Carmens' Birthday

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Today was the 'cumpleanos de carmen', and my only full day of teaching this week. When I got back from the school at around 2 pm ish, some of Lolas´friends, and the local priest came around to the house. The rest of the day was spent eating and drinking in honour of Carmen´s birthday. Lola had made some fruity Chicha... really really thick stuff, but very nice. I went to bed feeling the most full that I've felt for a very long time.

Food is very important in this country. Lunch consists of a large amount of soup followed by a main... you then get another main in the evening. All the teachers at the school have a big meal at about 11.30, I´m not sure if this is their lunch, or just a mid-morning snack.

Rice is the staple here, but they´re very big on potatoes too (I think Peru has over 1000 varieties), lots of carbs. You´re guaranteed to get rice at least once a day, usually twice. The food here is very different to anywhere else I´ve been. Lot´s of fried´risotto´type dishes, and a lot of meat. Most meals seem to have a healthy quantity of spice and herbs. Meat pies and fried fish are another speciality. Lola is a very good cook, and does plenty of traditional stuff. The only criticsm I could make is breakfast... I´d trade my three jam rolls for a bowl of honey-nut-clusters any day!

There are a lot of very hardworking people here, leading very tough lives, but everyone seems to eat well.

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Photos

Lunch
Hossay, Lola´s friends, the priest, Carmen, Lola and Hossay´s son.