Me encanta Peru. While the capital city of Lima is often quickly dismissed and rushed through by travelers, me and my friend and traveling partner, Niki, have managed to explore parts of three very diffe
rent and distinct neighborhoods and liked parts of all of them. We lucked out by randomly choosing (while on the airplane just minutes from landing) a hostel in the southeastern district of Barranco out of “the Bible” -- as the Lonely Planet guides are known. Most travelers head to the neighboring area of Miraflores, a commercial center that is rapidly replacing its stately old buildings with those of modern, cubic styles, but the description of a friendly, surf-minded place to stay led us to Barranco. Known as the center for nightlife in the metropolis of 10 million, the neighborhood has many regal old mansions as well as cozy bars and popular restaurants -- many with views of the crashing waves below the cliffs. Our hostel oozed character, with brightly colored walls, comfy furniture in communal areas, indigenous blankets on the beds, bold art on the walls, and a friendly staff of a British guy and two Peruvian women.
rent and distinct neighborhoods and liked parts of all of them. We lucked out by randomly choosing (while on the airplane just minutes from landing) a hostel in the southeastern district of Barranco out of “the Bible” -- as the Lonely Planet guides are known. Most travelers head to the neighboring area of Miraflores, a commercial center that is rapidly replacing its stately old buildings with those of modern, cubic styles, but the description of a friendly, surf-minded place to stay led us to Barranco. Known as the center for nightlife in the metropolis of 10 million, the neighborhood has many regal old mansions as well as cozy bars and popular restaurants -- many with views of the crashing waves below the cliffs. Our hostel oozed character, with brightly colored walls, comfy furniture in communal areas, indigenous blankets on the beds, bold art on the walls, and a friendly staff of a British guy and two Peruvian women.We practiced yoga near the crashing surf below the hostel, one time on the lawn of a restaurant (the only soft spot to lay our mats) to the amusement of the staff who was rea
dying the place for a noon opening. Niki surfed the waves of Makaja Beach in Miraflores while I did yoga in a beachside park with paragliders soaring above me. Eating at La Mar Cebicheria in Miraflores was a real treat; even though the Peruvian cuisine was foreign to us we knew we couldn’t go wrong eating at one of Gaston Acurio’s hometown restaurants (he opened a La Mar on San Francisco’s Embarcadero last year) and our patient and helpful waiter gave us a crash course by basically ordering for us and saying we could send back anyt
hing we didn’t like (we liked it all and paid at least half of what it would have cost in SF). We explored colonial cathedrals. viewed the remains of conquistador Francisco Pizarro, and saw centuries-old skulls entombed in catacombs while in Central Lima. We made new friends, including a Peruvian surfing instructor who got Niki’s gear sorted out and helped her learn the breaks of Makaja and acted us an unofficial tour guide, fielding our numerous questions in the fruit aisle of a supermarket, driving us to the Inca Market where we played with instruments for sale and had a blast trying on hats and finger puppets, introducing us to one of his favorite local eateries where we had some of the best jugos in our lives, and showing us to some of the most picturesque eating & drinking spots of Barranco.
dying the place for a noon opening. Niki surfed the waves of Makaja Beach in Miraflores while I did yoga in a beachside park with paragliders soaring above me. Eating at La Mar Cebicheria in Miraflores was a real treat; even though the Peruvian cuisine was foreign to us we knew we couldn’t go wrong eating at one of Gaston Acurio’s hometown restaurants (he opened a La Mar on San Francisco’s Embarcadero last year) and our patient and helpful waiter gave us a crash course by basically ordering for us and saying we could send back anyt
hing we didn’t like (we liked it all and paid at least half of what it would have cost in SF). We explored colonial cathedrals. viewed the remains of conquistador Francisco Pizarro, and saw centuries-old skulls entombed in catacombs while in Central Lima. We made new friends, including a Peruvian surfing instructor who got Niki’s gear sorted out and helped her learn the breaks of Makaja and acted us an unofficial tour guide, fielding our numerous questions in the fruit aisle of a supermarket, driving us to the Inca Market where we played with instruments for sale and had a blast trying on hats and finger puppets, introducing us to one of his favorite local eateries where we had some of the best jugos in our lives, and showing us to some of the most picturesque eating & drinking spots of Barranco.We’ve marveled at the omnipresent sounds of American music, from 80s on two popular radio stations, to flinchingly bad 90s tunes (I really could have gone without ever hearing Roxette’s two hits again in my life) playing at bars, to local guitarists covering Eagles and Beatles (the latter a group with whom Peruvians seem singularly obsessed) classics. The country is also big on advertisements, with placards touting a supermarket chain topping street signs in many busy areas of town, a huge arch put up by the telecom company that traffic passes through when entering a town a few hours to the south of Lima, and a cultural video of one of Peru’s most popular tourist spots, Cuzco, littered with product placements and promotional segments.
I now understand the appeal of Peruvian cuisine, with its fusion of native and Japanese flavors and inventive combinations of taste and texture. My favorite ingredient is th
e corn, which has kernels three times the size of any corn I’ve ever eaten and is much chewier and nuttier in flavor while fresh and also delicious as a snack food called canchitas, where the kernels are fried to be crispy and then sprinkled with salt and other seasonings. This country also knows how to serve a mean potato -- or one of the of varieties of tubers available here, in the native home of the spud. Causas are delectable dishes made of cold, mashed potatoes filled with meat or seafood and topped with fancy cut veggies. Anticuhos (basic
ally meat on a stick) are the favorite street food of Peru but are also served in many restaurants, with the classic variety being beef heart. This lapsed vegetarian (for 10 years before succumbing to the lure of the flesh again a couple years ago) had no qualms tucking into those late at night while on the fourth story of an outdoor restaurant with waves crashing underneath the nearby cliffs, washing the comida down with a surprisingly decent Peruvian rose and laughing and talking (in Spanish and English) with our nuevos amigos limeños.
e corn, which has kernels three times the size of any corn I’ve ever eaten and is much chewier and nuttier in flavor while fresh and also delicious as a snack food called canchitas, where the kernels are fried to be crispy and then sprinkled with salt and other seasonings. This country also knows how to serve a mean potato -- or one of the of varieties of tubers available here, in the native home of the spud. Causas are delectable dishes made of cold, mashed potatoes filled with meat or seafood and topped with fancy cut veggies. Anticuhos (basic
ally meat on a stick) are the favorite street food of Peru but are also served in many restaurants, with the classic variety being beef heart. This lapsed vegetarian (for 10 years before succumbing to the lure of the flesh again a couple years ago) had no qualms tucking into those late at night while on the fourth story of an outdoor restaurant with waves crashing underneath the nearby cliffs, washing the comida down with a surprisingly decent Peruvian rose and laughing and talking (in Spanish and English) with our nuevos amigos limeños. 
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