Peru Summer 2014 Pictures

A long story but only 250 pictures so I didn't break them down by day like I should have.

Here are all the pictures.

Peru Summer 2014 Day 10

We woke up and had a continental breakfast in the hotel. Actually we paid for the tamale to go along with the bread and butter and jam. The coffee was instant but the pack basically gave us 3 cups of coffee. We were given fresh strawberry juice to go along with that.  After we ate we walked around the hotel's grounds and then sat in front of the "pool" for a few minutes. I say that with quotes because honestly it could fit maybe 3 people and there is no option for swimming at all, let alone diving.  After a little while we went back to the room and packed up. The hotel manager said we could leave our stuff in the room after we checked out and then come back and get it.

So we took a taxi back down the main road to a place called the Hotel Molle where is the Parque Molle.  This place has paso horse competitions or at least was having one this Sunday. Since they have a big riding area I am sure they do it fairly often.  First things first, Daniela bought me a Peruvian cowboy hat and I wore that for the rest of the day.  We then went and found a place to sit to see the show and had a couple of drinks. She had pisco sours and I had what are called chilcanos which are like pisco sours without the egg white and made a bit more strongly. I think we each had three while we sat and talked and waited for the show to start. Also I had my picture taken with some of the local ladies dressed as riders.  It was obvious most of the people there knew each other except for that portion of us that were tourists.  The show started later than they were intending (surprising!) because the riders wanted to have lunch or something like that. We also got lunch which was a pair of pork sandwiches.  Mine was directly from the fire roasted whole pig that we saw on the way in Daniela said. She wasn't sure if I would like that so she bought one with processed pork too. She liked hers though I think she should have gotten both like mine.

The paso horse is a specific Peruvian breed that is trained to dance as it runs so that the front legs lift really high and it sort of looks like the horses are gliding around rather than running. They had quite a few rounds of competitions based on the ages of the horses plus also before that an exhibition by some very young riders.  I think we watched the horses for at least a couple of hours until we knew we were going to have to go back because I was to fly home that night.  I took a lot of pictures of the horses. Indeed I took few pictures on this trip until we came up to Cieneguilla.

We got back to the hotel and Daniela called the guy who drove us out there and we had to wait a while due to his car having a failure of some sort so so he sent us another driver to get us back to Lima. When we got to Jockey Plaza we took a bus that got us closer to her house then switched to a taxi to get us the rest of the way.  We got to her house late (say 7pm) and her mother was a touch upset we missed dinner. Still we spent a short while there talking to her family before Donna's fiance Edwin drove us to the airport.

Daniela waited with me until it was time for me to go into the gate. We had a small slice of pizza from the airport Papa John's as it got late but mostly we just talked the time away.  I left her behind sadly and then headed into the security which was a bit crowded. At least immigration wasn't too bad.  I got to the gate to of course find out that the plane had mechanical issues and it would be delayed. I chose to shop for a couple knickknacks with this extra time but in the long run the delay turned out to be around 2 hours. I had a flight from Houston that my new arrival time would definitely not reach.  When we did board we didn't take too long to get going still it was seriously late.  I was put in a middle seat which rather bothered me but fortunately my neighbors were both small and it wasn't much of an issue in the long run. I watched Rio 2 sort of but fell asleep during parts of it. It was cute I guess.  Then mostly I slept during the flight and woke up only when they handed me a muffin and a cranberry juice.

When that plane landed I was able to clear immigration and customs quickly thanks to the Global Entry and get my luggage rechecked and on to the gate for my new flight. They had already reassigned my flight (which would be nearly 4 hours later than I was supposed to leave originally). I was hoping to get to work to set up for my class that started on Tuesday but my Boston arrival time would make that too late. Still we were boarding quickly and on our way up in reasonable time. The plane was mostly full except the seat next to me. I had again been put in a middle seat but was able to move to the aisle seat. About halfway through the flight a guy came from the front of the plane and took my original seat because he had a neighbor who was sick the whole flight to that point he said.  He was reasonable though and it was not an issue. The flight was uneventful but for a bit of bumps and an interesting landing as it was windy in Boston. I got my checked luggage while realizing I forgot to notify Flightline of my change and had to basically pay for two rides. They did get me a van though and I went straight home instead of to work. I basically got there in time for dinner and it wasn't long before I was completely passed out from exhaustion.

Peru Summer 2014 Day 9

We woke up kind of later than I would have preferred, had a reasonable breakfast of what we had left in the apartment, got cleaned up and then cleaned up the apartment and packed.  We got a taxi and headed to Daniela’s house where we dropped off our main luggage choosing only to bring one small bag and my backpack which made more sense.  We talked to her mother for a few and we had a cup of hot chocolate her mother prepared as well.  Then we got another taxi to the central area for longer travel and immediately found a collective taxi to Cieneguilla.  That ride was supposed to take about 40 minutes but it really took about an hour with traffic. Then the driver didn’t know where our hotel, Villas de Cieneguilla so it probably took another 20 minutes to find our way there including Daniela having to call the hotel to get their location better for the driver. He drove us far past it because it wasn’t on the main avenue.  When we got there we basically just dropped off our stuff and headed to find lunch because it was already past 3pm.

Daniela had her mind set on going to a place called Mesas de Piedras, or Stone Tables.  Surprisingly they serve the food on tables made of stone outside. The weather in Cieneguilla was warmer than the coast because we had gotten into the mountains near the city and had risen out of some of the coastal fog and humidity and while it was hazy we had actual sun.  Cieneguilla is to the south of the city. It looks really dessert like and has lots of cacti, rocks and sand.  There are palm trees too of course.  We thought maybe we could walk but apparently the locals don’t know where the restaurant is because a motorcycle taxi and the actual taxi we took thought it was somewhere completely different. Still with some help from other locals we made it there after having to turn around once at least and stopping another time because he didn’t believe us or the policeman that told him it was in another direction.  In any event we made it there probably close to 4pm though by this point I was not watching time at all.

We ordered Pachamanca which is a preparation of beef, pork and chicken in a clay pot along with potatoes, lima beans, choclo and a tamale called hamitas here.  We each had a beer, she a Pilsen Callao and me a Cuscena Red.  The food literally is served in the clay pot and it is nice because it helps keep it warm.  We took out some food at a time. The dish is suggested for 2 people but there was really too much for the both of us and we ended up taking out leftovers.  The restaurant had a band that was playing traditional music and there was even a group of 6 people (3 men, 3 women) that performed a dance that lasted for quite a while.  They were dancing huayno according to Daniela. This is from the mountains of the Andes. They had on colorful costumes (well colorful accessories on mainly black costumes).  One of the girls kept shouting which I guess is also traditional.  Sort of made me think of Taiko the way it felt random.

After we finished we managed to get some picture of colorful local birds. Then we bought Daniela a shawl because she didn’t bring her jacket and as the sun went down it got cooler significantly.  We then started walking back to the hotel and stopped a dessert place called Letorie which was run by a couple that had lived in Connecticut for 10 years earlier in their lives. He was a nice guy and gave me a chocolate chip cookie to go along with my coffee. I also had a coconut and caramel gelato and Daniela had a piece of red velvet cake.  She was curious about it. Both the owner and I explained the story to her though mine was a bit more detailed. While we were there another American/Peruvian couple came in (I was surprised, I didn’t think I would see another white person honestly).  He was from Wisconsin. We really only said hello as they took their food to go.  Daniela really liked the cake. The coffee, ice cream and cookie were all good too.  The owner put on some Santana for me too which was nice.

After we finished we started walking back to the hotel again but the distance was really far so we took a local bus most of the way then walked along from the main intersection to the hotel.  We got inside and watched a bit of television before falling to sleep after a while.

Peru Summer 2014 Day 8

We woke up and Daniela had a lot of work to do so we both basically hung around the apartment and had little breakfast and she worked until it was close to our lunch time, a bit early for Peruvians.  I reheated the chicken, rice and green beans that we had left over and we ate that quickly for a brunch type concept.  After eating and she had finished what she needed to do we got cleaned up and took a walk outside towards the district of San Isidro where we were going to eat the real lunch/dinner. It would take a while to walk there so we chose that rather than a taxi.

Originally she wanted to go to La Bistecca but before we reached there we found the ruins of Huacapucllana and she suggested eating at their restaurant instead. I agreed so we changed directions and found the restaurant which was fairly full because it was Peruvian lunch time.  She unfortunately ended up with work emergencies she had to handle so spent a fair amount of time both walking and at the restaurant on the phone. Apparently an Air France flight some of her passengers were supposed to be on was canceled due to a strike in France and she had to help them sort things out.

For the meal we started with a causa sampler which I think had smoked salmon on it rather than tuna.  It was a bit salty but nice.  Then I had the roasted baby goat leg and Daniela had the sirloin steak. Mine came with a lima bean puree and she had asparagus and onion rings.  The food was good though I think if I had understood it was a boneless section of leg for the goat I may have tried something else on the menu.  It was tasty though. As was her steak.  We shared a bottle of Argentinian Malbec from Mendoza.  This was suggested by the waiter and it was reasonably good. It was called Enemego which means enemy in English.  We chose not to have dessert at that restaurant partially because I didn’t see anything that interested me and partially because Daniela wanted to walk around to work off some of the steak first. 

So we started walking and she had some more calls and we set up a place to stay in Cieneguilla for Saturday night as we were supposed to leave the apartment on Saturday.  She had to pay a deposit so we got that done. Then her phone died and we found a Radio Shack that was willing to charge her battery a little and she ended up buying a portable battery charger from them too. She should be able to carry it with her for when her battery is running low. Apparently the way she uses the phone she doesn’t get a full day many times.

After walking in a large circle and not finding the dessert place she was expecting we decided to head to Miraflores and took a taxi back close to the apartment where we bought dessert and coffee at a new place right near her office. I had a piece of apple pie and Daniela had a strawberry pudding (mousse).  I had a hot chocolate and she had a coffee too.  Then we headed back to the apartment and watched a little bit of TV until we fell asleep.

Peru Summer 2014 Day 7

We woke up and Daniela again wanted to go running so we got ready after she finished some small amount of work and ran out to the shoreline in a slightly different direction and ran down to the park where she does free yoga sometimes then turned around and headed back.  I am sure we ran less distance but Daniela said it affected her more, probably because of the fact she did all the running and dancing a couple days before.  When we got back we got cleaned up and she had to do some more work so while she was doing that I reheated the leftover from the other day and we ate lunch.

After lunch we headed to LarcoMar to see Guardians of the Galaxy but of course the day before was the last day for it. So we checked online and found the theater in San Miguel was playing it at 4:15 instead of the 2:50 we had seen for LarcoMar.  So we took buses there only to find out that the time was wrong and the only showing of the day at San Miguel was 2:45 and it was dubbed not subtitled like the ad said.  So we decided to buy tickets to see Hercules but that subtitled showing was at 8:25 so we had basically 4 hours to kill. Daniela did some attempted shopping for jeans but eventually didn't buy anything.  She says if you do not buy it is not shopping but I wouldn't know what else to call it?  In any event we then decided to get a light dinner at La Baguette which does all sorts of foods. We got a sampler trio of empanadas and a side of papas fritas (French fries).  Daniela was not happy with the size of the order of the fries. She ordered a Limonada Cubana which I had to drink. It had mint and was done with club soda.  Fortunately I had ordered a normal limonada and she drank that. I could tell the mint flavor was too strong when I tasted the Cubana. I would not order that myself.  The food was good though. We ate taking our time because we still had a fair amount of time. Still, she had cell phone battery issues though and needed to make a call so we found a Claro booth that was willing to charge her phone for a few minutes.  She was able to get the number off her phone and use a pay phone to call.

From there we went to the theater and bought a bucket of popcorn and two drinks. I had a 7up and she had a chicha morada.  The combo deal gave us the second largest size of popcorn which could feed 20 people I think. They take orders in one line then fill the orders in a second line there. I think this would be a good process if the people filling the orders spent more time filling them than just wandering around aimlessly. We had more than 10 minutes before the movie started when we ordered but the wait brought us to the point the coming attractions were playing the second we sat down.  Kind of sad really.

The movie wasn't bad though I had low expectations going in. I certainly think there are better movies out there but there were some good jokes and action scenes in it. It had the Rock of course and Ian McShane who had a cool part.  I guess it was based on a comic book according to the end credits. I would say it is worth seeing though probably if we had been able to see Guardians of the Galaxy then I would have been happy to watch it on a plane or on cable.  We didn't finish the popcorn by the way.

After the movie we pretty much just got a cab and headed back to the apartment. We started to watch The Man Who Knew Too Much but we ended up falling asleep before it was over.

Peru Summer 2014 Day 6

We had a slightly later start but not really too bad. Daniela had to go to the office to present documents to some passengers so I stayed in the apartment and waited for her. When she was done she texted me and I walked down to meet her at the office. From there we walked to a couple of Spanish schools that do immersion classes not for this trip but for the next trip. There were two and they seemed similar though one was a bit cheaper than the other. The one that was cheaper had good reviews on TripAdvisor too.  We didn't have to pay anything at this point so it was just information gathering.

After the school search we chose to eat dinner at La Trattoria di Mambrino which had moved to LarcoMar.  We had eaten at the restaurant on a previous trip in a different location.  The waiter was very good and sold up a bit. We each tried a different cocktail. Mine had pisco in it and Daniela's was a strawberry flavored vodka drink I think.  The drink I had was not my favorite but I typically don't do cocktails anyway.  We had bread with olives, onions and dried tomatoes as a focaccia style starter along with a different version of eggplant parmigiana that had less sauce and more cheese on it. Both were very good. I had Cacio e Pepe which was rigatoni with a pecorino emulsion sauce with crushed black pepper for my meal. Daniela had Fettuccine Magnifica which was a cream sauce with prosciutto.  I had a glass of chianti that was very good to go along with the meal after I finished the other drink.  The food was all very excellent and the waiter was very smart and talkative and did a good job of suggesting things.  For dessert I had the Cinco Leches cake which was the traditional Tres Leches but with coconut milk and creme caramel as well.  It was quite good. Daniela wouldn't have any because she says she doesn't like it.  She took only the teensiest bite.

When we finished eating we walked back to the room where Daniela again had to go to the office to help a passenger that also was collecting documents for travel. I used that time to download Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory which Daniela had never seen before. Somewhere in conversation the day before the Oompa Loompas came up and she said she had no idea what they were. So when she got back we settled in and I connected the computer to the TV and we watched it.  She was dead tired by the end of the movie and we just sort of passed out by that point.

Peru Summer 2014 Day 5

We woke up early because Daniela wanted to go running so we actually did. Fortunately I had brought stuff to run with. We ran out to the waterfront from the apartment but found getting down to the actual beach would be tough because they are redoing the shoreline road so we just looked from slightly above it then headed back up the hill and around through the park to the apartment again. I think we ran for an hour and change. It was not high paced running at all. There aren't really a lot of hills in Miraflores until you get near the water so it was peacefully flat most of the time.

After the run we got cleaned up and I sent Daniela off to the office while I started to cook. I made barbecue chicken (similar to the recipe I did at their house before) with rice and green beans.  The rice I cooked in a rice cooker which I am not used to. It didn't come out the best but it was ok.  I added some lightly sauteed onion and garlic for flavor. The beans I cooked then sauteed in oil with garlic and oregano.  It took a while to make the sauce which I did as before with ketchup and Coke as the base.  Then I baked the chicken in the oven till done and finished as best I could under the broiler with the sauce.  It all came out ok. Not my best cooking but certainly not my worst.  Daniela invited her sister and friend over for lunch. They brought a bottle of chardonnay.  I would say I was cooking from about 11am till 2:30pm.  We ate and talked for a while. We had coffee and ice cream for dessert as well.

After we were done eating and the dishes had been cleaned up we relaxed for a while then got ready to go out to dancing per Daniela's request. There was a place in Barranco that was having a live salsa band on a Tuesday and she wanted to try it. We got cleaned up and headed to Barranco by taxi and first ate anticuchos at a restaurant in Barranco. Daniela misunderstood the portion sizes in ordering and bought far too much.  Still it was reasonably good food.  We had chicha morada to accompany the food.  After the meal we had a walk to the club where we got in and there was no band but the place was really crowded for a Tuesday.  We danced for a while and eventually the band did start up I think at about 1 or so. We danced for a few of their songs but I was mostly dead and after a while we left for the apartment. We got back and I think I crashed almost instantly.

Peru Summer 2014 Day 4

We got started fairly late in the morning and eventually got cleaned up and headed to the office after hanging around the apartment for some time. Daniela had some work to do in the afternoon and I accompanied her to the office to hang out for a little while.  Before we headed to the office we had Arabic food at a place she is not certain what the name is but it is across from Kennedy park.  The food was reasonable but not my favorite.  They were playing Arabic music very loudly so we sat outside even though I am sure Daniela was not fond of the temperature.

I spoke to Juan Carlos for a few minutes while Daniela was working in the office. He is the guy that owns the old fashioned record store in the same gallery the office is in. Yes, vinyl.  He played the first record of Live After Death for me which was pretty cool.  After she finished at the office we went shopping at the Metro which didn't take very long really.We bought some food for breakfast and lunch on Tuesday as well as some ice cream.

When we got back we made some coffee and had the ice cream and watched The Croods which I had gotten before I left. It was better than I expected honestly.  I was surprised Nicholas Cage did one of the voices. It didn't sound like him.  After the movie we watched a little bit more TV before calling it a night.

Peru Summer 2014 Day 3

It being Sunday we got moving later in the day. I made a pot of coffee because we had some Daniela had brought from home but we really didn't have any food so when we were ready we headed out to get breakfast which we did at the Chef's Cafe which is just around the corner from the apartment. I had a ham and cheese sandwich and she had a fruit salad with yogurt and honey.  The food was good. Each breakfast came with juice. We both got pineapple. And a cup of coffee. I had an Americano and Daniela had a cappuccino. After breakfast we were going to go shopping for food for the apartment but I guess we took too long because Daniela made us take a cab to her house instead. We got there before her sister and Edwin and helped with the preparation for the lunch (which tends to happen after 4pm by the way).  We were trying to find out what happened to my suitcase and had decided to got to the airport because it is only a few minutes away when they arrived so we turned around. Daniela's mom cooked lunch which was a stuffed caywa? (not sure of spelling) which was not quite like a pepper but I can't think of an equivalent. Also she made quinoa with chicken. We had brought some wine with us and we drank that during the lunch. Donna and Edwin brought a dessert of passion fruit pie. The food was all really good and we ate and talked. I had a tough time following the conversation most of the time.

During the lunch the airline called us and said we would get the suitcase around 7 probably so after we were done eating around 5:30 or so we just had to hang around and wait so we continued to just talk.  At 7:20 or so the suitcase did arrive and we immediately put it in Edwin's car and he drove us back to the apartment. That was very nice of him. Fortunately there wasn't too much traffic but he and Donna live much closer to the house then to Miraflores so they really went out of their way.

When we got into the apartment Daniela had not been feeling well for a while so we just made her some tea and she watched Rear Window the Alfred Hitchcock film.  I sort of started falling asleep and she eventually went to sleep after the movie as well.

Peru Summer 2014 Day 2

Since we got in so late we ended up sleeping very late too. I was exhausted from the full day of travel.  I am sure that even with the immediate rush to get to sleep it was past 3am before we actually did.  I am not fully certain what time we woke up either but I suspect it was past 10 or maybe even 11am.  We got cleaned and finished packing Daniela while her mother made us breakfast/lunch.  We had pan con chicharon and chaufa (which is Chinese style rice, ironic considering all the Chinese we had last time we were together...). The chaufa had chicken, pork, hot dogs, fried egg along with all the seasonings. The food was all very good.  By the time we were done eating and packing and everything else it was past 3pm. We took a cab over to the apartment which took extra time because the coastal route was apparently blocked with a big festival so the taxi driver said it would be much longer still than cutting through the city.

We got into the apartment then Daniela had to help a customer with some bookings at her office so I stayed and unpacked us a bit then waited for her to call me to come meet her so we could buy some basics for me since I had no luggage. It is definitely strange not having a change of clothes.  I am sure if it goes on too long before I get the bag my clothes will begin to walk around a bit. So we shopped I bit and I bought some underwear and socks and a shirt for the time being. I didn't want to spend too much money on clothes assuming my stuff is supposed to show up.  I had contacts and a holder for them but no saline solution so we also went to buy that. The market was very crowded so we decided not to shop just then and headed back to the room.

We spend the night in relaxing and ordered a pizza late since we couldn't really cook without food to cook then called it a night.  We had tea with our pizza because Daniela had brought that along from home too.  I took a few pictures today mostly of the apartment but I don't have the cable I need to download because the camera uses a special cable that is in my suitcase.

Peru Summer 2014 Day 1

The day started early so that I wouldn’t have my dad too stuck in traffic getting me to the airport. I arrived more than 3 hours early. Check in was easy although with TSA Pre for my security entrance the airport again let non-TSA Pre people in which bothered me because the vast majority of those people don’t know the rules and hold things up. Belts still on, metal in pockets , etc…  Still it was quick enough to get through. I wandered around for a bit and then found the Dunkin Donuts and got some coffee and a blueberry muffin then sat at the gate which was still clearing out the obviously totally overbooked flight ahead of mine. I played some games on the cell phone to kill some time while I waited for the boarding time.  I will give credit to terminal B in that it is bright and clean looking.  Watching the board I was #23 on the first upgrade list so that wasn’t going to happen.  I guess it was kind of cool to see I was on the upgrade list at all.  The board said it was going to be an airbus 319 for this leg to Houston.

We boarded easily and were off on time. The plane was indeed an airbus 319.  The flight was going along well, I had been sleeping most of it, until the pilot announced we would be diverting to Mobile, Alabama because of weather in Houston. We needed to refuel so we couldn’t make it all the way there and circle I guess?  So we landed quickly and just sat on the tarmac for at least 3 hours.  They were saying the thunderstorms over Houston caused a full ground stop.  At the third hour we were told we had to get off the plane because they have laws as to how long they can keep people in the plane on the tarmac.  So we all disembarked and the airport in Mobile, Alabama maybe has 7 gates and one shop/restaurant/bar.  The entire plane went there and the line was insane. I went to the bar eventually and got a Fat Tire beer and an order of fries. They were cooking burgers fast and I didn’t think I would get one not burnt to death.  Of course as soon as I got the beer and fries they announced we would board again. So I had to eat and drink quickly.  We reboarded after probably another hour and then it took another 20 minutes to get back into the air.  I am sure I am messing up all the timing. It was an hour and 20 minute flight though and we arrived at 5:30 then got stuck sitting waiting for a gate for another 10 minutes. The flight to Lima was originally supposed to depart at 3:45 with boarding at 3pm.  I had already seen on my United app that the flight was delayed and was supposed to depart at 5:30 when we landed then 5:45.  We got out of the plane at 5:50.  I spoke to the counter about change of flights and they started to give me the grim news that the flight had left and I would have to check into a flight of some sort the next day.  I was getting ready to take a flight that left Houston at 8:45am then went to Panama City through Copa then on to Lima for 7:30pm or so.  Bleh. But it was better than being in the Houston airport until 3pm because they wouldn’t pay for hotel as it was a “weather delay,” when the lady next to the one I was working with said the Lima flight hadn’t left.  They said it was at gate E20. I was at E9.  I had to run to the other side of the terminal of course. I got there to be told they moved gates to E2 (directly across from E9) as they were changing planes due to the mechanical issue.  So the flight was now supposed to depart at 7. Of course it was used for something else and had to be cleaned and prepped so they didn’t end up starting to board until about 7.

I think and we actually took off around 7:45.  Still the mechanical error saved my butt big time.  So I was able to board and get on my way. This plane was a 767 and I was in the back again with no one next to me which was nice. For all the alerts about the bumpy weather to Houston we had none. The flight to Lima had a lot though. I started by watching Appleseed Alpha then Maleficent then chose to sleep after that for the rest of the flight. They only had chicken on the food service but I didn’t end up eating it.  We landed at about 2am.  I was originally supposed to arrive at 10:30pm.  I got off the plane and had to fill out the immigration forms in the hallway because they forgot to bring them aboard the new plane and handed them to us at exit. I then got through immigration. Fortunately I have filled out those forms a bunch of times before and beat most of the other people to the line.  I then waited to the end to find out that they didn’t put my luggage on the plane. It was apparently rerouted to the flight the next day.  I had to fill out a claim and they said it will be delivered when it gets in quickly because I am a Premier member.

My beautiful Daniela was waiting in the terminal when I got out and we got our taxi to her house after a joyful reunion.  It being so late we both basically crashed immediately.  Even Forest wasn’t too excited I had arrived.  I received an email from United giving me the option of $100 eticket credit or 5000 miles. I chose to take the miles.  This was for the plane delays that kept me from having to sleep in the airport overnight. Ironic really. If only they had gotten my bag through too.