Well, not actually your pets….  “Cuy” is spanish for guinea pig, which is a high delicacy of highland cuisine.  There are two standard ways of getting it:  “al horno” which is backed and “frito” which is fried.  We had it fried. To play with the delicate palettes of the foreigners, they bring out the cuy… whole.  I had been okay with the idea of eating guinea pig (“Hey, I’ll try it.  It’ll probably taste like chicken.”)  I just wasn’t expecting to see, well, all of it.  It’s a similar issue that I have with fish.  I don’t want to see …

Cuzco, hands down, was the most charming city in Peru.  Its old colonial feel is enough to sweep you off your feet.  We had two days in Cuzco to wander around before we started in the Inka Trail… Also, if you’re ever in Cuzco, I highly recommend Hotel Corihausi.  It was a beautiful quaint hotel seated on the hill behind Plaza de Armas.  Our “panoramic room #20” had a beautiful 180 view of the plaza and the city.   me, above plaza de armas   cuzco’s plaza de amras from afar   local chidren   local woman   boys will …

Those who know me know that I know nothing about soccer.  I played one season in the 4th grade… and then to everyone’s relief, I went back to softball. Not surprisingly, I am clueless about international soccer.  But the day we were in Lima, Peru was playing Brazil.  (Which made walking around the city on a Sunday even quieter… except for the periodic collective shots or groans at corner TV shops & bars.)  Peru ended up tying Brazil 1-1…. which I’m told is huge for Peru and a bit embarrassing for Brazil. On our flight out that night, we were …

I have fond memories of reading Paddington Bear as a kid.  But I guess I didn’t actually remember much of the story. In Lima, I was surprised to see Paddington Bear in Peru… until a friend reminded me that Paddington Bear came from Peru. From Wikipedia: This gentle bear was found at Paddington railway station in London. …  He has arrived as a stowaway coming from “Darkest Peru“, sent by his Aunt Lucy (his only known relative, aside from an unnamed uncle who gave Paddington his hat), who has gone to live in the Home for Retired Bears in Lima. …

We had less than 24 hours in Lima.  Our flight from the States arrived after midnight and we flew to Bolivia the next day at 8pm.    Most folks said recommended bypassing Lima completely, and we had planned on (mostly) taking their advice. A friend’s parents live in Lima, and we had the pleasure to spend the day with them.  (Thanks Islas!)  It was a lot of fun, and we were pleasantly surprised by the city.  The neighborhoods of Miraflores & Barranco were very charming, and Lima Centro was beautiful.  I guess the current mayor has done a lot for the …