar in Lisbon.  From my new friend Juan.

Yes, I am in Peru!  When I first dreamed of trekking to Machu Picchu, the Shining Path was putting Peru on the government advisory “do not go” lists.  As usual I have been too busy doing things to have enough time to write about what I have been doing.  But I have been trying to remember exactly when I was inspired to travel to Peru.

It was sometime in the mid 80s.  It may have been the Peru pavilion at Expo 86.  I know I acquired a book about the treasures of the Incas from an exhibit of some of them around that time.  I forgot to leaf through it before I left home.  But I have carried it over three continents and unpacked it in countless apartments so I know it’s there somewhere…  I remember the great jewelry and rich colours.  My souvenirs won’t be nearly so impressive but I am dazzled by the colours in the markets.  It is hard to not buy everything you see 🙂

Unfortunately in the 1980s Peru was dangerous – so I stayed away… but Machu Picchu stayed in my imagination.  And Peru is now the kind of place where you have to search a little to avoid a dual language tourist menu.

But my first step in a new city is to get a map from reception (just in case 🙂 and then start aimlessly wandering the streets in daylight so I’ll know my way home in the dark!

I’m still packing the map but I’ve actually looked at it only a couple of times and Miraflores is already starting to feel like home.  Lima is no Latin seductress.  The weather is as dreary as predicted.  I think the sun shines more in Vancouver 😉

And the Pacific Ocean looks like an angry stepsister with haunted beaches.  But moody can be interesting… so I had a delicious pizetta overlooking the Pacific as part of my exploration of the Larcomar – a modern mall that is so shiny it glints without the sun even shining 🙂

It’s part of the shiny side of Lima – where I will be staying on my return.  Locating my next Lima hotel created a great aimless wander through the streets of Miraflores.  As I suspected yesterday, I am living on the wrong side of the tracks.  But I think I prefer my older Miraflores with the slight decay that tropical climates induce rather than the tarted up sanitized Miraflores that seems more like a tourist zone.

Peru is definitely an emerging economy and it’s exciting to see it in action.  I would love to come back in 10 years and see what has changed.

One thing I hope won’t change is the friendly, warm character of the people.  I am writing this in a cool, modern bar with a touch of traditional Peruvian

pitahaya behind the park

pitahaya behind the park

decoration – and charming Latin men behind the bar.  The soundtrack is an incredible mix of some of the best alternative rock from the late 80s – Blind Melon, Cindy Lauper, Tom Cochrane, the dudes who sing Runaway Train… sometimes I just knew the music, couldn’t remember the band… the 80s were a long time ago!

juanSo I was absorbing the music and letting Juan make me drinks.  His goal is to work on a cruise ship so he wanted me to help him with his English.  In return, he taught me some Spanish.

And made me a beautiful Pisco Sour – my first.  You always remember your first time 😉  And Juan did a magnificent job!  Pisco Sours are pretty ubiquitous in Peru so I’ve had a few now but Juan’s is still the best!  And he gave me the whole history of the drink for bonus points.

Everyone in the bar is very friendly – and works very efficiently.  The menu is in Spanish so I knew I was in an authentic place.  I had avoided the tourist ghetto!

Decaying villas seem charming.  And I saw some appealing houses on my random walk that speak to another era.  It would be sad to lose all the history and local architecture around the world for shiny new concrete malls.

But we also need to welcome progress – and the emergence of new shiny places in unexpected countries.

I love discovering places like Pitahaya – and young men like Juan.  It’s great to see a modern place with a sense of history and locale.  And the enthusiasm and professionalism I encounter so often in these new economies.  I think I am experiencing the future… Machu Picchu is just bonus points 😉

pitahaya decor

pitahaya decor

p.s. apparently Pitahaya is a bar but it was possibly the best food I have had in Peru!  The first night I ordered what I thought was a simple shrimp cocktail but it had some unexpected twists to it that were delicious.  And the next night I ordered something called Tiradito Achebichado because I trusted Juan 😉  As he promised, it was a bit like ceviche but I had just written mystery fish in my blog notes so he had to get the correct information for me.  It was tilapia – and outstanding.  The cocktails are also delicious.  And the staff are delightful.

 

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DO talk to strangers ;)

Maybe not when you’re five 🙂  but my life would be a lot poorer if I hadn’t learned how to talk to strangers.  And I wouldn’t have an obsession with crawfish 😉

As my regular readers have learned to accept, we are time travelling again – and using geography as a tool to tie together disparate experiences.

So I am writing about New Orleans sitting in the airport in Panama City drinking premium rum (12 year old Abuelo – definitely a discovery!).  And crawfish is on my mind because I finally had some at the airport in Houston.

That is the beauty of travel.  I wasn’t planning to be in Houston last month when I was in New Orleans.  But, while I was trying to find a decent glass of beer and hear some jazz, I was eavesdropping on a lively conversation between some exuberant locals and guy with a questionable haircut and a hard to place accent.

But I mostly hang out in bars for the entertainment value – and chance to engage in lively discourse and meet locals.

I am very quick to smile and that gets people’s attention.  The mystery guy turned out to be Finnish and he was eating oysters from the Gulf.

I keep trying to love oysters but so far I remain on the fence.  But I have a lot of great memories that involve oyster eating so I think they ARE special 🙂

The Louisiana guys were making the poor Finnish guy feel bad that he had overpaid for his gulf oysters while they consume them by the sack for practically nothing.

What was more interesting to me was the discussion about crawfish.  Apparently it was crawfish season in the gulf and I determined that I should have some even if I didn’t exactly know what they were 🙂

I did manage a crawfish étouffé while I was in New Orleans but my time was too limited to seek them out again and really confirm exactly what a crawfish tasted like.  (But I did manage to engage in a lively conversation with the Finnish stranger about multiculturalism and the virtue of speaking lots of languages…)

Life is full of serendipity!  So there was a proper seafood restaurant in the Houston airport right next to my gate.

I think I got a few tourist points when I asked the server if it was still crawfish season.  It was!

They were deep-fried (welcome to the south :)) but I still got a much stronger impression of their flavour and texture.  And – if you share my fondness for shellfish – they are a great addition to your repertoire.

And I’m still not 100% sure how to describe them.  They are bigger than a shrimp, smaller than a prawn and not at all like a langoustine as I had imagined from the bar conversation.  The thing they most closely resemble is a spot prawn – a short-term delicacy of my home region.  Both are really worth trying, more fragile and succulent than ordinary shellfish.

I talked to lots of strangers in New Orleans.  It has become my new modus operandi when I travel.  My ten year old self is still in shock!!!

I think it’s a great example of how any human is actually capable of change.  I certainly support the proposition that you can’t change someone and should never enter a relationship with that as one of the goals in your five year plan.

It is a setup for disappointment – and conflict.  I have left all my relationships because I knew I couldn’t change the other person – and he wasn’t open to any modifications.

I have learned that is the norm.  But it’s kind of tragic.  When you get born into the world, no one says, “wow, I hope I will get parents and teachers and bosses who hold me to an almost impossible standard and constantly critique me ;)”

But, people, it has its rewards 🙂  It keeps you off balance.  It makes you strive.  It quells any opportunity to get arrogant before you have really achieved anything.

I continue to evolve.  I have conquered a lot of anxiety and I have become almost fearless.  But in a great way that relies on geek-worthy risk assessment and self-confidence borne out of life experience.

So… not only do I talk to strangers… strangers talk to me… I engage with the locals everywhere that I go.  AND I meet other travellers.  And hear their stories.  And am inspired to further explore the world…

Talking to strangers requires some finesse.  It needs to come from the right place.  You want to make sure it is a genuine interest in other people, not some lonely, needy gesture that makes the other person worry you might be a stalker 🙂

One of the highlights of my trip to New Orleans was making a new friend while were both perusing the menu at the Red Fish Grill.  Neither of is pushed it too fast so by the time we had both decided independently it might be far more enjoyable to dine together than alone, the choice was easy to make.

http://www.redfishgrill.com/

And what a great decision!  I met a fascinating man with a personal history to rival mine.  We talked about the arts, travel, the various cities and countries that had left a mark on us.

It was my first experience of Bourbon Street.  As previously noted, Bourbon Street definitely not a total class act –  but, luckily for me, I explored it with my new friend who embodied the concept of a Southern gentleman so he gave even the low rent aspects of Bourbon Street a borrowed sense of decorum.

It certainly gave tacky Bourbon Street a halo it hadn’t earned and etched yet another classic cinematic evening into my memory.  Those are the moments when I am so happy that I learned to talk to strangers 😉

I raise my glass of delicious 12 year old rum to everyone out there who talked to a stranger and came away with a special memory…

Hopefully I will finish the New Orleans stories before I get on the plane to Lima… 🙂

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eating & drinking - well, life philosophy, travel stories

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