RIght under our noses...

In our fruitless searches for healthy foods over the last four days, we passed this corner restaurant a dozen times (being that it's a block from where we are staying) and even commented once that "we shouldn't fight it...we should just try it".

Well, today we tried it and were pleasantly surprised.  We had a large bowl of cooked green beans, mushrooms and carrots, skinless fresh tomatoes, and avocados topped with grilled chicken and a carne empanada on the side.  It was everything we were hoping for!  It just goes to show you that sometimes what you are looking for is right under your nose :)

On a side note, we took a picture of this contraption that is a reminder of the type of area we are in:

It is a locking device located on the back of every chair to lock belongings to their owners.  This is a common at the cafes and restaurants as double lock doors with escorts in and out EVERY TIME at the hostals.  We have felt very safe and secure so far, but with little things like this omnipresent, we know this is no place to become complacent.

Peruvian Pisco

The popular drink in Peru is called the Pisco Sour.  It is made with a traditional Peruvian alcohol called Pisco, simple syrup, fresh lime juice, and egg whites.   Unfortunately, the drink is usually blended with ice (and Americans are not recommended to eat anything made with ice) so we have yet to sample it.  Todd keeps threatening and tonight is probably the night.  We even considered buying a bottle of Pisco from the supermarket and making the drink ourselves, but it's so similar to tequila, that Kristina thought better of buying 750ml of rocket fuel.  Plus, with a shelf stock like the one shown in the photo, how is anyone supposed to choose a bottle?!?

Hace Mal Tiempo

A head high swell is predicted for Sunday and Monday at a surf spot called La Herradura near where "coincidentally" we are staying.  Although the water is only about 60 degrees F, murky, and generally unappealing looking, we have decided to stay in Miraflores until Monday in hopes of some fun surf.  While we await the waves, we continue to explore the city.

Todd says, "if 'ruins' are a highlight of an area, perhaps the area is not very exciting".  Kristina is on the hunt for excitement.  Today we visited the pre-Incan ruins called Huaca Pucllana:

The structure was built of adobe and clay around 500 AD.  It is believed that the pyramid served as a ceremonial and administrative center for the city of Lima.  Regrettably, Todd is still not convinced that ruins are very exciting and is reconsidering his Broadway Musical commentary.  However, he has come to terms with the fact that Machu Picchu is in his near future.

As the photos we have posted show, the sun rarely, if ever, shines in this area of the world.  (Go ahead and try to find a shadow in any of them!)  Our suspicions were confirmed by a local who told us that the weather is overcast almost all year long, except for the days that it is foggy.  We are beginning to understand the phrase: "Hace mal tiempo."

"To Watch Flowers"

We are VERY happy about our decision to visit Miraflores!!!  In this new town, we are staying at a great little hostal called The Angel's Inn run by Isabel and her husband where we have access to a shared kitchen (which we used to cook dinner tonight), hot water, wireless internet, and, for the moment, a five person bedroom all to ourselves. 

Following Isabel's recommendations, we ventured up towards the Parque Central de Miraflores where we stopped at a small Peruvian cafe for lunch and upon being rushed by our impatient waiter, we ordered the only things off the menu that we could understand: a plate of beans, rice and meat, and seafood soup. 

After the unimpressive and heavy lunch, we decided to visit the park's supermarket for some much needed and long anticipated vegetables to cook for dinner in our new kitchen.  In Peru, the water is very unsafe, so Americans are not recommended to eat any fruit or vegetables that cannot be peeled or cooked at high temperatures.  We have taken the warning to heart and have therefore not been eating very healthily.  So, for dinner, we excitedly chose broccoli, mushrooms, carrots and sausage for a stir-fry.  We also found a black ear of corn, bananas, a passion fruit and a huge papaya that we could not pass up:

Our dinner was all that we had hoped it would be... until we got to the corn.  Being the dumb tourists that we are, we boiled the beautiful black ear of corn the same way we would cook regular corn in Hawaii.  Upon sampling the dry, flavorless kernels, we noticed that our fingers were turning a purple/black color (which stayed on our hands through a few washes).  Our host, Isasbel, later explained that the black corn is special Peruvian corn and it is used to make a local drink by boiling it in water for an hour and adding cinnamon and pineapple.  She proceeded to say, with a chuckle, that Peruvians do not eat this type of corn... tourists always do. 

We also walked along the coastal cliffs:

and revisited the park which had come to life on this Friday evening!  The center of the park houses a small, dug-out amphitheater where Peruvian elders were dancing the night away:

Miraflores is truly a welcome change from Lima!!