Lima
July 26th-30th and Aug 25th-28th, 2018
Lima is full of life. People gather at night in public parks and dance, without a care, to booming, rhythmic, Latino beats. City sidewalks are crowded with busy locals navigating their way around the plethora of tourists who stop every few feet to peruse the standing restaurant menus that line the streets. Musicians of all types — from solo singer/guitarists, to reggae artists, to brass brands blasting salsa music — pop up in squares and city parks, lending their sound to the gathering crowds, the people enjoying meals on nearby sidewalk cafes, and the shoppers sauntering from stall to stall at neighboring craft markets.
There is so much to do and see in Lima. The city has everything a traveler, or habitant for that matter, needs. History, culture, food, events, and diversity — all can be found in this sprawling city.
The vibrancy of the city is fueled by its diversity. Many immigrants have called this city home. Over the years, immigrants from many nations, and many cultures have settled in this city. Some by force, some by necessity, and some by opportunity. Africans, Chinese, and most recently, immigrants from neighboring South American countries, have all contributed to this patchwork quilt of a city. Today, the newest, and largest group of immigrants comes from Venezuela, due to the current economic and political climate there.
One afternoon, Prathap and I took a chocolate making class at an adorable artisanal chocolate store in the neighborhood we were staying at. The class was informative and the chocolate we made was delicious and plentiful. But my biggest take away from the class was the life story of our instructor — Jose.
Jose is a recent immigrant from Venezuela. In Venezuela, Jose was an engineer for a prosperous company. He was a loyal employee that committed 11 years to them. He taught himself French so that he could communicate with the upper levels of management (as it was a French-owned company). He rose up the ranks, built up a reputation, and even managed to squirrel away enough savings to buy a house for his growing family — a wife and two young daughters. Yet, Jose realized he could not stay in Venezuela given the recent economic and political issues (inflation is set to reach 1,000,000%!). So, like many other fellow Venezuelans, he left the only place he knew as home, to make a new life in another country. Now, he is living in a one-room apartment with his family, and — as he says — was lucky to find work at this hourly job in the chocolate store.
The most memorable thing about Jose was his attitude. Throughout his recent hardships, he has remained positive and optimistic. He approaches whatever he does with enthusiasm and dedication. After landing the job at the chocolate store, he scoured the Internet to teach himself all there is to know about chocolate production.
José’s vivaciousness was not uncommon. Most of the people we met in Lima had a cheery animation to them that was tangible and real. Looking back on my time in Lima, I realize what made it so enjoyable was the authenticity of it. People there are living their lives with vitality and appreciation. They are full of life and, in turn, they make the city come alive.
3 Highlights:
- Attending a local Pena. Let me just say this — Peruvian people know how to get down and have a good time. One of my closest friends, Lizzy, wonderfully joined up with us in Peru for 8 days, which gave me a chance to have a ladies night and let loose a little. I booked us a table for two at a Del Cargio, a Pena recommended by our AirBnB host. Looking forward to it all day gave me the fuel to stay up for it — as it only started at 10 pm. Or so the website said. Trying to be fashionably late, we arrived at a cool 10:45 pm. We were the third table to arrive. Out of 300 tables. After a semi-awkward hour of sitting around and slowly sipping on the one complimentary beer provided, the place started to fill. Around 11:30 pm the show started. A group of young dancers filled the dance floor and began to effortlessly move in unison to the beats of the band playing behind them. The dancers’ dynamic moves and enthusiasm brought the already escalating energy of the room to a whole new octave. After a solid 30 minutes of entertaining, the professional dancers exited the dance floor. Within seconds, the floor was packed with partygoers, all twirling and shaking their hips effortlessly, as if it the moves were impeded into the fabric of their DNA. Thus how the night went — the professional dancers would ascend onto the floor, perform breathtaking routines, and then retreat so that the floor could be filled up once again with attendees of the Pena. This all played out to the backdrop of a spirited band headed by a vivacious, older woman with a thunderous, silky smooth voice. All ages partook in the fun. Older parents with their adult children danced alongside birthday groups full of 20 and 30-somethings. Everyone was there to have a good time, and a good time they had. At 2 am, Lizzy and I looked at each other and decided it was time to call it a night. While the night was over for us, it was still raging on for the majority of the crowd. As we exited the place, we had to weave through groups of celebrators who had extended the dance floor to their own table areas. I was still feeling the energy of the room course through my body as I slipped into bed around 3 am.
- Taking a cooking class with SkyKitchen. This was a full day event, of which I enjoyed every minute. The day started at a neighborhood mercado, where our local guide brought us from stall to stall and introduced us to 30 plus native fruits. As we walked through the winding rows, she pointed out the best ceviche stalls (in her opinion) and educated us on the different cuts of meat hanging from the butchers’ stands. After a thorough exploration of the market, we were off to make our delectable and delightful 4-course meal at an airy and bright loft renovated to accommodate large-scale cooking classes. We sipped on freshly squeezed guava juice as we learned how to make the classic Peruvian dishes of Causa Rellano, Ceviche, Lomo Saltado, and Picarones. We left will full tummies and happy hearts.
- Eating at Punto Azul. This restaurant was so delicious, we went twice during our time in Lima. It’s a neighborhood cevicheria that doesn’t take reservations and hasn’t changed its menu since the doors opened 25 years ago. After taking our first bite of the flavor intense ceviche, it was easy to understand why — you don’t mess with the best.
