Pisco

Well, I've spent the past seven weeks sampling and refining my palette for Pisco... the most famous Peruvian liquor. Pisco is actually a brandy made of grapes (generally muscat or quebranta) that originated in Peru, or so the Peruvians contend. Peru and Chile have been fighting over Pisco's origins for years now, with both maintaining that Pisco is native to their soil. I (perhaps I am biased) will be siding with the Peruvians because history points to Peruvian origins... there is even a town named Pisco in Peru, and it produces Pisco! While disputed origins don't sound to be that big of a deal, just wait there's more. Both Chile and Peru have launched massive Pisco origin campaigns that involve not only national legislation, but international treaties and agreements. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in the Treaty of Lisbon, maintains the Peruvian origins, but in their free trade agreement negotiations Chile required that Australia acknowledge Chile as the progenitor of Pisco. It seems a bit silly, but national pride is a big thing in these parts. I've met Peruvians who do not even acknowledge that Chile makes Pisco...

Anyhow, I think Pisco is quite tasty. In Peru, most Pisco is produced in the Ica region, where Amy, Devin and I went last weekend. We were lucky enough to tour two different Pisco vineyards (or whatever they're called) and to sample several varieties of the stuff. I won't go into detail about the differences between puro and aromatico, but just rest assured that like most other types of booze and wine, ingredients and aging have much to do with the nuanced flavors.

The most famous drink made from Pisco is the Pisco Sour, a most delectable little treat. It's actually quite simple to make, just Pisco, simple syrup, egg whites, lime juice and bitters (for garnish). Combine the ingredients with ice and shake. The Pisco Sour is generally served in an old-fashioned glass and occassionally garnished with a lime. I'll be making some regularly when I return to the States, so if you're interested, let me know.

Pisco has definitely made the list of things I will miss when I leave Peru.

On speaking Spanish...

I studied Spanish rather extensively as an undergraduate. I wasn't a Spanish major, but I had enough coursework to qualify me for a minor (if I had attended a university which granted minors in Spanish). I spent a summer in Mexico, refining my skills and mastering the subjunctive (so tricky). While I hadn't spoken Spanish regularly in over a year and a half, I felt that it would just come right back whenever I landed in Lima. Wrong, or rather, incorrecto.

My first day or so I was pleasantly surprised with how it naturally flowed out of my mouth, words that I hadn't thought about in years magically sounding themselves. But after a couple of days, I reached a plateau. I got nervous when speaking to people, I forgot words and found myself constantly asking ¿Cómo se dice...? I would let my friends do the speaking because I just didn't want to deal with my broken Spanish.

Lucky for me, the Embassy provides Spanish classes free of charge. My second week I started attending three times a week with Maria Luisa and things seem to be going well. This week I am regaining my confidence. I guess I just needed a little time and review before I felt comfortable speaking again. The hardest part is actually not the speaking, but the listening. Some Peruvians have a tendency to mumble while speaking, which makes it so difficult to understand. Answering the telephone makes me so extremely nervous, but it's getting better.

I don't really know if there is a moral of the story here or anything... maybe it would be that one needs to practice a language a touch more before trying to speak it in a professional environment...

On a semi-related note: I've finally figured out the symbol shortcuts on my computer keyboard. I can finally make an ñ without going to 'insert symbol'!

La cocina Limeña

Lima is considered by many to be the "gastronomic capital of the Americas," and until the past week I wasn't really feeling that title. I had not yet had a chance to sample Lima's restaurant scene (unless you count the restaurants in the El Polo shopping center across from the Embassy... and I don't), as it is based in Miraflores and San Isidro, the cool neighborhoods in Lima. However, this week it all changed. For those of you who know me well, you know that if I am going to try a regional specialty, I will wait until I have found the best place to try it (Chicago style pizza and hot dogs, crabcakes, etc.) So naturally, I had been waiting to try cebiche until I could try it in the right setting. The right setting for me means a noted cebicheria and not just some hole in the wall. Not that hole in the wall cebicherias are without merit or anything, just that I didn't want to get sick on my first kind of raw fish (though not really) concoction. Anyhow, so I went to Punto Azul, a cebicheria popular among the Embassy crowd. My econ section colleagues and I ordered a variety of dishes, including a mixed seafood cebiche, causa de langostinos (potato dumpling stuffed with shrimp), chicharrones de pescado y pollo (fried fish and chicken), and arroz Punto Azul (the house seafood rice). Everything was so wonderful. The cebiche had such a fresh, tart flavor, and it was exquisite. It was without a doubt the best sampling of Peruvian cuisine I've had.

Some other popular non-seafood Peruvian dishes are lomo saltado (a Peruvian steak stir fry), papas a la huancaina (potatoes in a cheesy "Huancaina" sauce), rocotos rellenos (stuffed rocoto peppers), and arroz con pollo (rice with chicken). I've had most of these so far and enjoyed them, but for me they just do not hold a candle to all the amazing seafood dishes. I have been cookbook shopping and think I may have found a winner in The Art of Peruvian Cuisine by Tony Custer. It comes in both Spanish and English versions, and while I would love to be able to cook "fluently" in Spanish, I think I'm going to go for the English version. I am really looking forward to being able to cook some new dishes for everyone back home.

Last night Amy, Devin, Anirudh (Devin's delightful visiting boyfriend), and I went to Rosa Nautica (www.larosanautica.com) for dinner. Rosa Nautica is a seafood restaurant that is actually on the ocean, and while there are many restaurants on the beach, this is the only one built over water (see first photo). The views are beautiful and you can see and feel the waves lapping against the restaurant's supports ("sealegs," if you will) as you dine. I had the arroz con mariscos de la Rosa Nautica, which was a tasty creole rice with scallops, octopus, squid, shrimp and fish (see second photo). It was phenomenal. I am going to try to figure out how to make something similar once I get home; maybe the Art of Peruvian Cuisine can help me out... After our main dishes we all decided to have some dessert. The waiters brought all of us dessert menus in English, and Devin and I noticed an interesting translation on the menu. Naturally, I had to order the "Lúcuma tart with Alaskan railing shape on a chocolate mirror" out of curiosity. Lúcuma is a Peruvian fruit, so there was no question about what it was, but what the hell is 'Alaskan railing shape'? And how can there be a chocolate mirror? Well, my dessert came out and my questions were left unanswered. We guessed that the Alaskan railing shape is the pattern drawn in the chocolate which is not particularly mirrorlike (see third photo). Still, the tart was tasty and, overall, the meal was fantastic.

I plan to visit a few more popular Lima restaurants over the coming months to sample more of the gastronomy. I am planning to go to Astrid y Gastón (www.astridygaston.com), which is quite possibly the most famous Peruvian restaurant. Gastón Acurio is Peru's answer to Emeril or Bobby Flay; he's their own celebrity chef. Everyone here refers to him by his first name only, and his exploits make news regularly. He may actually be more popular here than Emeril is in the US. I also want to dine at Pescados Capitales, a seafood restaurant whose name is a play on the phrase "pecados capitales" or "mortal sins." There you can order "lust" or even "wrath" and enjoy a little sinfulness. I hear the food is good, but I want to check it out for its cleverness.

Anyhow, if you are interested in learning more about Peruvian cuisine, check out the following:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/08/AR2007060801119.html

http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/travel/01Hours.html?scp=1&sq=lima&st=cse

Lazy weekends...

As many of you know, this summer gig is actually my first full-time, 9 to 5 job (rather 8-5:30, but who's counting...), and it has definitely taken some getting used to. I thought that I would come here, work during the day and go exploring at night, but after being at work for about 9 hours all I want to do is lay around the apartment. I'm trying to do a little exploring every weekend, so that I can get to know Lima by the time I leave, but even that can be difficult.

Last night I did go to Callao, which is a part of the Lima Metropolitan area. It used to be part of Lima, but in 2002 President Toledo annexed it, so now it is a random province surrounded by Lima. It contains the Port of Callao, which is South America's most important port on the Pacific Ocean. I was under the impression that Callao was a dangerous and industrial area, but apparently I was wrong (at least partially). The area was really quite beautiful and we walked along a pebble beach past beautiful beach homes. Sadly, I forgot my camera, so I don't have any photos to show for my trip to Callao. I guess I'll have to go back some time...

I'm actually about to head to Miraflores for the evening. Amy just called and we're about to do dinner and a movie, so that should be fun. Anyhow, next week will be a long week, so there will be much fodder for blogging...

Huaraz

Sorry for the long break from posting, it's been busy lately. Last weekend, Devin, Amy and I went to Huaraz, a mountain town 8 hours northeast of Lima. We set out last Thursday night on an overnight bus and arrived at 6:30 am. The bus was tolerable, though I have always had trouble sleeping on buses. Our hostel opened for check-ins at 5:30am, so we promptly checked in and went to bed. Thankfully, the hostel was nice and the beds cozy, so we took an extended nap. After we got back on our feet we went out to explore Huaraz. We visited the Museo Arquelogico which was small and cozy, but educational. Friday was nearly a lost day, due to several naps and going to bed early, but still it was a good adjustment day.

Saturday we went on a tour around Ancash province. First we went to Carhuaz, a former gold-mining town to check out the Plaza de Armas. The fountain actually had gold-plated miner figures in it... interesting enough. We did a lot of Plaza touring over the course of the day, also hitting up Caraz (different than Carhuaz), and Yungay. While in Caraz we were lucky enough to catch a parade; apparently it was teacher's day in Ancash (and maybe Peru in general) and the townsfolk were out dancing and singing in full force. It was a fantastic image. We ate lunch in Yungay and then went to visit the Campo Santo (Holy ground). The Campo Santo is a memorial to the victims of the 1970 earthquake and avalanche that claimed over 25,000 lives. Now there is a lovely garden in addition to the pre-existing cemetary on the hill. The big attraction of the trip was the Llaganuco lakes. Glacial melting created these lakes tucked away in the mountains at over 3000m. The water is a teal or turquoise, a nearly indescribable color. Pictures can barely do these lakes justice. There, Devin, Amy and I hiked for a while and took some amazing photos with a llama... All in all, the tour was a good time and a great value. We each paid 30 soles for about 10 hours of fun, which is about $1 per hour.

Our final day we hiked to Wilcawain, pre-Incan ruins north of town. The hike, up a mountain, was a bit on the brutal side and about 3/4 of the way there we hitched a ride on a combi. At least ten people were crowded on the mini-bus and we held onto whatever we could to steady ourselves. It was quite the cultural experience, but it was pretty fun. The ruins were very cool. They were intact structures, stone buildings that were at one point homes and tombs (there were several levels). I love historical tourism, so this was right up my alley. Afterward, we took a combi back Huaraz and then hopped a cab to Carhuaz to have dinner. This was not the greatest idea and there was only really one restaurant open in Carhuaz on this Sunday night. We were fairly certain that every Carhuazino was at this specific restaurant... The food and the service weren't that great, but it was cheap. Afterward we took the overnight bus back to Lima. I didn't sleep well, but we finally arrived at 5:30 am (a little early), so I went to bed for 30 minutes until I had to get ready for work. Yes, I went to work at 8am and it was miserable.

All in all, a marvelous, nature-filled weekend! I would recommend Huaraz to anyone heading to Peru. Below is the link to my Huaraz photo album. Enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2250805&l=d9020&id=16802686

Driving and automobiles...

Aside from flying into Lima, my only experience with transportation in Peru thus far has been in cars. Taxis are my preferred method of travel, considering that the other two available options are driving or taking the bus. Before I explain why I love taxis so much, I'll tell you why I do not take my other options.

Driving in Lima is insane. First of all, the traffic can get really bad (like many large cities), so it can just be a pain to sit in traffic sometimes. Not that this is avoided by taking a taxi, but at least I don't have to be the one cursing the traffic. Also, drivers in Lima do not seem to abide by traffic laws, or maybe there aren't traffic laws. Crossing the street is like playing the game Frogger... cars do not stop for pedestrians at all. I have only ridden with one American driver so far, and he seemed to have a pretty good handle on the traffic--I was pleasantly surprised. Overall, I am content not to drive here, which really surprises me as I generally love to drive.

Buses might as well not be an option for me, because I don't think you could pay me to take one. By buses I don't mean the luxury buslines that take you across the country, because I am doing that later this week. I am talking about "combis", the little microbuses that make seemingly random routes about town. Most of them are crowded, outdated minibuses that spew exhaust fumes. Lima has quite a smog/air pollution problem and I'm sure combis do not help. I'm sure that they are inexpensive, but I would rather not have to sit in close quarters with strangers while getting confused and lost in a big city.

And so I take taxis everywhere. I actually have my own cab driver who drives me to and from work every day, his name is Carlos. He and his wife own a cab service that they operate from their home called "DonTaxi". He's reliable, punctual and exceptionally friendly. My boss set me up with him because Neil (my landlord, of sorts) uses him to get around. I just call when I need a ride and his wife (Doris, I think) sets it up for us. While I generally think that taxis should be regulated, I kind of enjoy this bit of the informal economy. Carlos and I chat about family and work, he speaks slowly to me and I can practice my Spanish. All in all, a sweet deal. Plus it's only 12 soles (4 dollars) each way. I guess that didn't really explain why taxis are preferable to other forms of transportation, but just that I really enjoy my daily cab rides...

Plaza de Armas and other adventures...

Last night Devin, Amy and I decided to head to Lima's Plaza de Armas (aka the Plaza Mayor) for some sightseeing and dinner. The cab ride there took at least 30-45 minutes on the smoggy highways and streets of Central Lima, but was only 35 nuevo soles ($12). The Plaza is beautiful and we arrived at the perfect time: dusk. The government band (I'm guessing) played outside the Palacio Gobierno and the sun began to set over the yellow buildings in the square. We haven't quite figured out if President Garcia lives in the Palacio Gobierno or not, but it is essentially the Peruvian equivalent of the White House.
In addition to the Palacio Gobierno and the yellow buildings (I don't really know what they are), the Plaza has the Cathedral of Lima as well. We headed over to the Cathedral and as we neared one of the chapels I heard the "Wedding March." Quickly thereafter a bride and groom exited with their family following. We tried not to be a bother so we stood back until the had left the chapel area, but we had not gone undetected. A number of the youngest wedding members came toward us asking "De donde son?" The three of us made friends with about five kids who requested our email addresses and to be in our photos (which Amy has). It was very cute, but I felt kind of bad for disrupting the wedding festivities. Then we wandered around the area finding some food and Peruvian kitsch stands, as well as a singer/salesmen who would pitch vegetable steamers between songs. Eventually we settled down for dinner at Tanta and had sanguchos (Peruvian sandwiches), Peruvian beer and some tasty desserts. We were supposed to get together with my friend Diego for drinks later, but he had to cancel due to a family obligation. Anyhow, we called it an early night at 10pm because the three of us were exhausted.

In other updates, I found a USB cable for my camera at a little camera shop near the grocery store, so I have pictures now! I also started a picasa album, which I think somehow I can link to this... I'll figure it out.