After 19 hours travel we finally arrived at our hotel about 7 am on 23 April. Given the 6 hour time difference (Lima behind the UK) we decided to carry on regardless and set off on an open top bus tour. When we left the hotel it was cool and misty (but not raining, we were later told that it literally never rains in Lima) so we dressed in fleeces. By 9 am we were atop the bus in bright sunshine and getting redder by the minute!
One of the main sights was the Plaza Mayor, the main square where we were greeted by riot police with a water cannon on standby. Lima cathedral was the tour highlight and contains
the remains of Francisco Pizzaro, the Spaniard who founded the city
in 1535.
Lunch was cerviche (raw, very fresh fish briefly marinated in lime juice and chilli) eaten overlooking the Pacific. This dish is not generally eaten in the evening as the morning’s catch would not be considered sufficiently fresh!
On our second day we went on an excellent tour by the Lima Gourmet Company. This began in the affluent bohemian district of Barranco (shanty towns were not on the menu). The church has only been partially restored since the last major earthquake. Note the vultures on the towers......
After our organic hand graded coffee and a lucuma fruit milkshake, we went on a market tour to San Isidro, the Lima equivalent of Borough market. This included a number of fruits new to us including the melon-pear and many of the 5000 different varieties of potato available in Peru! Next was a cerviche restaurant where we made our own, followed by a lesson in making the classic Peruvian drink, the pisco sour. The gluttony continued with a tasting lunch at the Huaca Pucllana restaurant, overlooking a temple and vast pre-Inca tomb.
The next morning we walked along the coast before lunching at the bar overlooking the kitchens at Astrid y Gaston, allegedly voted 14th in the top restaurants in the world. The picture shows our chocolate bombe desert. We then managed to squeeze in a bit of culture, visiting the Museo de la Nacion.
We will have to walk a long way on our forthcoming trek to burn off all these additional calories!
Great to hear you are off on your travels again. Look out for Jane - she's doing the Inca Trail for the next five days.
ReplyDeleteI'm Helen's sister and reading your blog too! Feeling hungry looking at the fruit and veg! Love the black vultures too.
ReplyDeleteCaramba! Cucarachos! Lima sounds great. Is the open top bus for hurling molotofs at the riot police? The food sounds scrumptious. Have you tried the guano and chips? So awful it started the Shining Path uprising. Nic, do you remember Danilo Guzman (from Colombia) at Hull? He became a university lecturer in Philosophy. And the leader of the Shining Path in Peru was called Abimael Guzman-- a Philosophy lecturer in Peru. Funny that.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised about the boasts of the restaurant -- they do have wonderful fish and seafood from the Humboldt cold current. The apron in the restaurant looks very fetching--did they offer you a job there?
I've just heard of a highly nutritious food from Bolivia called Arcacha. Seen any of it? I've heard only Marks and Sparks sell it in the UK but everywhere I ask for it they give me strange looks. Funny that.
Hope you have a giood time. Best Wishes,
John
PS. Where did this "Sage of High Wycombe" come from? And how did they know I've started growing sage in my garden?
ReplyDeleteJohn
Nick
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the opportunity to Spend the Kids Inheritance - they will not need it! Sounds great - look forward to seeing you in September - please bring (edited) highlight photos! Carole sends love . Don H
I see your reputation went before you - such that they had to get out the riot police and water cannons!
ReplyDelete