peru

lima:
hailed as one of the leading cities in south america for experiencing culinary delights, we were eagerly anticipating the much talked about restaurants owned by leaders of the gastronomical revolution in peru gastón acurio and wife astrid gutsche. our first stop was the more casual (but no less posh) lunch spot le mar, a cebicheria whose colorful presentation of its extensive menu of ceviches failed to warn us that out stomachs may not have been ready for uncooked fish in a new country. the salsas were freshly homemade, the gigante corn kernels a perfect complement to the tart citrus of the ceviche and the pisco sours provided a fantastic lightheadedness to add to our satisfying lunch. too bad our satisfaction lasted only about fifteen minutes in our stomachs before it all came back out.


cusco:














puno:

recap:
- altitude sickness is not fun, altitude sickness pills are even less fun
- cacao leaves are great, but illegal to carry out of the country
- chifa (peruvian chinese food) may taste great, but most likely leave you unable to stand up the following day. same goes for any food bought on the street, in the cusco market, or ceviche in lima
- if you are taking a boat tour on titicaca and head to taquile island, prepare to hike the island as boats dock on one end and leave on the other. no one will tell you this because no one will speak english or spanish
- despite warm days, nights can often leave you so cold you buy every kitschy piece of souvenir clothing to stay warm, rendering you a human pinata