I was lucky enough to meet my Peruvian friend and former colleuge, Dr. Julio Lara-Valle here in Lima. Let me just say that it is official. I`m definitly a city person! I love being back in a big city. I am staying a nice neighborhood here in Lima called Miraflores. The beach is close by, along with stores and nice resturaunts within walking distnce, and there is a goergeous park next to the beach that runs the lenght of the city. The actual beach is not much to write home about....but I will anyway....it is mostly rocks and pebbles. But the park and the surounding cliffs (similar to that of LA) are really quite a site!
I called Dr. Lara-Valle as soon as I got settled in here, and did a few exploritory rounds of my new hood. A little to my surprise, he arrived shortly after. We went straight to a great resturaunt where we met his brother for´lunch`. Now I put this in quotes because it wasn`t your typical lunch. We started with a round of pisco sours...the national drink. Pisco, is made in Pisco, Peru and its is like some type of combination between white rum and white tequilla. Now mix this with egg whites, sugar, and sour mix....and you have a pisco sour. We were literally at this resturaunt all day! I think from 11am till 4pm. I ate my heart out!!! After two weeks of roasted chiken and rice or french fries- I was celebrating the gift of the buffet! Tons of fresh seafood, as well as other meats, local dishes, soups, deserts, and of course drinks! Our final tab was 300 soles....about 30 dolars each....and Dr. Lara-Valle was kind enough to pick up the tab!
I went back to the hostel....where there is actually a warm shower!!!!! and I got ready for the evening. Knowing all too well that Dr. Lara-Valle was trying to set me up all along with his Dr. friend, who actually lives in Chicago, but is here on a medical mission for 6 months. We may actually meet up again in the town where she will be working, Iquitos. I never really respond well to being set up, and this she is no exception to the rule. Nonetheless, it was fun to meet her, and listen to funny comments from the peanut gallery all night long!
The party started at 12:00 am...yes the stroke of the new year....literally my first drink and the first song were at midnight! Officially it started at 10...when I showed up...and again I was early for the party. The party was at my friends house, which is in a suburb of Lima called Sur de la Molina. It is a nice community to the east of the city. There was a nice crowd there, a combination of both young and old. Dinner was served around 1 am and it was chinese food. The other family that shares the property with my friend is of Chinese descent, so everything wasa decorated accordingly. There were even some kids who preformed a traditional new years dance and celebration....complete with dragon and all!
Everyone danced! All night long. Literally if you were the one sitting down, you were the outcast. And the band kept playing until the last people had either left or half fallen asleep. I was a part of the latter. I ended up sleeping at their house....in a great comfortable bed! Of which I did not enter until 5:30 in the morning. What can I say, I could not end my party before my host! I was urged to stay for breakfast....and then lunch! In which more deep political discussion were had and more wine was drank. All in all it was quite an expierence. I desperatly want some rest...but hey, how often are you in Miraflores, Lima???
I called Dr. Lara-Valle as soon as I got settled in here, and did a few exploritory rounds of my new hood. A little to my surprise, he arrived shortly after. We went straight to a great resturaunt where we met his brother for´lunch`. Now I put this in quotes because it wasn`t your typical lunch. We started with a round of pisco sours...the national drink. Pisco, is made in Pisco, Peru and its is like some type of combination between white rum and white tequilla. Now mix this with egg whites, sugar, and sour mix....and you have a pisco sour. We were literally at this resturaunt all day! I think from 11am till 4pm. I ate my heart out!!! After two weeks of roasted chiken and rice or french fries- I was celebrating the gift of the buffet! Tons of fresh seafood, as well as other meats, local dishes, soups, deserts, and of course drinks! Our final tab was 300 soles....about 30 dolars each....and Dr. Lara-Valle was kind enough to pick up the tab!
I went back to the hostel....where there is actually a warm shower!!!!! and I got ready for the evening. Knowing all too well that Dr. Lara-Valle was trying to set me up all along with his Dr. friend, who actually lives in Chicago, but is here on a medical mission for 6 months. We may actually meet up again in the town where she will be working, Iquitos. I never really respond well to being set up, and this she is no exception to the rule. Nonetheless, it was fun to meet her, and listen to funny comments from the peanut gallery all night long!
The party started at 12:00 am...yes the stroke of the new year....literally my first drink and the first song were at midnight! Officially it started at 10...when I showed up...and again I was early for the party. The party was at my friends house, which is in a suburb of Lima called Sur de la Molina. It is a nice community to the east of the city. There was a nice crowd there, a combination of both young and old. Dinner was served around 1 am and it was chinese food. The other family that shares the property with my friend is of Chinese descent, so everything wasa decorated accordingly. There were even some kids who preformed a traditional new years dance and celebration....complete with dragon and all!
Everyone danced! All night long. Literally if you were the one sitting down, you were the outcast. And the band kept playing until the last people had either left or half fallen asleep. I was a part of the latter. I ended up sleeping at their house....in a great comfortable bed! Of which I did not enter until 5:30 in the morning. What can I say, I could not end my party before my host! I was urged to stay for breakfast....and then lunch! In which more deep political discussion were had and more wine was drank. All in all it was quite an expierence. I desperatly want some rest...but hey, how often are you in Miraflores, Lima???
3 comments:
Kevin...Sounds like a blast....I agree....how often are you gonna be there....you sleep when you get back to Chicago. Happy New Year!!!! Sounds like you are off to a good start for 2009.
Jonny
Also...my entire family loves reading the blogs...we all want more pictures and stories from you....my mom was literally crying from reading your Christmas stories.
Glad everyone is enjoying them...there is a lot to blog about, but I try to filter out the stuff that people wont care about. As far as the pix go...it is difficult...the internet is all slow down here, and it takes forever just to upload one pic! I`ll do my best!
Post a Comment