Lima Lima Lima!

… gets another post cause andrea and sarah are with me now.  though we have been mostly been splitting up during the day.  i am doing prep stuff for sean`s visit, for going to the jungle afterward, and finally for my flight home.  today i packed my bike and put it in storage.  it was fun to work on my bike.  i rode it here a little but i have mostly been warned that it is dangerous.  i have a sneaking suspicion that Peruanos are waaaaay cautious.  from everything i have heard.  very over protective. 

i am trying to get last minute vaccinations for the jungle.  i am basically all set though. 

so the big reason for this post is that Val took me out to the most amazing meal.  peru is VERY proud of their cuisine.  i have been hearing about it for a long time, and not just from Val.  i am glad i let her sit me down with a good meal.  for lunch we went to the old local favorite El Mardisco in the Lince neighborhood. 
we shared:
ceviche de cojinova (white fish chunks “cooked” in lemon and onion with a side of sweet potato, chocolo – this bizarre, giant dense corn – and seaweed)

plate of jalea mixta (battered and fried white fish and calamari with yucca fries) 

we each had a chicha morada (purple maize juice with lemon and cloves)

and a pisco sour (the grape alcohol pisco, corn syrup, lemon and egg white froth)

there was a plate of “popped” giant corn too.  i guess the shell of the corn is so tough it doesn`t explode.  but is kinda fluffy inside.  dry.

so.  mmmm.  i am starving now.  this was a really rich meal, lemony.  i didn`t think i’d be able to eat it again for a couple days at least.  not to mention, this place made it perfectly.  i was surprised just HOW RAW the fish was… so i would not want to eat it just anywhere.  i learned that lesson when i tried to get a moqueca at the corner counter in salvador.  being brazilian or peruvian does not MAKE you a good chef.  so, i am hoping Val will take me there again when i stop in Lima before my flight to the states.

hum.  what else?  we went to a parade with some fun dancing and costumes.  there was this little fair nearby of people selling everything imaginable and a couple stages with kids doing dance routines.  weird.  we tried good food and drinks.  last night we braved the the Pizza Ave. where each restaurant sends hawkers running out with menus and promises of free drinks.  it is so unpleasant.  imagine a squad of cheerleaders running at you all talking and trying to coral you.  you need to exercise your zen.  block out everything.  we discussed our strategy before heading in.  this was good.  we walked the length then took the best beer and garlic bread offer.  the pizza was good. 

then we had a crazy ice cream and headed out to Barranco, the bohemian neighborhood.  the bars were empty so we played pool.  Val has dance party plans for us on wednesday night. 
another night i went out with Val and met this military contractor from Iraq.  i hadn`t heard about this underhanded military stuff yet.  he was a tremendous bore, but now i am tempted to go back and ask him more questions.  frightening.

gotta tell you about Valpo

it is true… i skipped a whole chapter.
about three weeks ago andrea and i left Santiago, Chile for the west coast… Valparaiso. 
it was once an important port city.  the port is still in use but the city has feels more like a retreat from Santiago.  It is older and has more character than the resort beach cities to the north.  i will leave you to the Wiki explaination of its history because it is very interesting and caught my attention when i first thought of moving to South America.  before Buenos Aires we had planned to live here.

anyway.  valparaiso is a special place. 

a short bus ride from Santiago.  we followed directions to our little hostel in Cerro Alegre (happy hill).  the buses are easy.  the “collectivos” are shared cabs.  the city undulates over dramatic hills.  Cerro Alegre is a popular one for tourism, with colorful murals, cafes, and boutiques.  we spent 4 or 5 quiet days there over Easter weekend.  the hostel was delightful.  a young couple had opened it 5 months earlier.  they had an interesting story.  the bar they owned and lived in in Santiago burned down and they didn`t have insurance.  needing money quick they took bar jobs on a cruise ship.  a heartless job as the ocean is without law and no one looks out for you.  after two years they tried to start an avocado farm but couldn`t afford to dig the holes to plant the trees.  they moved to Valpo and were going to open another bar.  they anxiously waited 3 weeks for the agreement on a place to go through and on the day they were finally going to sign they saw this house and bought it instead.  they are very happy with the change in their lives.  they have a 3 year old daughter (Sophie’s birthday is TODAY!) and a friendly rabbit ( named dulce de leche) that licks your toes while you hang your laundry to dry.  Matias and Constantina are both painters.  Constantina is writing a screen play for a movie based on a story a traveler told them.  the city provides funding to artists if you can show progress.  what a concept.  it is apparent that there is a lot of support for the arts in the city. 

SO.  andrea and i just walked the streets and enjoyed the dramatic vistas, colorful architecture of buildings perched on hillsides.  we visited Neruda’s second home.  we found ourselves in the port where there was a lot of commotion as hawkers competed to fill their boats with riders.  not knowing where the boats went we picked one and learned that it was a tour around the coast, in spanish.  saw a giant sea lion lounging on the nose of a boat.

everything was closed on Easter and then on monday as well.  tuesday we went out to visit Neruda’s third, most interesting home in Isla Negra, just to the south of Valparaiso.  there is nothing else in Isla Negra but the house is on the beach and the beach is one of the most beautiful i’ve seen in my life.  (aunt b. i got you some sand)  it would be a dangerous surf to swim in but i loved it for the crashing waves and swirling, seaweed tides.  very contemplative.  further south is the blue collar beach resort, Cartegena (abandoned this time of year.)

nada mas.  very laid back couple ‘o days.  andrea left me there and returned to BA.  i returned to Santiago on my own. 

my second stay in Santiago was drawn out cause i had to wait till monday for a bus north.  i think i stayed 5 or 6 nights.  one day i did nothing.  tried to save money by stocking up groceries instead of eating out, though the restaurant options in Chile are WONDERFUL!  i rode my bike, visited a winery (Concho y Torro), visited the precolombian artifacts museum, and the ZOO!  i had been hearing strange noises from the roof deck of my hostel and now i know why.  the zoo is set on the mountainside about the city and was great.  i felt like a kid there.  the animals all looked healthy and were active so it was not a depressing visit (except that fathers couldn`t restrain themselves from amusing their children by feeding the animals.  that was hard to stand by and watch.)  the zoo is also home to a lot of rescued animals.  i saw animals i had never heard of.  and all the animals were really close, so i realized just how big a lion or polar bear are.  they are HUGE!  so are ostriches.  i enjoyed the giant aviary the most.  a rainbow of colorful birds in a mountain forest setting. 

i have to mention that the hostel this time around was horrible.  it had been one of the best i`d stayed in and this time there were some very inconsiderate travelers staying there.  some young english bros… such a shame.  the first night back though i met a friend who was heading to Brazil.  fun to talk about the trip he was preparing for.  then i got on a bus to Lima. 

my make-shift Peruvian Bus family and Lima

the 50 hour bus ride between Santiago and Lima, Peru was something of a bonding experience.  i felt like a survivor on that show LOST.  we had a whole cast of characters on board.  at the end i was introduced to the families i had heard so much about and we kissed and hugged goodbye like old friends.  weird and… sweet.  and typical of the friendly people i`ve met in south america. 
today was my second day in Lima.  my hostel is nice and small.  i actually have a room all to myself.  the owner and his two friends who run the place are extremely enthusiastic and friendly.  it is located in Miraflores, where they direct all the tourists to stay.  it is very safe with upscale restaurants and shopping.  i have walked the local sites: parque de amor and the giant mall with cosmic bowling were worth visiting for the view of the ocean…  met up with an old family friend who happens to be studying here for a month.  we had a fantastic Brazilian dinner then out for dessert.  also met up with Val!  she lives here.  she took me to the pedestrian way dubbed “Pizza Ave.” 

today i ventured out to the center and to Plaza de Armas.  it was incredible and i will have to explore there more next week.  SO many churches and eccentric religious icon vendors.  i visited the sanctuary of Santa Rosa.  there are many fun stories about Santa Rosa…  for instance, the devil tried to torment Santa Rosa as she prayed.  he hid in a lemon tree above her but failed to shake her from her meditation.  when he gave up the tree was left burnt to a crisp but it still bore fruit for many years after.  Santa Rosa slept only two hours a night.  her bed was made of two logs and a pile of rocks for a pillow.  to stay awake she suspended herself by HER HAIR from a nail in the wall.  (!!!)  there’s more. 

afterward i wandered around till i found the church of san francisco and the catacombs.  the area around there is neat.  the architecture is amazing.  i don`t know what to call it.  look at the photos.  i love the wooden bays typical on the second floors.  these crumbling buildings now house single room operations of printing presses and silk screeners.  building after building, street after street.  bizarre.  somewhere in there is also the china town of Lima.

san francisco church was amazing.  one of the most interesting churches i`ve ever been in.  great tour.  beautiful.  there were friars playing soccer in the courtyard. 

well, i am sorry i won`t have more photos of the areas outside of Miraflores.  i don`t feel safe/comfortable taking out my camera.  and there’s nothing to see in Miraflores. 

ah.  hungry now. 
looking forward to cusco.  sean is meeting me to hike the inca trail to Machu Picchu.  more soon.  xo

two in one day! santiago, chile

i went BACK to BA after the farm.  i decided to travel with my bike (not ON it) so that i don´t have to fly back to BA after Peru.  i have a date but not a plane ticket yet… i am coming back to the states May 25th-ish.  i hustled some stuff to the post office to ship home and and headed out with andrea right away.  but not before making a brazilian meal with our former house mom marina.  we improvised a darn good moqueka.  mm! 

so andrea and i headed north to mendoza.  a place i had been looking forward to for a long time.  wine country.  i will update this part with the facts and figures but an insane amount of wine comes from this little city below the andes but otherwise in the middle of nowhere.  an insane amount also never leaves here, as the wineries all have sorts they don’t release.  anyway, nice little place.  we stayed at a fantastic hostel (the Alamo) and made FRIENDS!  yes, crazy.  we have long ago tired of the hostel scene but lo, we met a fun and laid back group.  played cards and pool.  during the day andrea and i rode bikes, explored the parks, went rafting.  mendoza is great for lazing around or getting into adventure sports.  and drinking wine of course.  we made it out to a winery tour and museum.  bought some merlot jam that i will try to reproduce for you cause it was yummy. 

we left mendoza over the andes passing piled plastic bottle shrines for safe travel and red shrines of red stuff for i don´t know what.  it was a breathtaking ride on the bus.  when you come thru on the Chilean side you zig zag out of the shear face mountains with rocks slides around you.  a river grows.  a dilapidated and abandoned railway hiccups along.  a line of colorful houses appears, surrounded by flowery landscaping and sometimes a horse.  tall green and yellow trees sway with a hint of autumn.  snow capped mountains beyond.  like a movie set.  a convent wall of broken stucco, rusted bell tower.  faded colors, yellow, blue, papaya, green.  so so nice.

then we arrive in santiago.

noone i talked to was impressed by santiago but so far i love it! 

we are in another fantastic hostel…  Bellavista Hostel in the old bellavista neighborhood.  so far is that santiago has more of what i want.  good design, good ethnic food, variety, thrift stores…  parks and museums.  yesterday during sunset i rode my bike up the giant hill with the statue of the virgin at the top.  it was a good 45 mins. uphill.  high.  the view was amazing. the city was a lot bigger from up there.  took a wrong way in the dark on my way home but it was seredipitous because i found other parks, an crazy light show water fountain, talked to people for directions, and rode into an indian food festival!  oh my gosh!!!  andrea waved me down when i passed a bar they were at.  had a drink and FINALLY got a hot shower.  going to more museums today.  maybe thrift shopping, though i hardly need anything else to carry.  yea. 

i am thinking of you all a lot.  miss you and hope you know i love ya. 

the farm!

unfortunately i did not have an opportunity to write during my two weeks in Puerto Montt, Chile.  i would have had a lot to report about all the things i was seeing and doing at the organic farm i was working at. 
i booked it down to Bariloche, AR where i was surrounded by chocolate, volcanoes, and icy blue lakes.  didn’t stay long enough to enjoy it though, i rushed on to Puerto Montt, through the Andes.  it was a beautiful route with towering pine forests, rivers and hidden farms.  in Puerto Montt i found a van that would take me to Metri, a 40 min. ride.  they droped me off at the end of a gravel road that ran up a hill away from the ocean and into the forest of pines and hazelnut trees.  down this road i found another gravel drive where i happily ran into Mike Bush and Allison (from OR)!
we worked on la granja de Matias.  it is a small family farm.  Matias grows a lot of lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, cucumbers etc.  he makes apple cider vinegar and goat cheese.  while there we built a greenhouse, milked goats, picked a ton of apples, climbed trees, swam in a lake, hiked around, played banjo… we made our meals with what we picked on the farm supplemented by homemade bread we bought at a house/store down the gravel road.  my hands were blackberry stained the entire time.  i took a “shower” with water from a pot i heated over a woodburning stove.  some of it really tested my … patience?  but it was a magical time.  i might say it was the most beautiful location to live.  i am planning my own sustainable homestead for someday. 

aight.  NOW i am in Santiago, Chile.  i might as well start a new post to separate the time that has passed.  chau.