Day 1: Gastronomy

We made it. It’s only been twenty-four hours and we all feel as if we’ve been here for quite sometime. Everyone seems to really enjoy Peru. The three of us are loving it. So far, we’ve battled airport security, Lima traffic, altitude sickness and the Inca revenge. Only one fatality… Just kidding. Moms, calm down.

We arrived in Lima after sitting on the runway for way too long, about 2 ½ hours. Everyone was really tired, so we went straight to bed. The next day we went to the Archeology museum in Lima which had very interesting articles from pre-Hispanic times. One of the interesting things about the pottery was that many of the pieces were themed around major dietary staples. This was particularly interesting because the tour guide mentioned that gastronomy is a major area of Peruvian culture and this was a manifestation of that sentiment. We saw pieces that represented corn, potatoes, chiles, and many other foods. The pre-Hispanic people of Peru especially idolized foods such as corn which can be seen in this quote from our readings: “A gold stalk of maize, of twenty four karats, with three leaves and two cobs of gold…” (Fernádez de Alfaro 1904: 168 [1533]).

Our flight from Lima to Cusco was very pleasant and immensely beautiful. Traveling on LAN Peru, which served real snacks, the entire group was situated on the port side of the plane. This allowed us to peer out our windows to view the amazing Andes mountain chain as the traveled south. Some were snow capped, others lush green, and some seemed as if we could reach out the window to touch. Coming upon Cusco, we could see a city built into the valley. Roofs of different heights mixed with green pastures. The images were beautiful and literally breathtaking. The landing was definitely not for the faint of heart. We have participated in many interesting native rituals for getting rid of altitude sickness to say the least.
Our charming hotel in Cusco is up an alley. While she hasn’t had the experience, Kelsey believes the architectural style could be coined as alpaca-herder’s mountain cottage. We have no choice but to believe her. Each room has a different lay-out at a different height within the building. We really like this place, even if the rooms are small. So small, the shower is small enough to fit into the closet. Literally: the shower is in the closet.

Gastronomy

We’ve had two exposures to true Peruvian food. Yesterday for lunch, we ate at La Bolivariano, an open-air restaurant near the Museum of Anthropology and Archeology. Sitting along a long table,
One particular vegetable that surprised everyone was a Peruvian variety of maíz (corn). The cornels were light yellow and the size of a thumb nail. The taste was a strong starch but very flavorful. Maiz is a very important to several American cultures, especially Peru
Our second restaurant was here in Cusco. A local tapas bar, we sat down at 21h 00m at two large tables for a leisurely meal. Appetizers, ordered by our professor, included BBQ cuy (guienny pig), octopus, duck prosciutto, and trout ceviche. We each tried a little of everything, some of us with more success than others. For the main dishes, we enjoyed trout, risotto, lamb and alpaca. Alpaca tastes like gammy, tough stake or pork, depending upon whom you ask. All and all, we enjoyed our meals, passing around our plates so everyone could have a bite. Wonderful stories were shared with the group, including one of Drew’s family’s favorite games, where everyone at the table told their favorite part of the day and their least favorite part of the day.

Traditional Peruvian dishes are expanding globally. Some locals, including our professor, explained that Peruvian restaurants are opening world-wide. We consider ourselves lucky to get
to try the dishes in the country of origin.