After a long weekend in Cusco we were pretty tired on Monday so we just hung out around Kusi Wasi. It was nice to just have a relaxing day together without worrying about tours or being on time for anything. On Tuesday I took Drew to the center of Lima, where there are lots of historic buildings, including Iglesia de San Francisco, a church with a ton of catacombs. I went there earlier in the semester before school started, but wanted to take Drew (even though he was a little freaked out seeing the bones of over 75,000 bodies). After a tour of the church and catacombs, we walked around the Plaza de Armas for a while before heading down to a different Plaza to find El Bolivarcito, an old hotel/bar that has the reputation for selling the best Pisco Sours in Lima. Of course we had to see for ourselves!
Iglesia de San Francisco
Church in the Plaza de Armas
Plaza de Armas
Pisco Sours at Bolivarcito
They are so big they're called "catedrals" (cathedrals)
Tuesday night I took Drew to have sushi - his first time trying it since somebody brought it into his second grade class. I only recently started liking it so I thought I'd have him try it too! He liked the sushi but still couldn't get over the idea of eating raw fish. Oh well, at least he tried it!
On Wednesday I had to go to a class (unfortunately), but afterwards Drew and I went out to lunch then to Museo Larco, a museum with a ton of old Incan and pre-Incan artifacts from all over Peru. This is the museum with the erotic gallery, too! Wednesday night I took Drew to try new food #2 - Arabic. This is another food that I just tried in Peru and ended up loving it - Drew was nervous but got some lamb shishkabobs and really liked them! We ended up going another time later in the week because we were both craving it.
On Thursday I also had to go to my cine class, a movie where we just watch movies and discuss them, so I dragged Drew along. I was hoping it would be an English movie with Spanish subtitles, but it turned out to be an Italian movie with Spanish subtitles so he couldn't understand much. I'm still glad I brought him, though, so he could see what it's like to be the minority in a classroom that doesn't share your first language. After cine we went to a little Peruvian bar outside of Catolica for some beers, then headed home for Margarita's delicious cooking. She made papa rellena, or stuffed potatoes, that were delicious! I'm glad Drew got to enjoy some of Margarita's cuisine while he was here. Thursday night we went out to the club we go to every Thursday night, called Help!. We had a good time but came home pretty early to go to Huacachina on Friday.
On Friday we got up and took a veryyy long bus ride to Ica. We missed the direct bus by 20 minutes so we had to take the bus that makes stops along the way, adding another 2 hours onto the trip. Ica/Huacachina was the first trip I took in Peru and loved it, so I had to take Drew there. This time we went just us, so I thought we'd have no problem finding a hostel room in Huacachina. Little did I know it was a popular weekend to travel there! We got offered a room at Santa Tierra, the hostel I stayed at last time in Huacachina, but it was really disgusting with standing water in the bathroom with a toilet that didn't flush. We said "...no gracias!!" and went on a mission to find another room. The only open room we could find was at this really nice hotel - the nicest I've seen in Peru - for a little more money than your typical hostel. But it was worth it! We stayed there one night but booked another hostel, Sand and Lake, for Saturday night to save money. They were both very nice!
After settling in and dropping our stuff off at the hotel, we went out to dinner at a cute little pizzeria, then had some happy hour maracuya sours at the bar of our Saturday night hostel, Sand and Lake. We met three girls at the bar who had been traveling all over, all from South Africa. I had never met a South African before - their accents were so cute! We decided to meet up with them Saturday morning to go on a Bodega tour and also signed up to go sandboarding with them Saturday afternoon.
On Saturday we woke up and met up with our South African friends, then found a cab driver who agreed to take us to a chocolate factory and 2 bodegas for 10 soles each. Both bodegas we went to were ones I had already visited, but loved! The first one was El Catador, where the 5 of us got a tour in Spanish. I'm the only fluent one, so I had to translate everything for Drew and the girls. It was quite a challenge, especially because I don't know grape pressing and fermenting terms, but with hand motions and patience the language barrier was overcome quickly. We bought a bottle of wine at El Catador after our favorite part of the tour - sampling! :)
Pisco at El Catador
The second bodega was Bodega Lazo, where the old man who gives the tours actually remembered me from a few months earlier (or maybe he was just saying that...) As soon as we got there there was a big group of Peruvians that LOVED us 5 white people. They took a ton of pictures with us and hugged and kissed us. I'm not sure of their fascination, but it's happened before where people have wanted to take pictures with me. It's like being a celebrity! I like this bodega because it has a ton of weird antiques...
The man on the right had too much pisco...
Storage containers for fermenting wine and pisco
Drew trying to play this old instrument
With the naked statue at Bodega Lazo
Drew dancing with one of the Peruvian girls - he did it only after they gave him a bunch of wine!
After the bodegas Drew and I had lunch at a place during the Manchester United vs. Spain (Madrid I believe) futbol game that gave away a free pisco shot for every goal scored. Good thing we were only there for 2 goals! Then we snuck back into the expensive hotel to use their pool (even though we were all checked out) just to get our money's worth! The pool was cold but definitely refreshing from the hot desert sun.
Me and Drew in front of the lagoon of Huacachina
Lagoon
At 4 pm we met back up with our South African friends and loaded into a dune buggy to go sandboarding! Drew was freaked out by how fast the sandboards went, so we only did one hill on our feet and the rest on our bellies. I love the adrenaline! I might even like the dune buggy rides more than the sandboarding itself, but they are definitely both fun.
In the middle of the desert
Drew and I
Dune buggies
I love the rides where the sand meets at a peak
Drew sandboarding!
Wind-blown hair...
Sunset in the desert
Me and Drew in front of the Haucachina lagoon - I love this picture because to Drew's right it looks like a little toy car. But it's really a huge dune buggy just off in the distance!
After getting all the sand off of us, we went to dinner at a cute place on the lagoon, then headed back to our hostel's bar for 2x1 happy hour. Drew and I were the only people there so we kind of took over the bar...
We actually had a lot of fun with the bartenders at the hostel - Drew was practicing his Spanish with them all night. I was really impressed by how much Spanish he could understand! Although he couldn't speak it perfectly... sometimes I would prepare sentences for him to say to people when he was having a hard time. But for the most part, he could get out what he needed to say.
On Sunday morning we had breakfast at the hostel then rented a paddle boat for 12 soles. I don't think I've ever gone paddle boating before but it was nice and relaxing! We went around the whole lagoon in about 15 minutes then just hung out in the middle until our 30 minute time limit was up.
Paddleboats
Sandboards
We took a mototaxi back into Ica (about a 10 minute ride) and bought bus tickets, then had some time to spare. Drew and I hung out in the Plaza de Armas of Ica and people watched while having some Cusqueña and DIET COKE that I bought in a market in Ica. My friend Hannah actually texted me and said she found Diet Coke in the Ica Market because she knows how much I love it and how it's not in this country!
Plaza de Armas
On Sunday night we had Arabic food again (yummm) then I took Drew to Parque de las Aguas, which he said was his favorite thing that we did in Lima. It is a big park with fountains and a light show - and the entrance fee is only 4 soles a person.
A fountain where everyone tries to hop through without getting wet - and nobody succeeds
Drew and I in front of the rainbow fountain
My favorite fountain
Me
Monday was another relaxing day - we went to Plaza San Miguel for lunch and I bought a bunch of movies - 9 for 30 soles/about 10 dollars! Drew watched a few while I went to school to work on a project. When I came home we had a bottle of wine we had bought at one of the bodegas to celebrate our one and a half year anniversary (awwww) then went out to dinner at a place in Barranco that Margarita had recommended. After dinner I took Drew to this look out point where you can see the ocean - then we went to La Noche for free Jazz night. The band was really good but we were super tired so didn't stay too late!
Tuesday was Drew's last day so we had to live it up. Unfortunately I had to go to a class 11-1, but afterwards we went to Miraflores to have lunch and drinks at Mango's, my favorite restaurant in Larcomar. We went there on Drew's first day so he thought it would be a good idea to make it full-circle and go there on our last day, too.
drinks at Mango's
Enjoying our last day!
After lunch we walked around Parque Kennedy and bought a couple of souvenirs, then decided to go to a casino. Drew and I both had never been to a casino except for Dejope, so we decided to go to one of the many here! We lasted about 15 minutes before losing everything on penny slots. Oh well, we had fun!
Atlantic City casino
Attempted self-portrait in front of the casino
After the casino we headed back to Kusi Wasi and sat on top of the roof for a while talking about Drew's time here and Peru and all of his observations about the country and culture. It was interesting to hear a new perspective after I've already acclimated here for the last 3 months.
We had one last little classic Peruvian adventure before he left - on the way to the airport our taxi got into a car accident! Just a little side swipe, and our taxi was already a total piece of crap to begin with, but our taxi's front bumper fell off. We could not stop laughing as the other driver helped our driver put his broken bumper into the trunk - and cracked it while doing so. I think the other driver gave our driver some money and just called it even. Funny how things work here!
It was sad to say goodbye but easier than the last time - I only have 7 weeks left here! I know the time will fly by, but hopefully not too fast - I still have lots to do here! :)
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