I just got back from the supermarket. Plaza Vea. There we bought four bottles of wine, some fruit, a bit of bread, a liter and a half of Inca Cola, five clipboards, and a couple of notebooks. Essentials. Tonight is our last night in Lima. Tomorrow we take an overnight bus about seventeen hours north to the region of Cajamarca, specifically the town of Jaen. Look it up on a map; it's small. So, you may be asking, what have I been up to over the past week...from outriding death on a mountain bike until now? Well, I have eaten well. Seriously.
I arrived into Lima on Monday morning where I was picked up by Carlos, our favorite Limean taxi driver. Essentially (as should not be suprising to many of you who know my travel companion Luke Dunnington), we have a personal cab company, owned by Carlos, whom we call upon for everything. Carlos is a spectacular friend to have in Lima. He gets us where we need to go, on time, and in comfort. Being picked up by Carlos was a great way to arrive in in this Peruvian port city.
Upon arrival, Carlos drove me to the workshop of Gaston Acurio. Gaston, for those of you who, like me, does not consider themselves a "foodie", is the face of Peruvian cuisine. It is his (and his organization's) mission to introduce the world to the taste and diversity of Peruvian food. Thanks to one of our Berkeley classmates, Luke, Kurt Huffman, Javier Linares, and myself were able to sit down with Gaston's right-hand man for three hours and talk about food, the organization's mission, and, most importantly, where we should spend every meal for the entire week. Armed with a list of Lima's best restaurants and an appetite, we set off for a week-long culinary tour of Peru's capital city.
I am not going to detail the entire week...that's a lot of meals. Let's just say I have been spoiled. I have never in my life had such incredible food at such remarkable restaurants. In the end we hit a half-dozen of the most highly respected restaurants in town. I won't describe every one of them; however, there are some highlights of the week that must be discussed.
1.) La Mar - This is Gaston's take on the traditional cevecheria. Ceviche, which many of you may not be familiar with is traditionally a dish of fresh (read: raw) fish, lime juice, and some onions, choclo, or other raw vegetables. There are a million different variations on ceviche, but I will just give you the basics. La Mar is Gaston's big international push right now. Those of us lucky enough to live in the Bay Area will be treated to this spectacular restaurant in the near future. While at La Mar Kurt and Luke put the waiters through their paces, asking about each dish, the ingredients, and how it was prepared. Concurrently we sucked down a few pisco sours and had a general great time.
2.) Chez Wong - Picture prohibition. Perhaps you want to dance, maybe enjoy some jazz piano, and drink a whiskey. Where would you go? A speakeasy. A soft knock at an unmarked door, the right password, and voila...booze. Fast forward about seventy years. Let's say you want some of the best ceviche in Peru. You head to an unmarked door in a non-descript working-class neighborhood in Lima. Once there, you motion to the guy at the door to allow you access to a simply decorated room with a few tables, a refrigerator, a large gas burner, and an aging Asian man cutting up fish. This is Javier Wong's restaurant. A menu-less establishment that has been named one of the top restaurants in Lima. This was by far my favorite restaurant. Basically, eating at Chez Wong's was like sitting in a person's kitchen...however, this person is a renowned Peruvian chef. While the clandestine aspect of the restaurant was engaging, it was the fresh ceviche that really made the experience.
3.) Pisco Sours - By far the most dangerous drinks ever created. Thus, why would we NOT make up a rating system for them? From strength and consistency, to foam and deadliness, we spent a lot of time ranking the best pisco sours from across Lima. Ask us about which are the don't miss spots...it's a bit hazy, but we may remember where they are.
Ok, now, I know what some of you are thinking: aren't you supposed to be working down in Peru? Well, amazingly, we did that as well. In between phenomenal meals, we used this week to meet with different development organizations, buy maps, and prepare our general research plan. Luke, Niels, and myself are now ready to spend the next few weeks in one of Peru's most northern provinces looking at sustainable financing and productive use of solar power and micro-hydro systems. We will be spending a significant amount of time in communities that rely on these alternative sources for all of their energy needs. Amazingly, I actually think we are going to do some good work once we get up to our destination.
So now it is time to enjoy my last night in our spacious apartment in Lima. For the next two weeks I expect simple and, well, challenging accomodations. And in terms of food: cheese, bread, and probably a load of lomo saltado. I will try and update from "out there" but no guarantees. Buen Provecho!
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