~~~ Return to
Lima via Cuzco ~~~
Our return trip to Cuzco was another adventure. With no special expectations we prepared for a ride similar to that which brought us to the Machu Picchu area. However, this trip had a few surprises.
Everyone was very tired and many fell asleep. We had been filled with awe inspiring sights from the Machu Picchu region and were ready to rest. Although the view was as spectacular as before it seemed like a little down time was warranted.
A short while into our trip the man across the aisle was jolted awake, as many others on the train would be, by an "alpaca" nose in his face. Soon we were entertained by a folk dance in the aisle and were educated regarding the origin and significance of the dance. We don't remember the details but it was a lively and entertaining experience.
Shortly thereafter a fashion show began. Our stunningly attractive crew modeled alpaca fashions as they strutted up and down the "catwalk" of the narrow train aisle to the music of "Stayin' Alive," as the train bounced and swayed from side to side. The fashions were drop dead gorgeous and the prices were reasonable so we couldn't pass up purchasing a sweater.
The time passed very quickly and before we knew it the town of Cuzco came into view. However, by now it was dark and we were struck by the illuminated scenes of the city. The sight of the churches in the main square took people's breath away. Some people tried to take pictures and we did too, even though we know that no picture could capture this scene. We were treated to the same scene from different angles and from both sides of the train, for miles, as we traveled forward and then backward along the switchbacks as we approached the city and the end of our route. It was the perfect ending of our couple of days exploring Incan culture.
Back at our hotel we were given a room in the ancient section. Although it was smaller and had only narrow single beds we were delighted to be in this room that was part of the original mansion. This time our room overlooked the street and double floor to ceiling shutters to our balcony closed out the light, the noise and the view. We would only be in Cuzco for a short time before leaving the next morning for our flight back to Lima and we were glad to be here for one more night, although we wished we had planned to stay in Cuzco for another full day to explore the city on our own and do some serious shopping. However, we had planned for a short getaway trip of a week and we had no complaints.
The next morning we headed to the airport in Cuzco for our flight back to Lima. We looked forward to meeting Oscar and his wife, Tania again. We had invited them to dinner so that we could sample some authentic Peruvian food of their choosing. We had told them that if they would pick out the restaurant and take us to it, we would like to treat them to dinner. We also invited their children whom we wanted to meet.
During the flight back the day was clear and we had good views of the mountains. We were glad to have this final look at the Andes before ending our trip.
Back in Lima we were promptly met by Oscar and Tania with big welcoming smiles on their faces. On our way back to the hotel we decided that we would forego the shopping tour that was offered as part of our organized trip but instead rest for a few hours. We asked Tania and Oscar if they would consider taking us to a bookstore and a couple of other places before going to dinner later in the day. Thus we planned to meet them late in the afternoon for just a little bit of shopping and for dinner. We wanted to spend time with a Peruvian family and sample authentic Peruvian culinary delights.
After a well appreciated rest we met Oscar, Tania and their daughter Adriana. We were eager to meet her and help her with her English and it turned out, teach her a little bit of Japanese.
Our first stop with them was in the Barranco section of Lima. It was Sunday and people were out in droves to celebrate "Carnival". We weren't certain why the celebration was that day since it was not Ash Wednesday or any other significant day by the Christian calendar. In response to our question we had been told earlier that it was on this day because it was Sunday and people would be off. We had seen the beginning of the celebrations in Cuzco before leaving there but here it was in full swing.
Barranco is a cliff top town that appears to be the "hip" part of the city, full of artists and craftsmen. It was filled with cafes and restaurants and wonderful mixes of the old and new. On the left of the picture you can see the colorful library, the Bibliotech, the oldest building in the area and one of the oldest in the city.
We saw very few other tourists. We always like that, although we knew we stuck out with our cameras draped over our shoulders. It seemed to be like many other towns in other parts of the world that we have seen during festivals. Wares such as jewelry, were displayed on sidewalks, food was being sold by vendors, and everywhere there were festive activities. We were curious about some of the food especially something that looked like large apple rings. We learned that it is picarones, a traditional dessert made from sweet potatoes and chancaca honey. Tania and Oscar took us to a cafe and treated us to this snack food and to a sweet mild, non-carbonated drink, chicha morada, that is made from purple corn and had apple pieces floating in it. It is a drink that Tania told us dates from Inca times. Refreshing.
As we walked we had another wondrous view of the ocean and lots of images of the city build on hills. Tania and Oscar are enthusiastic about their country and helping others learn about it so it was a joy to have them show us around and teach us.
Next it was time to go to dinner. We had been looking forward to an authentic Peruvian meal since before leaving home. When we travel we always like to go to a restaurant that is not frequented by tourists but instead is where the local people eat. We find that our food and experience are more enjoyable that way. We often will ask a guide or other local person we meet to take us to where they would go eat and in turn we pay for their meal. That has worked very well in almost every country we have visited. Of course this is not possible with large group or organized travel and that is one of the reasons we prefer to travel on our own whenever it can be arranged.
Our first taste of Peruvian food was several years ago at a restaurant in Japan that specialized in Mexican food, but where the owner went to Peru annually to find new recipes. It was our favorite restaurant in our second home, Kofu. There was nothing we had had there that we didn't like. Since we hadn't been able, during this trip, to eat heartily while in the high altitudes, we were doubly looking forward to the dinner back in Lima on the last night before returning home.
We were not disappointed in "Las Tejas" that Tania and Oscar chose. Everything we had was great. Beginning with our appetizers, fried sweet potatoes and yuquitas, a dish made from the root of the yuca, everything was tasty and pleasing to our palates. The various dishes we tried included a beef dish called lomo saltado, (beef cooked in soy sauce, with onions, tomatoes, yellow chili and served over french fries with white rice) and pescado a la chorrillan, a seafood dish that featured lenguado (sea bass) that is fried with yellow chili, onion, tomato, vinegar and oregano and also served with white rice. Meanwhile, we peppered our new friends with questions and learned as much as we could about the culture and about food preparation. For example, we found it interesting that Peru has more than 800 varieties of potatoes.
After dinner we went back to the Miraflores section of Lima to the large shopping/entertainment area on the Pacific ocean to visit an ice cream store for dessert. There we had lucuma ice cream, the most popular flavor in Peru. Now we can say we tasted it.
Too soon it was time to return to our hotel for one final night before leaving in the morning for our return flight to the US. We were definitely glad we had come to Peru. We were thrilled and still a little unbelieving that we had actually seen these places that were only in our imagination before. The trip whetted our appetite for more of Peru and more of South America. We hope to return soon.
Next year we are hoping to go around Cape Horn with visits to Argentina and Chile.
Hasta luego -- (See you soon.)
We wish you happy travels and hope you can back and visit us again.
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