Rose and Ray on R&R in Peru

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I am just going to pop a few photos from our last trip that was about two or three years ago. During that trip, we spent several days in Lima visiting Rose's relatives and visiting where she was born. After that, we went to the usual touristy places, Cusco, Ollantaytambo (where I could easily spend the rest of my life), Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu, the Nasca lines, Paracas, Ica and Pisco. We spent a nice week in a cute fishing village called Santa Rosa near Chiclayo/Pimentel area. This is where I first saw the caballitos, or little horses. These are basically smalling fishing boats, almost like a raft that is made from totora reeds. The guys mount them like horses, paddle out into the surf and net fish. I had seen caballitos in National Geographic when I was a kid. I figured they were no longer used. I could not have been more wrong. My hope for this trip is that when we get to our apartment in Pimentel, we can develop a working relationship with one of the lads to supply us with fresh fish about every other day.

We have been itching to return to Peru for some time now. We landed in Lima at almost midnight. We made it through immigration with a nice fat 90 days on our passports which is 27 days less than we need. I recovered our luggage and we headed for Customs. I gave the gentleman my paperwork and he told me to push the button that randomly decides whether you get secondary inspection or not. Three green lights had gone in front of me, so I pushed the button with some trepidation. GREEN! My wife was waiting behind me and some rude so-and-so cut in front of her and he got the red. Serves him right. Rose got the green and we met our ride.

We arrived at our apartment (www.InnPeru.com) about 2:30 am. We knew that the very nice Vivanda grocery store was about three or four blocks so we decided to run get some provisions (bottled water, leche for coffee, breakfast breads). On the way there, we were wondering what got into us, walking the streets of Lima, Peru at 3:00 am. Vivanda never closes........except that night. It was closed at ten minutes until three am with a big sign in the window stating they would be closed 3 - 5 am for fumigation. There was a very unhappy drunk pounding on the glass letting them know they closed early and that he desperately needed a lime. We just went home and crumpled into a heap on the bed.

The next day we went to lunch at a very nice place in San Isidro called Vivaldino's ( http://www.fodors.com/world/south-america/peru/lima/review-194790.html). We felt a little out of place in jeans and tee shirts as everyone else in the place was dressed in business attire or better. The food was exquisite. Get the limonada to drink. From there, we walked to the Wong's Supermarket which is best described as a Peruvian Super Walmart. We bought a nice bottle of rum for about 21 soles and headed for home in a taxi, from San Isidro to Miraflores, about cinco soles. (Dollar was exchanging for 2.8 soles, mas o menos.). After we got back, we finally got to go to Vivandas, walking this time in daylight. We got our goodies, breakfast breads, some ham and cheese for sandwiches, a humungous jug of water, some sodas and ice. Whoooo hoooo, party time! Oh, and I almost forgot. Rose's tummy was acting up, so we bought some Yerba Luisa (lemon grass) tea (brand name - Horniman's - gotta love that name!). It is much better if you can find the Yerba Luisa fresh, but they were out. The next morning they had a ton of it. Anyway, the tea fixed her right up.

Walking is our preferred method of transport here if we can get there in a reasonable amount of time. The food here is so good, so plentiful and cheap that it is difficult to NOT overeat. So, off we go walking to the LarcoMar which is located at the end of Av Jose Larco and el mar (the sea). Hence the name, LarcoMar. It is a very upscale shopping area where they have security guards on all the entrances, presumably to keep the riffraff out. It didn't work. We got in anyway. We started our eating frenzy with what I would call a sundae. It was lucuma (local Peruvian fruit) (say LOO-coo-mah) ice cream with strawberry ice cream on top and some sort of delicious berry sauce that I HAVE to find out the name. The place overlooks the cliffs that go down to the beach, hundreds of feet below. Parasailers were gliding by so closely that you could see their teeth if they were smiling. Most were screaming. Rose and I scratched THAT off our list. Later, we went to another larcomar favorite called Mangos. On Saturdays and Sundays, they have a huge buffet from 12:30 - 4:00 pm. We waddled out of that place. You know how the waiter always asks, "Would you like to have some dessert?" You don't because the dessert is overpriced and you are cheap, like me. You tell the waiter you are too stuffed. Well, lemme tell ya, when the desserts are included in the price, as much as you can eat, and delicious on top of that, you WILL find room for it. More walking, but it would take a hike up the entire Inca Trail to work off what we ate.

Later that evening, there were huge parades with school kids in native costumes, dancing and marching through the street, with a few protesters thrown in here and there. There were kids dancing Andean-style dances in the costumes they wear in the mountain country. There were other kids dressed in different attire dancing Marinera-style, like what they do up the coast of Peru, according to my wife. We are heading up that way to spend the majority of our two months, so I hope to see much more of that.

So, you have caught up with us up to today. This morning, after a lazy sleep-in and taking our time to get ready, we finally went out and walked up to Kennedy Park. Rose had plans to go to mass but somehow managed to miss it. We stopped in a little hole in the wall chifa (chinese restaurant) and had lunch. It was penance for what we ate the day before. I have a strange feeling we may be paying more penance later. Walking home, we stocked up on more stuff for brekkie, a new jug of water and other goodies. Back in the apartment by 6:30 pm and here I am typing this at 7:40. We have friends showing up tomorrow night and seeing them should be a blast. The first thing he wants to do is compare a US Hooters to a Peruvian Hooters. I don't know what he is talking about. I have been checking hooters since I got here.

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Photos

Caballitos del Mar
These are the little horses, caballitos, I was talking about. They have to bring them on shore to let them dry between uses.

Woman and Daughter
This was taken in the Valle Sagrado, sacred valley of the Incas. A little tip gets you a really big smile.

I Could Live Here Forever
Our tour was stopped at a little chicha (Peruvian corn brewed beer) place. I skipped the chicha and snuck around back to snap this shot. It is now my screensaver.

Machu Picchu Framed with a Thatched Roof
I just dig this pic.

Macho y Hembra Rainbow
This was the first time in my life that I had seen BOTH ends of the rainbow touching the Earth. It was so amazing, the tour bus driver stopped and let us off to take pictures. This is known as a macho y hembra (male and female) rainbow. The brighter of two rainbows is the macho, and the other one (on top with the colors reversed) is the female, or hembra. It was taken just outside Ollantaytambo after a nice rain.