Peru: Lima & Cuzco

Made a friend, Lisa, at the Denver airport and shared drinks and conversation with her. She is going on a cruise solo and just lost her sister. I could feel her pain and the conversation we had with her was so genuine and real. I love it when that happens. She was full of energy and carried a coloring book. I offered to draw a stick figure of myself in the blank page in the back and then she said it was a great idea and she would do that for all the people she meets during her vacation. She owns two bars in Denver and told Anish and I to visit sometime for a free drink. Such a sweet lady. 

May 14-15: Flights/Lima  

Beach day in Ft. Lauderdale for our 12hr layover!

We arrived in Lima around 10:30pm and then took a taxi to the hotel which took about an hour. The taxi was a Mercedes hired by the JW Marriott and it was super nice inside. The entire time we were in the hotel the staff helped carry our luggage and opened doors for us. It was glamorous living and I was loving it. Definitely not used to that style of living. We quickly got ready to head out, I put on my sexy salsa outfit, and then took a taxi to the club. We were patted down as we walked in and then we went to the bar which served us very quickly. The place was fabulous. They had a live band with trumpets and everything. There were some very talented dancers and everyone had huge smiles on their faces - it was an amazing sight. I then walked down to the floor and asked someone to dance. We had a great time! His style was slightly different but I was able to catch on very quick since he was a great lead. I could feel all eyes on me and I figured I may as well get used to it since I was the only gringo in the club. Plus I was wearing white pants so I definitely stood out. I think the guys were scared to ask me to dance for a bit because I had to continue to ask them instead of the other way around. Anish hypothesized that they thought I was famous and that he was my body guard. It was actually plausible because once I started paying attention, it seemed that many of them were hesitant to talk to me like I needed to give them royal permission. Anish mentioned at one point that he looked up from his phone while I was dancing and when the guy saw him look up, he dropped his hand from my back like he was "going too far." So funny! My night as a movie star. I'll take it :) Eventually, the guys realized I was approachable and would come up to me and ask, even when I wasn't near the floor. The band left around 2am and the DJ played bachata songs which I LOVED. I immediately ran to the dance floor and my partner was extremely good. He was showing me off for sure. He even danced the next song with me too which only happens when both people have a great time. After that song, a guy at a table nearby waved me down and asked me to dance. Actually, he more like pointed to the dance floor as if telling me to bring it on. Ok, challenge accepted sir. We hit the dance floor and he was like a professional. I was blown away. I could feel everyone watching us. He dipped me several times and at the end he said "baila bien" which means "you dance well." A huge compliment - I probably blushed when he said it. I had the biggest grin on my face as I walked back to Anish.

I was very impressed with this place - I didn't want to leave. By the end, the Peruvians were basically seeking me out to dance. I love how salsa can bring people together from all over the world. There is a shared passion for music and dance and nothing else beyond that matters. It's the coolest feeling to be dancing with your partner and "speaking" the same language. That's when I truly realize that even though we may have different backgrounds and beliefs, everyone has the ultimate desire to be happy and do what they love. Unfortunately, 3am rolled around and we had to leave; so my "bodyguard" and I headed to the exit. As we were walking up the stairs I was thinking, "that was one of the best salsa nights ever." It was such a blast and we will for sure head back in a week when we return to Lima. We hopped into the cab and returned to our room. My hair was like a wet mop at this point from all the dancing so I took a shower and jumped in bed at 4am. Such a successful first night in Lima! I am so thankful that Anish is up for anything because I don't think many people would have done that. Especially after a long flight. Cuzco tomorrow!

May 15: Cuzco
We just arrived safe and sound in Cuzco and we have the most breathtaking view. Love this little town already!

I am currently sitting in the hostel common area sipping on coffee and eating eggs provided by the host on May 16. Light music is playing as well and the view of Cuzco is through the window. It really can't get much better then this.  So yesterday Anish and I arrived in Cuzco around 4:30 and a driver from our hostel came to pick us up. As we were riding to our destination, I held a conversation with the driver in Spanish. He was very nice and has lived in Cuzco his whole life. As we passed by all the people walking the small streets of the city, I couldn't help but feel calm and tranquil. We drove around Plaza de Armas which is the city center and it's beautifully laid out - a huge fountain in the center with grass sections and benches throughout. The people were walking around casually and enjoying the sights. lt felt very safe and definitely had character. Once we checked in, I couldn't believe the vista outside the glass doors. It was a small balcony with bar stools stationed against a small bar. The view was breathtaking and the light from the sun at that moment was just awe-inspiring. I was speechless. We could see the mountains encompassing the city as the little tan-roofed buildings were sprinkled throughout. We also had a great view of Plaza de Armas and the street lights were just turning on. Amazing. This place has charm that is unmatchable. The host supplied us with coca tea and bread as we soaked in the sights.

We dropped our stuff off and then walked the cobblestone streets to Plaza de Armas. It was a lively scene in the city center. We first ventured around to find Cafe Morena which Jessie recommended. While waiting to order, I couldn't help but overhear that the couple next to us was from Colorado Springs! Who would've guessed?  We chatted with them for a bit and then indulged in our meal. I ordered the Inca Burger which was fabulous and Anish ordered ceviche which was also amazing. We walked around a bit after dinner, just exploring. The city is easy to navigate. We then went into Paddy's Irish Pub and stood on the small window balcony while drinking beer. Afterwards, we walked to Mama Africa because our host suggested it for salsa dancing. They told us it was closed for the week, which was sad. But, my salsa ear heard music nearby and so we followed it. We ended up in Inca Bar and they were doing lessons. I encouraged Anish to go for it. After about an hour the place was hoppin' with people. Salseros everywhere. It was quite the sight. Lots of smiling faces that's for sure. The instructor constantly asked me to dance each time bachata came on. I wasn't complaining! He kept saying "Mirame" so that I would look him in the eyes. It was a little strange at first but I got used to it. There was another professional-like guy who did all sorts of cool moves. At one point he bent down and almost sat on the ground so I tried copying him. It was obviously wrong which made it very comical. He then said "camina" and then I understood. He was to sit on the ground while I walked around him. A very unique move. We left around 11:30pm to explore other bars. Eventually, we left and walked up the monstrous stairs in the alley to get back to the hostel. I decided to sprint up them (not the best idea).  We hit the hay around 1am. I love how it's only a 10 minute walk to the main square and also to salsa dancing! I could definitely get used to this.

May 16: Cuzco
We slept in until 9am which felt fantastic. I walked out into the common area where breakfast was being served and I was able to order everything in Spanish! Huevos, cafe con leche, y pan. It was delicious and Miguel, our host, put on some relaxing music through the speakers. It was a great way to start the day. We then walked to ___ Square for a free walking tour of the city. The tour began at 10:30 and our guide was so adorable. He was like a little man child with the biggest grin. We stopped at many of the historical areas and took pictures with llamas/alpacas! My life goal of getting a selfie with a llama was complete.

The tour ended with a ceviche cooking demonstration. We then booked it back to the Square to start the next tour. Our new guide was more adventurous and not as adorable. We walked A LOT. And mostly in places where there were stairs to climb. Definitely more exhausting for sure. We ended at a really neat bar/hostel that had a balcony with a great view of the city. Next up was getting a massage. This was a fabulous experience for a super cheap price! The woman found all my kinks and she used hot stones as well over the course of an hour and 15 minutes. All only for $15! I think we will be doing this every day we are in Cuzco...After that, we ate dinner at Seledonia's which was highly acclaimed online. It was a very small place with only a few tables. The kitchen was right next to us and a little girl served as our waitress. It was a cute family owned business. I enjoyed it because I was able to order everything or ask her questions when we had inquiries. The food was very delicious. I had the Gallina dish and Anish ordered the alpaca meal. We met a couple at the table behind us and chatted for a while. They were from California. We then walked home, relaxed in the common area for a bit, met a girl from Taiwan, and went to bed. Early rise tomorrow for the train to Machu Picchu!

May 17: Machu Picchu/Aguas Calientes
Machu Picchu day! We woke up early so we could catch the train at the nearby station at 7:30am. We boarded right on time and prepared for the 3.5 hour ride to Aguas Calientes. This train was so neat because it pretty much gave you a panorama view while riding. The windows were almost as big as the walls. During our journey, we saw many beautiful vistas. From pueblos to rivers beside the train to jungles. It was very enjoyable. Many people were on the train and it was laid out so that two people sat facing two others across a table. Once we arrived, we had some trouble finding our hostel. I kept asking the locals but they had never heard of the place. I even supplied them the address and they were clueless. It exists right!? Eventually we found it and dropped our stuff off.It was around 11:30 by this point and we

decided, since the weather was nice, to explore Machu Pancho today instead of tomorrow. We had some issues getting on the bus because we didn't realize we needed a bus ticket AND a Machu Picchu ticket. There are two ways to reach Machu Picchu - hiking up or by bus. We chose the latter since it would take close to two hours by hiking and it was very steep. When we got in line for the bus it was extremely long. However, the guide called out for two people and we were the only two. Everyone else was in a large tour group. Aww yeahh, jumping to the front on the line! The ride up was beautiful. It reminded me a lot of Zion National Park. We traversed many twists and turns, and after 20 minutes, we were there! We walked in with a bunch of other people but once we reached he major opening, people dispersed in different directions. Immediately after walking in the iconic sight was upon us. We didn't even have to work for it. It was such a lush green that it reminded me of Ireland. The ruins seemed to go on for ages. However, after walking through it

all, it's actually pretty condensed. I think we chose the best time to go because it didn't even seem that crowded. We had heard from other people that most catch the first bus out so that they get to the top at 6:30am. I think that was in effort to get there before the mass of people. But in our case, it worked out just fine going later. It was surreal walking amongst the ruins, which seemed like a maze. The rocks used for the walls and building were so beautiful. And the stretches of grass in and around them made it even more mystical. We spotted a few llamas grazing on the grounds which completed the Incan image. We were able to walk through the entire lower area in about 1.5 hours. And that included my numerous photo-taking extravaganzas :) We then started hiking to the upper portion. We had no idea where it would lead us, but when we saw a sign for Sun Gate it sounded very intriguing so we continued. This was a pretty steep hike. It was right on the side of the mountain so at times it was a little scary due to the drop below. The trail was made of different sized stones, like the rest of the ruins, and was slightly damp from the trickles of water nearby. It was very reminiscent of the Cascades in Blacksburg, VA. I miss those sort of trails. Very lush, green, and jungly. Almost the entire time we could see the main ruins in the distance. It was quite the sight. I'd say this was my favorite part of the MP visit. After about 1.5 miles, we reached Sun Gate. The view was

outstanding. Definitely worth the trek. The sun was hitting it at just the right angle too. It was like it was being highlighted from heaven above. A collection of people had also made it and we all felt so accomplished. Afterwards, we walked back down and soaked in the views of the ruins up close one more time. The sun was making it look so heavenly. There was a glow that I can't really describe. Hopefully my photos can do it some justice. There were also llamas grazing which made it even more picturesque. We walked back to the bus stop and I suggested we hike down instead of taking the bus. It would take close to an hour and I overheard a guy say how magnificent it was. Plus it would be cool to say we hiked all the way from Sun Gate to the bottom. Anish was somewhat hesitant at first, but once we got some water and snacks in our bellies he said we should go for it. Thank goodness we did! It was amazing. There were flowers growing in some of the trees along the path and many times the nearby mountains came into view. It was beyond belief. We eventually made it to the bottom at Aguas Calientes. Success! Anish went back to the hostel to take a shower while I sat on the

balcony of a coffee shop that bordered the main square. It was a beautiful night and the Peruvian coffee never disappoints. I was writing some postcards when one of the workers, Luis, came up to me and started to chat. He didn't know English so we spoke entirely in Spanish. I really enjoyed it :) He was adorable, I would guess he was in high school. 7pm rolled around and Luis offered to show Anish and I a good place to eat. I felt like we were movie stars because Luis seemed to know everyone. He kept high-fiving people and giving shouts every now and then. Our own private tour guide. We parted ways at dinner which was sad because I enjoyed talking with him. He was very sweet. After dinner, Anish and I called it a night. We were exhausted from the long day. It didnt take long to fall asleep. Such a great day!

May 18: Aguas Calientes/Cuzco

Ugh last night was rough. The hostel we were at was situated next to some construction and the whole night people seemed to be partying downstairs. At least until 4am. I’ve come to the conclusion that the hostel was being run by children. I never did see an adult in the building. I’m thinking that normally there are older people in charge but they were on vacation or something so they put their kids in charge. Anyway, long story short I got maybe 2 hours of sleep. Aye yi yi. Today was our relaxation day though so it worked out well. We walked around the craft

markets in the morning where I proceeded to buy more items than I originally intended...I bought a llama backpack, an alpaca blanket, and a colorful headband. If you take a look in my suitcase it looks like Peru just threw itself in it. After the market, we wandered around to find food. Unfortunately, Anish had a mild case of food poisoning so he was staying away from most foods throughout the day. We walked up to a place where I inquired about chichurraon de camote (which is a yam sandwich suggested by Brittney). They kept replying "si si tenemos" so I went for it. Ten minutes later I was served sweet potato chips....not even close haha. Oh well. We then walked to the hot springs and soaked for about an hour. The view from the hot springs was insane. There in front of us was one of the major mountains - talk about great scenery.

When 4pm rolled around we walked to the train station for our 4:30 departure. We are currently sitting on the train back to Cuzco and we have a very nice couple from Brazil sitting across from us. I’m very excited to return to Cuzco where there’s a great vibe, amazing salsa, and incredible massages ;)

When we arrived at 8:30pm our taxi driver (still don’t know his name even though I know so many other things about him...) was there waiting for us. When we walked into Parawana Hostel, we were amazed by the setup. There’s an open area in the center with bean bag chairs, ping pong, and little wooden tables. Everyone in the area was either chatting or checking their

phones. We checked in and the lady showed us to our room. She actually got lost while walking around - this place is huge! We opened the door to our room and our jaws dropped. It a was so spacious that it even had a sofa in it. I just wanted to open my suitcase and throw all my stuff everywhere! It was definitely luxurious living for a hostel. Anish still wasn’t feeling too well so he went to bed early while I went out salsa dancing. At first I didn’t think I’d have the energy for it, but I mean come on...when am I going to be able to walk outside my door and be at a salsa venue in ten minutes again? I had to take advantage of this. The walk from Parawana was much easier than our last Cuzco hostel. I’d say it was a smidgen longer but no stairs! That was a big plus. I walk in and immediately some of the guys say hello, since they recognized me from last time. That was a nice feeling. The few guys I danced with were above and beyond my skill level. It was so fun! There were a few times when everyone in the bar was watching us dance. It was like we were performing! After a couple hours, I returned to the hostel and took a shower. The shower was very disappointing haha. The flow was like a dripping faucet and I couldn’t figure out how to get hot water! I think it ran out since it was so late in the night. But I needed a shower desperately so I toughened up and froze while getting clean. Then I fell asleep. A fun end to the night! I could definitely get used to going salsa dancing every night. Especially since ALL the dancers are so so good.

May 19: Cuzco
Ah this morning was so nice. We chilled in the room until 10:30am. Anish seemed pretty tired still so I didn’t want to rush us out. He needs to recover. We then walked to San Pedro Market and took in the sights. It was bustling with people and there were so many great smells. It was like it’s own little town. Lots of fresh meat and seafood were being displayed along with many smoothie vendors. After the market we explored other parts of Cuzco that we hadn’t seen before. It was nice because we didn’t have an agenda per say, it was more like “let’s go where the wind takes us.” Eventually we were getting hungry so we searched for La Chomba which was recommended to us. It was tucked away and it had a neat vibe as we walked in. Most of it was lit by pure sunlight. They had long wooden tables and a small bar. It was definitely a locals

joint. It seemed that they specialized in a certain fruit drink because every table had one. It came in a large glass and was red in color. Anish decided to order it and he loved it. It’s called fruitillana and consists of corn grounds, strawberries, ____. Later, we found out that this eatery was one of the only places that serves it. Most times it doesn’t have strawberry added to it and it’s called chicha. As we were eating, (by the way, my meal was ginormous! I ordered estambeche con gallita and it had soo many great veggies with some hen hidden underneath) a trio of musicians walked in and started playing stringed instruments. It was quite the treat. 

After lunch it was time for a massage. I got a different style this time called Shiatsu whereas last time I got the Inca style. And OH MY GOSH did this one feel nice. It was definitely a deep tissue massage with lots of pressure applied which is what I like best. I’ve always asked people in the past to be strong with their touch, but no one ever does it hard enough. Well, this day marked a change in my life. There were times where I thought the lady would break the table due to so much pressure. I loved loved loved it! Afterwards, I discovered that it was actually a small girl who gave me the massage. Who knew such dainty little hands could contain so much power! I will definitely be returning. Anish and I then walked toward San Blas which is an artsy area of Cuzco that has a collection of bars. We ended up in this cute place called Yunsa that served pizza, empanadas, and of course, beer. We were seated at a table in front of a window that overlooked the city. I also saw some fireworks shoot off a couple times. An absolutely stupendous view. Anish went back to the hostel and I went to the same salsa place again. I’m addicted. Again, it was a ton of fun.

May 20: Cuzco

Slept in again. At 1pm a taxi picked us up for our horseback riding adventure. We booked it yesterday and it was only $25/person for two hours! A fantastic deal. The driver dropped us off at the ranch near Sacsayhuaman where a little guide led us to the horses. He spoke little English and since my Spanish equestrian vocabulary is nonexistent, it was a grand adventure. In the beginning,  he gave us instructions that we didn’t understand. We get up on the horses and he starts walking us out. Are you on not joining us?? He said he was but he was just gonna

walk beside us. He made sounds with his mouth to direct the horses. It was quite the skill. We slowly made our way up the rocky trail to an outstanding view of Cuzco. Our horses were slightly competitive so at one point they were trotting next to each other. Yeehaw! We then crossed a street very quickly as cars were zooming by. This put us in the midst of a beautiful pastureland with mountains in the distance. The sky was a deep blue with puffy white clouds that were so low you could almost touch them. We stopped at Sun Temple and Moon Temple where our guide asked us to hop off and explore for 20 min. It was a bit of a hike to the top, but it had amazing views. We returned to the horses and rode on the dirt paths. It was very picturesque. Anish’s horse acted up sometimes and mine liked to wander a bit. It added some humor to the ride. When we got to the road crossing, our guide scoped out the traffic and ran back very quickly and started making loud noises. The horses turned quickly and trotted through the opening in the bushes. We couldn’t see the traffic from behind the bush line so we felt like we were taking a leap of faith as the horses plunged through. When the road came into view we saw a car coming and the horses picked up the pace. Ahhhh! We just barely made it. That definitely got my heart pumping. The ride ended after 2 hours and then we walked up to Christo Blanco – a small replica of the one in Rio. We walked back down to the Plaza and then straight into, you guessed it, massage central! We are regulars now. I got the same girl

as yesterday and again she did an amazing job. God bless her. After dropping by the hostel for an hour, we headed to Chicha which is a highly acclaimed restaurant. We ordered Cuy and Duck and man did they bring it out fast! I wanted to order a beer but I was feeling kinda sick with a sore throat. My voice dropped about two octaves which is never a good sign. Our dishes were freaking fantastic. Anish was especially impressed which is a big deal since he’s a foodie. Then I ordered a chocolate soufflé which was pretty much a lava cake of greatness. We left feeling satisfied and I felt like I was going to explode with a food baby. We went to bed early since we plan to get up for church service at 6am in the cathedral. We’ve been traveling for a full week now!

May 21: Lima (or is it?)

We started the morning early so we could go to 6am church service in the cathedral. The doors opened at 6am and the service began at 6:30. It was beautiful inside and the ceiling was very high. Whenever the preacher spoke, his voice echoed throughout the building. There were many gold sculptures of Jesus, one of which was actually depicted as African American. There was also a large painting of the Last Supper that had a chinchilla as the centerpiece instead of a lamb. An interesting twist. Unfortunately, taking pictures wasn’t allowed. The service lasted only 30 minutes and it was neat because I understood most of what the preacher was saying. He would say La Palabra de Señor for “The Word of God.” After the service we packed our things and checked out of the hostel. I’m not ready to say goodbye to Cuzco! It’s such a wonderful place. Our taxi driver friend was supposed to take us to the airport at 9am, but he was running 20minutes late so we took a different cab. I was sad because 1. I wanted to speak Spanish with him again and 2. I wanted to ask his name! I guess we’ll never know…

We are currently sitting at the airport about to fly back to Lima through StarPeru airlines. It took us a grand total of 20minutes to check-in and go through security. Security is super quick and only takes up a small area of the floor. I don’t know if I should be happy that it was speedy or worried that they aren’t checking bags closely enough.

So it is 8pm and I’m writing this from my bed….in Cuzco. That’s right. We never made it to Lima. After being told at noon that the flight was delayed an hour, we were then told at 1pm that the flight would leave at 2:30 and we would be supplied with free lunch. Ok I guess a few hours is acceptable when there’s free food involved. We heard whispers while sitting and eating that the plane’s status was still to be determined and we would get an update at 2:45. Apparently, the airplane had a flat tire and they needed to change it. Anish decided that we should just forget about it and book another flight. We walked out past security and back downstairs to get our bags back and check out other airlines. After waiting in many lines and discussing our issue with many people, here is the overall low-down: LAN had two seats available for a 7pm flight….mmm no thanks we don’t want to wait another 5 hours; another airline  (I forget the name) said they could get us on a 4pm flight but we had to pay cash…I guess that’ll be ok. But oh no wait. It was $250 in US dollars. Holy guacamole no way. So we went up to StarPeru to see what update they had on our original flight. The lady told us that it would leave at 5pm for sure. Say what! Ok that sounds good. So we re-check our bags and walk through security again. Thankfully this takes a grand total of 5 minutes. We go back down to the gate and wait for about 30min. We then hear that there is a 80% chance that the flight will be cancelled. What the hell is going on?! Obviously there is some miscommunication going on. So we, and everyone else, head back downstairs and try to buy tickets through other airlines. Well now there is no space on any flights sheesh. An angry mob surrounds the StarPeru desk and eventually they lady tells us that a plane is flying from Lima to Cuzco to take us to Lima and it will arrive at 5pm. Ok so she’s sticking with that story. We all head back to the gate where they redirect us to another gate. Looks promising. We make friends with a guy from Germany, Mirko, and have drinks. We then hear that we will be flying out on the same plane that was having issues earlier (evidently there were more than just tire issues). Aye yi yi this is getting ridiculous. We all have become friends through our misery by this point. Eventually, we start boarding the plane. Yippee! Time to get out of here. Anish says that the plane will not take off, that it’s just part of their plan to make it seem like they didn’t actually cancel the flight and won’t owe anyone anything. Hmmm we shall see. We all take our seats and since so many others jumped ship, we have many open seats to sprawl out on. The plane starts rolling out of the gate and onto the runway. I say a quick prayer because I was a little worried about the safety of the aircraft. We are gaining speed and then all of a sudden the propellers start slowing down and the plane makes a noise. Oh geez. We turn around and pull back into the gate. WTF. Really? Anish was right. Then I became sad because I finally had to accept that we weren’t gonna make it to Lima and therefore, won’t make it to Bacharach Club  So very disappointing. We go to baggage claim to pick up our stuff and jump into a taxi. We check in to JW Marriott and call StarPeru to figure out our new flight situation. We have to wake up at 3am because our new flight is at 6am. Soo early but who cares - let’s get outta here!!

May 22: Lima 

We woke up around 3am, packed our stuff and headed out the door. On our way out we were given a bagged breakfast/lunch. Awesome, it’s like we’re being sent off to school. We check in at the airport and what do you know, pretty much all the people from yesterday’s bogus flight are also here. It’s a strange sense of camaraderie. To further that statement, I just asked the lady behind me how to spell camaraderie…

After about a 20 min delay we were beginning to wonder if we would experience the same monstrosity as yesterday. Thankfully, we boarded shortly after the delay. We all took our seats and Anish and I were lucky enough to have 1st row seats with lots of leg room. As the plane raced down the runway, I could feel everyone holding their breath in hopes that we would continue into the air this time. The wheels left the ground and we were off!! There was an eruption of claps and cheers in that moment. Success! The rest of the flight was uneventful and we landed in Lima at 8am. Our new friend Mirko jumped in a taxi with us and we dropped him off along the way. Anish and I arrived at the Courtyard  Marriott around 9am and they let us check in early! Probably because we were supposed to be in that room last night so it was vacant. We relaxed in the room a bit and then walked to the bike tour meeting point. It began in Miraflores at 10am and we had 4 others in the group. 

A decent size and the guide was cute and friendly. She was very small and super knowledgeable. She pretty much had an answer for every single question. Our first stop was

Kennedy Park which has a nickname: Cat Park. I could see why. There were cats everywhere! Lying down, strolling around, licking themselves, sunbathing, you name it. There were at least 30 of them in sight. Our guide stopped us here and gave us some history on the park. In regards to the cats, there used to be a rat problem so the people decided to introduce a group of cats to kill them off. Well…now they have a “cat problem” (if there really is such a thing as a cat problem :) ). They multiplied and they stay within the confines of the park. On all sides of this park is heavy traffic so it’s very interesting that the cats don’t mind. They all look so peaceful and they love attention. Our guide joked that if you wanted to get rid of your cat, all you’d have to do is drop it off in this park in the middle of the night and no one would ever know. After this we went to the bikeway/walkway along the cliff where you could see the ocean and all the surfers. The Park of Love was next which is a park that was created by a man who was tired of seeing couples in all the parks throughout Miraflores. In this park, all couples come to makeout and cuddle. There is also a bridge nearby that used to have a high suicide

rate. Then they built a wall along the rail so no one could jump. The theory is that the suicides were connected to the Park of Love in that those who’s hearts were broken walked to the bridge for their death. Good gracious! Next we biked into Barranco which is an effluent district that has a slight Bohemian style. Lots of character in this area that’s for sure. Buildings had distinct architecture and many were vibrant in color. We stopped in a Bodega for a bite to eat and then ended the tour at the Bridge of Sighs. We made good friends with the couple in our group from Amsterdam – they were very fun and the guy was especially smiley. Our tour ended after 4 hours, which seemed to pass very quickly, I would

definitely recommend this activity. It’s a great way to see the area and learn a lot of history. By this point, I was not feeling so well. It started slightly before our snack break and now it was hitting hard. I crashed in bed and waited for it to pass. It was getting pretty painful and I was beginning to think it was food poisoning. A couple hours later I had my first throw up spell. Aye yi yi. About an hour after that, it happened again. And I wasn’t feeling much better. Third time hit and I called the front desk to send up a paramedic so they could check my temperature. I was feeling extra hot. He came up and spoke little English. I had no fever – ok, that’s good news. I kept visiting the toilet and eventually fell asleep. Man, these past two days have been rough!

May 23: Lima

I woke up around 10am and this was the day I had planned to meet with folks in the Lima CH2M office. I was really looking forward to it and even though I felt a little uneasy, I mustered up the strength to go. Plus, I had no access to my work email so I couldn’t let them know I wouldn’t make it. That would be pretty rude. I took a shower, gave myself a pep talk, and went downstairs to wave down a taxi. One came up very quickly and I gave him the address for the office. He seemed to know where it was but it was taking us longer to get there than I anticipated. I then asked if he knew where he was going “sí sí claro” Well, about two minutes after that he pulled over to ask some random pedestrian if he knew where the street was. Oh goodness. He pointed in a direction but I guess the driver didn’t believe him because he pulled over again 5 minutes later to ask someone else. The new person showed the driver on his phone where to go. This is when I realized that none of the taxi drivers had GPS in their vehicles. That’s pretty impressive. Except for this case where it was embarrassing haha. Eventually we pull up to a building and he says it’s the right place. It doesn’t look like much but I trust him, pay, and get out. I walk through the doors and ask “Está CH2M aquí?” the receptionist looked a little confused and then I realized I had to say CH2M in Spanish too. It was strange saying it that way but then she immediately understood. She asked who I was seeing and I gave her the names. She called Oscar and he came down within 5 minutes. He walked up to us and looked confused as to why I was there. I introduced myself and told him I emailed him a week ago about getting lunch. Then a light bulb went off in his head and he became very friendly and animated. He only spoke Spanish and escorted me to the elevator. When we walked into the CH2M office, I was fascinated, as I always am when visiting other offices. As soon as I walk in Oscar gets everyone’s attention and introduces me. They all say Hola and become very smiley. Very sweet people. All attention was on me and in that moment I wished I knew how to say more things in Spanish. He specifically pointed out Malina who was the other person I had contacted a week ago. So then we went downstairs and ordered food at a local restaurant to bring back to the office. As we were waiting I discovered that Malina spoke English as well. She asked if I’d like to speak in English or in Spanish. I said I preferred Spanish so I could practice, and also so Oscar could understand what we were saying. I then found out…..wait for it….that her boyfriend graduated from Virginia Tech too!! We freaked out about this for a good 2 minutes. What a small world. We joined everyone else from the office on the 10th floor of the building which had a nice patio area with sunlight. There were about 8 girls and Oscar haha. Definitely a strong female presence in this office which is great to see. They also started asking me questions in Spanish and I actually made them laugh a couple times. It was fun  My stomach still wasn’t feeling so hot so I only had a few bites of my Lomo Saltado. I really wish I felt better because it was sooooo good. After about an hour the girls said they were going for a walk and asked if I wanted to join. I said of course and we went on our merry way. They said they like to walk through the mall and go shopping during their post lunch walk, which I thought I mis-translated because that couldn’t really be true. Well, turned out it was. Though we didn’t really shop, we just walked through the mall and there was a grocery store in it as well. They picked up some bread which they said they do every day and they switch up who pays. They seemed like really good friends and they were all smiley and chatty. It was enjoyable. I told them about how we get snow in Colorado and they freaked out because they hadn’t seen snow before. Similar to an experience I had in Brazil when I told someone that. After our walk I told them I had to go, I was exhausted by this point. Before I left Oscar introduced me to the manager of the office. He spoke English and we had a great conversation. He also told me the reason why there are so many female traffic control officers. It’s because they don’t accept bribes, whereas men do. How interesting! I told him I speculated it was because they are nicer to look at. He laughed. He said they are very proud to be an officer and take it seriously . It seems in Lima that women have great opportunity to succeed. 

I left around 2pm and went back to the hotel. I crashed in my bed and read a message from Anish saying he and Mirko were out wandering the city if I’d like join. I responded saying I was too wiped to go anywhere. The rest of the day I sat in bed and slept off and on. Overall not a bad day because I got to meet so many great people! I’m glad I was able to do that at least. Time to rest for tomorrow’s big tasting! Fingers crossed my stomach agrees.

May 24: Lima 
Today we relaxed in the room until noon and mentally prepared for a fantastic tasting at El Central, the 4th ranked restaurant in the world. Anish is a total foodie and did some research a few months ago on places to eat. He discovered that Lima has two restaurants on the Top 50 list. For El Central you need to make a reservation 3 months in advance. Thankfully, we were able to get a reservation. So today was the day! And my stomach was feeling much better. We walked around Larcomar before the tasting which was nice because I didn’t really get to experience it yet due to my illness. We then walked to El Central which was very deceiving on the outside. It looked like a regular building and I was expecting something a little more flashy. It was like we found a secret hideout. We were seated right next to the kitchen which was neat because we could see the numerous chefs preparing each tray. There were 17 dishes on the tasting list. The theme was Elevations and each dish was prepared with food that was found at the corresponding elevation. For instance, crabs on a rock was at elevation 10meters. Each dish was small in size (thank goodness because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to eat them all!) and was paired with a juice or alcohol. The presentation of each was very creative. This was my first tasting experience and it was blowing my mind. We were told that the entire tasting would last 3 hours. They described each dish such as where each item came from and what it was called before we indulged. They also informed us of the portions on the plate that were not eatable and were used only for aesthetics. Thank goodness because by a certain point I didn’t know which was which! I really liked the octopus one and the chocolate ice cream one shown below. It was a dazzling experience. I was stuffed afterwards and surprised my stomach was handling it all.

 

We took a brief walk around Larcomar and gazed at the shoreline one last time. We even saw parasailers doing their thing. They were very close to us and the buildings. They were SO LOW sometimes that I felt I could jump up and touch them. That would never happen in the States. We returned to the hotel which is where I’m writing this now. We have about 30min until our taxi arrives and takes us to the airport. It was a great way to end the trip and luckily we didn’t plan it for any other day. Otherwise we may not have made it (with me being sick and our flight cancellation). It’s been a fabulous trip, but we both agree that we are getting a little homesick. Especially after all the hell we’ve been through recently. And I miss Sebastian! States here we come.