For one thing, how do they keep the sidewalks so perfect?
The book 1491 by Charles Mann explores what pre-Colombian America, north and south, was really like. It uses first-hand accounts written by the earliest explorers. It will make you question what you were taught about indigenous cultures.
What I remember about the Andean chapter is that the early explorers, most notably Pizzaro, wrote not of dirty savages but of — among other things — fantastic roads, perfect roads through incredibly rough terrain, the high and steep Andes. The food blew Pizzaro’s mind too; remember, they didn’t even have potatoes, tomatoes, or corn in Europe at that time.
I haven’t experienced the Andes yet. Tomorrow I’ll go there.
But one thing that totally impresses me about Lima, one thing that sets it apart from almost every other city I’ve visited, is how smooth, clean and perfect are its sidewalks. In Mexico or Colombia or even in New York, sidewalks represent as dirty, treacherous ankle sprainers. Here I don’t feel like I have to watch my step any more than I do in my own kitchen.
Sidewalks as smooth as an ice rink after the Zamboni does its thing? It’s delightfully absurd that this impresses me, but it does. I’m sure there are neighborhoods where the sidewalks are uneven and dirty, but I haven’t found one.
It’s just something I’ve noticed, something interesting in light of the gushing, over-the-top firsthand accounts of perfect roads through the Andes 500 years ago.
Another surprise: the food
I had no idea just how good the food is here, on par with France or Italy in terms of the quality of ingredients and expertise of preparation. Refreshingly, they don’t serve it to you here with European snootiness; good food just comes with the territory.
Of course I’ve eaten at Peruvian restaurants in NYC. In Medellín I found a pretty good one(affordable too — like $10 USD for a filling dinner, maybe $15 with a couple beers) and ate there several times. I thought I had some idea, but I had no idea.
By no means have I become an expert on Peruvian cuisine, but just walking the streets you can see and smell the rich array of options available. Yesterday I treated myself to a more expensive meal than I usually would, a “fine dining” experience. I ordered a dish with which I am familiar — lomo saltado (beef tenderloin stir fry — which I believe is prepared in a wok).
It was espectacular! It ruined Peruvian food for me outside of Peru. I think the quality of ingredients makes prepared food so good here, not to dab on the chefs in any way, mind you. They cultivate 300 different types of potatoes in Peru. Many dishes feature potatoes which taste very “potatoey.” It’s hard to explain, but it’s like eating a real potato after a lifetime of eating genetically modified fakes.
I also tried a grilled octopus dish (forgot what it’s called, “[something] pulpo,” obviously), served in a creamy potato sauce. The textures and flavors were sublime. Octopus is a guilty pleasure for me; I don’t like eating a creature that may well be more intelligent than I. When I eat it, I feel super bad if it’s just grilled chewy protein, like a high consciousness being was sacrificed for nothing. I didn’t feel bad about eating the octopus I ate yesterday, it was a singular culinary experience; I hope that some creature dines on my corpse and enjoys it as much as I enjoyed that octopus… not any time soon, of course.
The “chifa” (Peruvian-style Chinese food… or is it Chinese-style Peruvian food?) remains on the yet-to-try list. Those restaurants are everywhere so I’ll just wander into one some afternoon when I’m hungry, perhaps today.
I’m not yet qualified to talk intelligently about Peruvian food. Options abound, and I only know a few. I will do a more extensive post on food at a later date. Suffice to say, it’s yummy, nourishing and satisfying.
The weather — not brutally hot?
Having spent a couple weeks in El Salvador in the middle of their winter and sweating like a pig the whole time, I braced myself for serious heat here in Lima, especially since it’s the middle of summer here. Lima is not much further from the equator than is San Salvador. It’s at sea level. It should be similarly hot, right?
It’s not. It’s the middle of summer, and the high temperatures have been around 80F/27C. I was in the park yesterday afternoon, and it was beautiful not just because of the sea views and flora but because of the kids getting lessons of various kinds: There were kids on the tennis courts being coached, kids roller blading between cones as their coach cheered them on, kids in boxing gloves sparring gently — all kinds of learning and physical activity going on.
Lessons galore…
I found out that this phenomenon in the park is called “summer school” because it’s summer vacation so apparently kids learn these various things instead of sitting around scrolling their phones all day (or whatever USA kids do these days). How could they do that if the weather were too hot or too rainy or whatever?
There are also various classes and lessons available to us older folks every single day. Apparently, they have a big salsa lesson/party in Pueblo Libre every single night. Cost: $10 SOL (around $3 USD). There’s also a cooking school near where I’m staying in Miraflores. When I come back, I will definitely be taking full advantage of that.
Surprisingly tall and fashionable people…
This is the only place I’ve ever been in Latin America where they don’t clock me as a gringo right off the bat. In fact, I haven’t even heard the word “gringo” here; apparently it’s regarded as a rude slur.
Not to say that gringos are tall and fashionable, mind you, just that we tend to stand out down here. Even if you’re short and pudgy and wearing a wife-beater muscle shirt, you’re going to be identified as a gringo instantly in CDMX or San Salvador.
I expected to find diminutive, sun-weathered mountain people, indigenous folks blowing happily on zampoñas. Instead, I meet tall, good looking, well groomed, well educated people.
(I realize that this section might offend some people, but please don’t be offended. In a way, I take pleasure in sticking out like a sore thumb as a gringo even while admiring the luminous beauty of mestizo Latinos. Just saying that I don’t feel like I’m sticking out here. This is also not racially based — black gringos stand out vs. black Mexicans or Colombians or Dominicans.)
Bicycles and safe bike lanes everywhere!
This I did not expect, and it absolutely delights me! Those of you who know me know that I’m allergic to gyms, preferring to get my exercise in the fresh air. I love hiking, swimming, sailing, and especially bicycling. One thing I love about La Paz, Mexico, is that it’s easy to get around, at least in el centro, on a bicycle. The same is true here. There are bike lanes everywhere, and what’s cool is that they are largely on parkways, safely separate from cars. Even where there are no bike lanes, the roads seem fairly safe.
The roads and bike lanes are just as nice as the sidewalks mentioned above, and given the comfortable climate, this city strikes me as a cyclist’s dream. I’m actually a cycling zealot and firmly believe that the world would be a better place if more people could take advantage of this wonderful, healthy form of transportation on a more regular basis.
Lots and lots to do!
I only have a few days here before going to Cuzco. One of those was Martin Luther King Day, a day off for me. As I looked for things to do and explore, the options overwhelmed me a bit. There are artsy districts like Barranco, beautiful parks with cool sculptures and gardens (I especially enjoyed “Parque del Amor”), tons of museums, historical and even archaeological sites right inside the city!
Obviamente, I didn’t see it all in my one day off, but I will be coming back to this unexpectedly (especially in light of the first impression) beautiful and cosmopolitan city. Even as a New Yorker, I feel like a bit of a hayseed here, I guess because I’m still a newbie finding my way around instead of the grizzled NYC veteran that I am when home.
At least I don’t have to worry about spraining my ankle because of a crappy sidewalk. 😉 It’s easier to find your way around when your eyes aren’t on the ground constantly.
I really like this place. It’s easy to believe that pre-Colombian civilization was a lot more advanced than we were led to believe. It’s probably related to earth energy.
(Click images to enlarge)
