Monday 15 December 2014

Exploring Cusco

We didn't spend long in Cusco, the former Inca capital, so did not have the time to experience the amazing nightlife that my friends (who had gone a few weeks before) had raved about, but we did manage to have enough time to get in a bit of culture and have a whistlestop tour of the beautiful city.

View from our bedroom window

Having previously been warned to take precautions because of the altitude, we made sure to take altitude sickness tablets before we went, and also rested for a little while before exploring the place. However, at 3,400 m, we still weren't reacting too well to being there, despite the pills and copious amounts of coca tea, the ubiquitous drink that you just can't escape from in Cusco - it apparently holds the secret to health in the highlands.

Coca tea

The coca tea is an acquired taste but I did get to quite like it. Although I came across some teabags, most of the time it is given in the form of leaves, to which boiling water is added, and then VOILA! - leaf-tasting water. The leaves come from the coca plant that grows abundantly in the Peruvian jungle, the plant from which is produced the dangerous drug, cocaine. However, don't be afraid of this little leaf - in its original form it is harmless, and actually very healthy.


Cusco itself is absolutely breathtaking and is full of charming little streets, elegant-looking buildings, and impressive churches that date back to the Spanish colonial era. The exploration had to be slow, however; the air is thin, and I found myself feeling faint whenever I tried to run or walk too fast, sometimes having to sit down on the ground until my equilibrium was restored.


The city was originally built by the Incas and has a unique shape - the layout actually takes the form of a puma. However, much of the original Inca architecture was destroyed by the Spanish invaders, and the architectural glories that exist to this day were built on the remains of the Inca temples by the Spanish in an attempt to quash the Andean culture. However, this wasn't completely successful and so nowadays the city is a fascinating mix of the remains of the Inca empire and its traditions and the relatively more modern Spanish influences.

 Many of the locals know exactly how to draw in the tourists

Unfortunately, because of the tourist pull (mainly due to the fact the city has exclusive access to Machu Picchu), Cusco is more expensive compared to other places in Peru, and so a shoestring budget will have to be put on hold. However, it is a must-see for those travelling to this country, and is chock-full of beauty, history, and tradition. I just wish I had spent more time there.

Wednesday 10 December 2014

Magic Water Circuit

Oh where to begin! The last two weeks have disappeared in a haze of activity and excitement that far surpassed my original expectations. Machu Picchu was a hard climb but was so wonderful to see; despite having seen countless pictures of the place, I was absolutely bowled over seeing it 'in the flesh'. And, as well as this, I also used my boyfriend's visit as an excuse to do all of the touristy things in Lima that I've been meaning to do over the last 5 months, but never seemed to get around to (such as paragliding and surfing). 

I actually have so much to report and write about that I'm loathe to do it in one post, so I've decided that my two-week stint spent in Cusco, Lima, and climbing Machu Picchu will be done as a series of posts. Just a collection of recommendations and thoughts, rather than a step by step of what we did. Some things probably even deserve a post all of their own. So here goes.


Soon after Tobias arrived, we had one evening in Lima before hopping on the plane to Cusco, the town from which people go on to climb the mountain, and we spent this evening at the Magic Water Circuit (Circuito del Agua) at Parque de la Reserva in Miraflores. This is a place I've been wanting to go to for ages, as everyone raves about it, so a couple of weeks ago I finally did. 


The park, which has been open for about seven years now, has thirteen illuminated fountains, and an amazing atmosphere. It manages to maintain that difficult balance of being family-friendly but also a romantic spot for couples, or just a perfect destination for a fun night out for groups of adult friends. The fountains can be admired at your leisure, either by walking or by taking the little train that drives around the park. We did both - I tapped into my inner child when I saw the little train meandering around the place, and we fitted into the tiny carriage - just. 


The place is awash with colour and joy, and if you fancy getting wet (which I did), you can run into the fountains and enjoy being splashed, or you can keep a safe distance like Tobias did, and just appreciate the beautiful coalescence of water and colourful light, maybe whilst also taking pictures of your girlfriend acting like an overexcited five year old (which she definitely regretting after realising she hadn't brought a change of clothes). 


But the most impressive sight by far was the water show, an absolutely spellbinding 20 minute piece, weaving together music, water, and incredible coloured light projections absolutely seamlessly, and leaving us mesmerised. I'm glad I watched this before jumping into the fountains and running through water tunnels though, as I think spending the 20 minutes shivering and with soggy feet would have detracted from the magic somewhat.


All-in-all, it was a fabulous evening, with the only negative bit being that it ended with a last minute and frantic packing session before we could collapse into bed and refresh ourselves for our adventure the next day. Next stop: Cusco.

Thursday 20 November 2014

German Visitor

Just a short post today as I am very soon off to the airport to pick up my boyfriend who I haven't seen for 5 months! He's flown all the way from Germany and is here for a whole 12 days. It feels really strange that this moment is suddenly upon me - I've been looking forward to it for so long it almost feels like a dream that I'm actually going to see him in the flesh in exactly two hours time. I've been envisaging 'Love Actually'-esque airport reunion scenes in my head all day.

We'll be flying off to Cusco on Saturday to spend a few days climbing Machu Picchu, which of course is a must-see for anyone visiting Peru. Unfortunately, I woke up the day after Halloween minus a smartphone, so now we will have only one camera between us (I'm hoping he's remembered his!). Because it goes without saying, I need the obligatory 'standing-on-top-of-machu-picchu-with-my-arms-wide-open' snap. I'd be devastated if I didn't get that.

Sunday 16 November 2014

A Summer Christmas

Well, summer is well and truly here. And it's really not helping me get into the festive spirit (and being a big lover of Christmas, I'm kind of sad about this). Sure, all the necessities are there - typical Christmas music playing in every shop and cafe, beautiful Christmas trees and lights adorning the town, and walking into my local supermarket is akin to entering the home of an overexcited, drunk elf. But it all seems...wrong somehow. I seem to have a major psychological block when it comes to marrying the sweltering temperatures (upwards of 25 degrees) and the fact my favourite time of the year is on its way.

What has struck me as strange is that, even though the current temperatures are calling for sunglasses, flip-flops, and bikinis, Christmas is still being sold as a winter holiday. The Starbucks here is offering its 'warming winter flavours' (including cinnamon, apple, and dark cherry) served in festive cups decorated with snowflakes. The songs are referencing snow, the comfort of a warm fire, and the fact it's cold outside. I see big polystyrene snowmen standing on bunches of cotton wool. And Santa, whose face is everywhere at the moment, is donning his winter furs.

I guess that's the natural consequences of globalisation. The world is becoming a smaller place, and it is harder and harder for anyone to escape the assimilation of cultures. In many ways it's great, but can sometimes result in certain traditions and ideals being superimposed onto places and cultures where it makes no sense. It would be lovely to see a 'summer' version of Christmas, instead of this pretence that we're living in deepest Siberia, but I suppose the 'ideal' Christmas is just too entrenched on the global brain now for that ever to happen.

Last year, spending Christmas in Germany, the mother of many Christmas traditions, was wonderful. Going to the beautiful and bustling markets having a numb face and decked in gloves and a scarf made drinking a hot Gluehwein next to the huge Christmas tree an almost magical experience. But here, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt making my way to the beach and licking an ice-cream, no amount of snowmen, renditions of 'let it snow', or fake snowflakes in the shop windows are going to make me want to buy a dark cherry mocha in a festive cup.

Thursday 30 October 2014

Iquitos and the Amazon Jungle

Visiting the Amazon jungle was everything I had anticipated and more. I only had a superficial impression of the place, but I guess I can't reasonably expect more from a 2-day trip. When I look back though, it feels so much longer - I can't believe how much I packed in.

On arriving at Iquitos I was surprised to get off the plane to heavy rain. After living in Lima for so long, which is permanently devoid of the stuff, I was most unaccustomed and terribly unprepared. But it wasn't a horrible England-type shower - it was warm and smelled fresh, and was actually quite pleasant after being cooped up on a plane for 2 and a half hours.

So after the inevitable long wait at the baggage collection area (seriously, why is it always my case that comes out last?!), I was very excited to get my adventure started, wheeled out my suitcase to the pick up lobby, and welcomed the sight of a man holding up a white card with my name on it. It was already dark so for the half hour journey to my hostel, I did not get to see much of the city. However, I did get an eyeful of dirty road water as a car drove past and whipped it up at just the right angle for it to fly through the driver's open window and into my face. I was worried I'd go blind but I seem to be alright so far.

The hostel, Golondrinas, I had booked beforehand, and for a mere 20 soles (£4), I wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised. It scored major points for its pool, and it didn't take long before my bikini was on and I was jumping in. As well as that though, the rooms were clean and comfortable, and I was out like a light when I crawled into bed in anticipation of the upcoming 2 days.

Jungle lodgings

In the morning I was up bright and early ready for my guide to pick me up from the hostel at 9am to take me to the jungle, where I thought I would meet the rest of the group. However, as it turned out, I had my own personal jungle experience on account that I was the only person who had booked up for those days. The only time I was a bit apprehensive about this was on the first day when we went out for a hike and I followed the man I had met earlier on that day into the deep jungle whilst he was armed with a machete. As it turned out though, the machete was to cut down the pesky branches that got in the way and not to carve me up, so I did come out alive. 

The day and night hikes were phenomenal. The size and colours of the butterflies were astounding, and they were everywhere! I also saw some of the biggest moths I've ever seen in my life. By night the wildlife was a little different. The guide, Ashuco, was pointing out spiders the size of my palm running into the undergrowth, but I was less interested in that than the frogs by the waterside. There were everything from the tiniest yellow ones to the hugest bright green. I was having a great time posing with my amphibian friends.



As well as these hikes, the trip was filled with other amazing activities - we went early morning piranha fishing (and I was pleased to have been able to catch 7 of them - despite the fact most were tiny), swam in the Amazon river (occasionally getting peeks of the pink dolphins we were sharing the water with), visited a local jungle village, and went on boat rides to admire the breathtaking scenery and watch the sun set. 



Catch of the day 

Look carefully and you'll spot a parakeet

Boat rides on the Amazon River

But I have to admit, the highlight for me was visiting Monkey Island, mainly because I have immense and indescribable amounts of love for the little hairy critters, and as a result, was absolutely bursting with excitement at the idea of having actual physical contact with them. I wondered if they might be shy, but they were anything but. On the island were a range of different species - capuchins, spider monkeys, woolly monkeys and more.

I was melting anyway as they bounded over to me and held my hand, rested on my lap, or climbed on my head, but I was almost a liquid mess on the floor when I saw a spider monkey, Susie, walk over with her 2-month old baby clinging to her chest. It was maybe a little bigger than my hand, but not much, and I had to resist with every bone in my body the temptation to grab it and run. However, although the baby was outrageously cute, I think my true soft spot was reserved for Tintin, the woolly monkey, who liked to hold and lick my hand and would clamber up so I could hold him. And he truly was the woolliest thing.

There were sloths as well as monkeys

Handling an anaconda is also an option

Tintin and me

Playing with some of the monkeys

Even though I was only there for 2 days, I feel I did and experienced so much. The dream would be to go back some day and spend longer there, maybe going a little deeper into the rainforest and getting a less touristy experience. The city itself I wasn't enamoured of, so I wouldn't be too bothered about visiting Iquitos again. But as an entrance point, it's probably one of the easiest and most obvious solutions for anyone wishing to go to the Peruvian Amazon.

I feel a little sad that the trip I was looking forward to so much is now over, but my melancholy is abated when I think about my trip to Machu Picchu with my boyfriend in 3 weeks time - and I'm guessing that will be equally as spectacular. 


Goodbye for now sweet Amazon - I'm sure we'll meet again.

Friday 24 October 2014

Jiving in the Jungle

Today I'm super excited and itching to leave tomorrow for my weekend in the Amazon jungle. Mostly prepared but, being disorganised before I came to Peru, I neglected to remember to bring the essential hiking clothing, and so now have to make do with the few things I have. Fortunately I remembered to bring a rain jacket, which is probably a must when visiting the rainforest, and also my hiking boots, which have served me very well in the past when trekking the Brecon Beacons and Mount Kenya, but I am a little concerned that I am going to have make do with wearing my jeans and cumbersome jumpers, as my good gear is usefully sitting at home, in England, tucked away in my wardrobe. Ah well, nothing can dampen my excitement about playing with monkeys, swimming with pink dolphins and boating down the river.

With everything booked and now paid for, I am raring to go. Flight. Check. Taxi. Check. Hostel. Check. I am now suffering the familiar palpitations I normally get before a flight - well, before using an airport to be more precise. I am always so paranoid about missing a piece of documentation or arriving 30 seconds too late or some other such disaster occurring that every time I travel, I see the airport experience as a huge scary black smudge in my mind, obscuring the usually amazing holiday that awaits beyond.

In fact, last year, when holidaying with my friends, it got so bad in the car on the way to the airport with me constantly checking I had my passport and boarding pass (about every 20 seconds on average), that my friend actually took my bag away from me. I'm not sure what I thought would happen in a zipped up bag in a moving car on a motorway, but such is my fear.

So, providing everything goes well and I do in fact manage to get on the plane, I will be travelling to the more northerly Iquitos, the world's largest city that cannot be reached by road. It is Peru's largest jungle city and so very popular with rainforest-hungry tourists (like me). The tour I have booked is only two days long, but absolutely packed with activity from morning til night. Among other things, I will be holding anacondas, fishing for piranhas, and visiting a local tribe.

Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, here I come....

Monday 20 October 2014

Skills a Copywriter Should Have

As an extension of my previous post about article-writing, I decided to blog a bit more about a couple of things my life as a copywriter has taught me.

But first, a bit of background info: my job involves being given titles for articles which I then have to write, thereby producing content for the various websites owned by the company. These have to conform to a certain length, style, and format, whilst also having to include various key words or phrases in order to make the article more 'Google-friendly'. It took a bit of getting used to, especially as I have to be able to write in various styles, from long feature articles to 100-word sound bites, but I'm pretty much in the swing of it now.

So, two of the most important skills to pick up as a copywriter (in my humble opinion) are:

1) The ability to reword
(Source: www.brownhouseonline.com)
Although there are many enjoyable things about being a copywriter, the SEO aspect can be a bit of a pain. In essence, for this company it means that in the interests of being able to catch all customers, the wording that searchers use to search should be the title of the piece, and there are always numerous ways to ask a search engine for information, of course. But this does not mean my carefully researched and planned piece that perfectly encapsulates the topic can be used as an answer for all. No - unfortunately, articles with the same wording will be penalised and not show up at all. Therefore, it is often necessary to write the same article countless times and on each of those occasions, find a fresh way to say it.

What I have learned: That Google's algorithms are annoying and also that I had a secret talent for writing about hot flushes in twenty or more original ways all along, which has only just surfaced now.

2) The ability to accept your limitations
Whenever I do get given a brand new title (which does happen), I am always struck with the familiar fear that I do not have a PhD in the topic, and this can cause me to procrastinate (although I justify as 'research' of course) before I really can't anymore and have to get on with writing the damned piece. Well, I was more like this at the beginning, but have now realised that writing a mere 500 words about the symptoms of bipolar disorder does not require that I know everything there is to know about the psychological, philosophical, neurological, and medical aspects of the illness. It is enough to use reputable sources to simply find out what I need to know and back them up with evidence. Anything else is superfluous and a complete waste of my time and energy.

What I have learned: Save that precious time and energy for more important things, like exploring Peru, or other such activities.

Although there is a lot to learn and get used to, there is a lot to like about copywriting. That feeling of satisfaction after finishing an article/review/research piece is wonderful, and I do like being paid to write all day - flexing my creative muscles and all that. Although the job, almost by definition, involves creating for others rather than yourself, which can be good or bad depending how interesting or boring the topic happens to be, this can mean finding out things you never thought you'd know, never thought you didn't know, or didn't really know you wanted to know. Phew, now my head's spinning. I think I need to lie down.

Wednesday 15 October 2014

Things A-Breakin'

Well, all is going wrong in Peru. And when I say 'all', I mean that in a very First-World-Problems-Spoilt-Brat kind of way, referring to a few of the mod-cons that make my life a little bit easier.

At the weekend, our already dodgy dining room light decided it would bathe us permanently in all its brightness, by refusing to actually turn off (I mean, I've heard many times of lights not turning on, but a light that no longer turns off was completely new for me). Therefore, for the past few days, I've been lying in bed imagining the overheated bulbs causing imminent fire-related death.

And then our cooker hob thought it would join in the fun by leaving us a ring short. As we already had two rings that never worked in the first place, we can now get only one gas flame for three people. Dinnertime is now an interesting scram for this holy ring.

And if that wasn't enough, our internet box went on the blink yesterday, meaning we now have no connection to the outside world once we leave work.

Not the best of weeks. I'm now hoping my imminent trip to the jungle will make up for it.

Wednesday 8 October 2014

How to Deal with Dry Skin Naturally

Living in highly-polluted Lima, I have been having problems with dry, flaky skin for a while now, and yesterday I found the perfect solution: avocado peel. Having long known the moisturising benefits of avocados on the skin, I already use the mashed fruit as a face mask every now and then. However, because my skin has always been reasonably healthy and moisturised, the amazing effects of the avocado have never been seen to such a degree as they were yesterday.

Ready for my face!

Being on a tight budget since I got to Peru in July, I have been loathe to use my precious food on my face instead of in my stomach, and so I have avoided using avocados externally. However, I read an article about how just the oil in the peel can also work as a great moisturiser. And I decided to try it.

The recipe is easy:

1) Make a delicious meal using an avocado (I made an avocado salad).

2) Once the flesh has been scraped out and used, rub the avocado peel on your face. The trick is to be gentle - you don't want to tug that precious facial skin.

3) Take off any remaining avocado flesh from the peel and rub it gently into your skin.

Voila!

4) Eat your food with a slightly green face. I had the fruit on mine for about half and hour and this seemed to work. It didn't feel uncomfortable or tight either. In fact, I forgot it was there.

5) Wet your face, put a little olive oil on your fingers, and gently rub off the avocado.

6) Finish by rinsing thoroughly with a flannel or your hands. Again, be gentle.

I was absolutely amazed at how quickly it worked. It was not the kind of skin treatment where you have to wait a week or so to see the results. My skin was bright, soft, and moisturised from the moment I dabbed it dry with a towel, and today it still feels great. Next time I have dry skin, I'm reaching straight for the avocados.


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has more information on avocado oil and other natural products that can be used on skin:
http://www.epa.gov/region9/healthy-hair/ingredients.html


Sunday 5 October 2014

Skulls and Other Bones

This weekend I fancied a bit of history, so went to visit the catacombs at San Francisco church in the Historical Centre of Lima, just a bus ride away.

Catacombs: Underground passages built as a cemetery, with various places for tombs.

Entrance to San Francisco church

The large and imposing Roman Catholic church is an elegant structure, dominating the landscape. The baroque-style construction was built in the 17th century and is most famous for its catacombs that are located just beneath it. There was a small charge for visiting them but it was worth it for the fascinating English-speaking tour that was on offer. It is estimated that around 75,000 bodies are buried there, and most of the remains are exposed for all to see.

Entrance to the catacombs

It was an eerie feeling, being led through the dark tunnels and small doorways. There was one man with us who must have been well over 6 foot tall and was built like a tank - he was practically crawling along. It never ceases to amaze me how short people must have been a few hundred years ago (when visiting old buildings, the size of entrances and doorways is one of the first things I notice). The lighting, of course, was electric, but they had attempted to mimic the light that would have been emitted by the fire torches that would originally have been there. It was well done, but I can imagine how much more spine-chilling the atmosphere would have been back in the day sans electricity.

We were invited to look in the pits, which were full of femur bones and skulls stacked in circular patterns. Our tour guide said that the pits were many metres deep. When I looked at the piles of skulls, I was struck with a sense of my own mortality. It was odd to think that once upon a time, attached to each one was a living, breathing person, who had wants, needs, and desires, just like me. Each eye-socket housed an eye that would have perceived the world in its own special way. Each jaw bone must have said a thousand different words that would have affected the course of history (I am a staunch believer in the butterfly effect). There was no way for them to know that one day their whole selves would be reduced to a lone skull sitting in a pit to be gawked at by curious 21st century tourists. It actually freaked me out a little to think that one day that's all I will be - a pile of bones that nobody cares about.

I was a little disappointed we were not allowed to take pictures, but apart from that it was an awesome experience. I would also recommend having a look around the inside of the church as well - it's pretty extraordinary.

Inside the church

One of the shrines

Friday 3 October 2014

Clubbing and Cakes

Having spent the week toiling away informing the world about the perils of menopause, I was looking forward to letting my hair down last weekend, and the activities of choice were clubbing and eating cupcakes.

I had been looking forward all week to the Festival Del Cupcake that was held over the weekend, and had spent my working days dreaming about all the gorgeous delicacies that would be on offer. However, my timing could not have been more off.

Festival Del Cupcake

At about midday I set off on foot to find this festival, which seemed to be in quite an out of the way place, and 45 minutes later I finally arrived (feeling I had definitely earned a cake or two!). The sweets that were on offer looked gorgeous, but I must say - the fest was a lot smaller than I had been expecting. It also seemed I had managed to arrive just after they had set up. As a result - hardly anyone was there. After walking around a few times, eating some free samples, and buying a 'trifle'-type dessert consisting of layers of jelly, crumbled chocolate brownie, and cream, I left, feeling remorseful that I had not waited until the late afternoon.

Delicioso!

However, my sadness was soon abated as I put on my dancing shoes that evening and headed to Mokka Disco in Miraflores for its 6-month 'anniversary'. Fortunately one of the girls we were with knew a worker, who let us all in for free. To add to the excitement, upon entering, we were given a glass of champagne and then had to pose with a cake for an 'official' picture before going into the packed main area.

Posing with a cake

I think luck must have been on our side that night because, after a few hours of dancing, my housemates and I ran into our Peruvian friend we had made during our first week, who happens to work as a club promoter. Pretty soon we were in the VIP area sipping yet more free drinks. Wasn't a bad night at all!

Dancing the night away

And then this week I was reluctant for the fun to end, so I have bought myself an earlybird ticket for the 'Life of Color' paint party which is coming to Lima this December (by happy coincidence just a day after my birthday), and have booked a trip to the jungle for the end of this month. In the words of Chandler Bing: Could life BE more exciting?!

Friday 26 September 2014

Lima is Bad for Your Skin

It did not take a rocket scientist to see, and mostly smell, that the air in Lima is highly polluted and unhealthy, but it has come to my attention that it actually has the worst air quality in the whole of South America, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Great.

For a couple of months now I have been having terrible trouble with my facial skin - normally so, well...normal, it has turned into a dry, itchy, flaky mess, despite my diligence in cleaning it morning and night, and wearing suncream to offset the effects of the sun and airborne pollutants. Running my finger along my forehead now feels like I am reading braille rather than touching human skin, and now it is clear why. I dread to think what is happening to my insides!

The worn out buses and taxis are apparently the main culprits, and I can believe that - many of the vehicles I see I can't imagine would be allowed on the road for more than 5 minutes in the UK.

Knowing the air pollution levels are nearly three times that of what’s recommended by the World Health Organization is a scary prospect, which is making me look forward to taking my first gulp of clean air when I set foot on home soil in December. I just hope I make it til then...

Thursday 25 September 2014

Choco Museo: A Chocolate Museum Review



This is a little place tucked slightly away from the main square in Barranco, Lima that I definitely think deserves a mention. I have to admit it was slightly different from what I had envisaged, mostly due to the size. However, it is a lovely place to go if (a) you like chocolate and (b) you have a spare 15 minutes.

It's a small establishment, consisting of a cafe selling a range of edible chocolate goodies (of course), a shop set up in the corner selling unusual items such as cocoa face cream and cocoa candles, and two rooms off to the side where they manufacture the sweet brown miracle.

Upon entering, our noses were greeted with a strong, but not altogether unpleasant, aroma of a chocolate-scented incense stick. Unusual but effective. We were then greeted by a friendly chocolatier, who offered to give us a free tour of the chocolate-making process. We readily agreed and were shown the process from the bean to the river of melted loveliness (which we were allowed to taste - much to our delight). It was interesting, although rather short (as I said, there are but two rooms that house the machines, and they aren't big).

 A selection of chocolate jams

After the tour we were offered a samples of alcohol made from the cocoa bean and also a taste of one of the many 'chocolate jams' available, which were essentially chocolate spread and fruit. The alcohol was incredibly strong but tasted good, probably owing to the orange-flavouring, but I was disappointed with my choice of spread, which just tasted like strawberry jam. However, my friend was very pleased with her orange and chocolate mix.

Apparently there is another one of these closer to home in Miraflores, which I will hopefully manage to visit at some point. I definitely intend to go to one of them and this time have a hot chocolate in the cafe, and maybe try out one of their chocolate-making workshops.

Wednesday 17 September 2014

Food, More Food, and Bananas

Last week I visited the lovely Mistura, Latin America's largest food festival, which was conveniently being hosted in Lima. Unfortunately we had to buy our tickets a few days beforehand, and I was dreading the long boring queues that I had been told were inevitable. However, we must have struck lucky with our timing. Arriving in the morning on the opening weekend, we slipped in seamlessly with no waiting required, ready to taste the delicious food on offer. I lost my friends in the crowds whilst there so spent the time exploring on my own, and I wasn't short of scrumptious choice.

The Entrance Gate

It was a strange payment system however, with each customer being required to buy a set of tokens, which could then be exchanged for food and drink. At first I was confused by this seemingly useless middleman, but I suppose it was an ingenious way to get the maximum dollar out of each visitor. Indeed, I purchased 20 soles of tokens at the beginning, and would have left sooner than I did had I not had 4 soles left over at the end (which I spent on a freshly squeezed orange juice).

A token - 
this one worth only one measly sol

Although I wanted to try EVERYTHING (apart from the seafood), my appetite and wallet would not allow, so I opted for the tastiest burger I have ever had in my life (cooked to perfection, and stacked with an array of fresh, beautiful ingredients and sauces, all in a lovely soft bun), a strange 'fruit' tea that was a slightly off-putting brown colour and tasted a little bit like week-old kettle water, and of course, my healthy juice of a 'naranja'.

At first I was a little underwhelmed, but to be fair, we had arrived just as the gates opened, and for the first hour and a half there were little in the way of crowds. But as the people started to pour in, so did the atmosphere, and I began to see what all the fuss was about. I left with the impression it was smaller than I had thought though, but was informed afterwards by one of my friends that I had only been in the first 'section', and had missed a vast chunk of the festival. This was a shame, but I couldn't have eaten any more anyway, so it wasn't the end of the world.

Just getting started

However, despite its popularity, there are clearly some factions of society that are not so enamoured with Mistura. As I walked back out of the entrance gate, there was a silent but visible protest telling all the visitors that the food festival they are about to enjoy is in fact an 'animal holocaust'. I must admit, it isn´t the most vegetarian-friendly of places.

Making a stand

And as I am on a food streak, I might as well mention the local food market that I went to this week. Not far from where I live, this lively, eclectic mish-mash of high-end to incredibly affordable food stalls sets up every Sunday. I was almost overwhelmed with choice - but, wanting a few fruits and vegetables, I walked around the busy marketplace wondering how I could get the best value for money in my broken Spanish. In the end I gave up trying to mentally work out which stall holders looked like they sold produce for the cheapest price, and just plumped for one at random, pointing and saying words, ending up buying a kilo of onions instead of potatoes in the process. My life now revolves around working out how to shoe-horn onions into everything I eat.

It is an amusing place though. Part of it is located in a big 'warehouse' (for want of a better word), , smells unpleasant, and is full of flies because the fish and meat just sits out in the warm waiting for a buyer. There are even plucked chickens, completely whole (beaks, eyes, and claws included), that hang in all their glory from every other market stall . However, questionable hygiene practices aside, it is a highly vibrant and interesting place, and I managed to buy a huge range of fruits and veg for a ridiculously low price. Exciting purchase of the day? A bunch of teeny-tiny bananas. I just couldn't resist:

Baby bananas
(the normal-sized one is there for scale - it's not even mine)

So, now I've made myself suitably hungry, I'll say my goodbyes and go and eat some onions.

Buenas Noches!

Monday 8 September 2014

Potato Lovers Unite


Potato

If you were wondering about all things potato, your dreams have come true; another one of my exciting articles has been uploaded by my boss for all the potato-enthusiasts of the world to enjoy.

Sunday 7 September 2014

Huacachina, Ica

Huacachina, a desert oasis just outside of the famous Ica. For anyone interested in being by a beautiful lagoon surrounded by palm trees and sand dunes, this is the perfect spot. It was a rather surreal experience coming out of the hostel in the morning and seeing tall golden slopes meeting a perfectly clear blue sky. Averaging at 32°C for the entire weekend (a temperature we were informed was merely their winter weather), I was enjoying the chance to don my shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops.

The lagoon

Arriving was an adventure - for various reasons, I ended up having to get a bus on my own from Lima, meeting my fellow holiday-makers there. This was fine until I arrived in Ica at 2 a.m., having fully convinced myself during the 5-hour trip that the first taxi I jumped into would steal all my things and leave me stranded at the side of a secluded road. Fortunately I was spared this terror. The taxi driver was nice enough to simply drop me off at my hostel, Desert Nights, and drive off sans my suitcase. The place was rather eerie by night. There was not a soul to be seen, and all I could make out was that I was surrounded by ominous black mountains and living by a big pool of water. I quickly made my way into the hostel and jumped into my bunk bed, refreshing myself for the next day.

The hostel was clean, cheap, and had everything we needed. I have no complaints. It was basic, but geared at backpackers so nothing less than I expected. Unfortunately breakfast wasn't included in the price, but they did have a little restaurant there so we could still eat. All in all, we paid a mere 120 soles (currently worth about £24) each for a 2 night stay, a tour around the local wine and pisco distillery, and an afternoon dune-buggying and sand-boarding. Not a bad deal, I thought.

'Desert Nights' hostel

The wine and pisco  tour was the thing I wouldn't have chosen, but did because my friends were keen to give it a go. However, it turned out to be so much fun. The tour guide, Jose, gave us an interesting insight into how the alcohols are made then and now, showed us the vineyards and the distillery, and then gave us a sample of 5 different drinks, some being quite disgusting, and others being rather tasty. He told us a certain pisco wine was drunk to celebrate divorces, and another wine gave you twins nine months later if drunk with a partner. Fortunately my boyfriend isn't coming til November so I was safe there!

In front of the vines

Then came the boarding and dune-buggying, which was better than I had even imagined! Sitting in a ratchety old dune buggy made of metal bars and driven by someone who seems to have a death wish perfectly sums up the Peru experience - chaotic, crazy, and wonderfully haphazard. It was an adrenaline-filled afternoon, racing around the desert over steep mountains of sand going at who knows how many miles per hour twisting this way and that. It felt like the buggy could topple over at any minute. I'm glad to say our buggy was spared this fate, but another group didn't fare so well. Seeing a few scratches and cuts on one bunch of tourists, we asked what had happened - their buggy had toppled over and rolled down a dune, and the driver had been flung out and had to be driven away to get some medical attention. But I wouldn't let this put you off though - it can happen, but doesn't often.

Me whizzing down a dune

Every now and then, our driver would stop at the top of a big dune and give us a sand-board each, which we lay on frontwards (well, I chose to lie on my stomach but some others were standing) and then whooshed down. I can't really explain the feeling of zooming down a dune in the middle of the desert at high speed. All I can say is, if you find yourself in Peru, go to Huacachina. The afternoon turned into to evening as we saw the sunset and then finished off the trip by standing on a dune looking down at the lagoon by night. It was a rather beautiful thing to see, but unfortunately the camera did not do it justice.

Capturing the oasis

We left the next morning. One day was enough to get everything done in Huacachina. It attracts tourists mainly because of the sand-boarding and has little else to offer, so there is not much point spending more than a weekend there. I'm so glad I've been - it was such a great weekend.

Getting ready for some fun!

Friday 29 August 2014

Things I Love About Peru

Just a short post today as I have to pack and get my bus for my weekend trip to Ica, which is about 5 hours away (so excited!). However, I do have just about enough time to share some quick impressions of Peru so far. Having now lived here for two months, there are obviously a lot of positives and negatives that have come to my attention (as there would be with any place I guess), but today I'm going to focus just on the positive aspects. So, a few things I like about Peru:

  • You can spend the equivalent of £2 on phone credit and it will last for seven weeks, with some to spare (although it does have to be said, my little Peruvian brick that I bought here is normally only used for  practical rather than recreational purposes, but still - two pounds!!!).

  • £20 will buy a grocery shop for two weeks.

  • If you're willing to forego five star luxury, travelling around the country in buses and coaches is super cheap.

  • The traditional Peruvian obsession with colour - I'm a massive colour geek and not everyone agrees with me but in my opinion the more colours the better. Don't expect subtle magnolia hues here. Somehow they find all the colours on the spectrum, throw them altogether in a haphazard fashion, and make it look elegant and classy.

  • The street food. I've been warned not to eat it, but I have, and I love it. The chicken empanadas with lime are seriously to die for.

This is far from an exhaustive list, but just a few of reasons why I think Peru is such a great place for people on any budget to explore. 

Off to Ica now. Adios!

Thursday 21 August 2014

Writing an Article - Hints and Tips


Article writing in a Right Way
 After one and half months of churning out numerous articles every day, I have developed some habits that I think are definitely worth sharing. If someone had told me 3 months ago that I would be able to research, write, proofread, and edit a 650-word article from scratch in an hour and a half, and do this three times every single morning, I would have written him off as a madman. But being forced into producing really does hone certain skills, the most important of which I'm going to list below.


Researching
It's the most tempting thing in the world to get caught up in reading reams and reams of information on a topic and not have anything meaningful at the end. Believe me, I spent my whole academic life doing this, and I know I'm not alone! Therefore, it's helpful to know how to filter information right from the beginning, and also how to get it from reliable sources.
  • If you want your article to be actually informative and helpful, there is little point just copying what you've gleaned from Wikipedia. Now, don't get me wrong - I think it is a great springboard site, providing an overview of a situation before you start writing about the nitty-gritty, and it can also direct you to helpful websites - but it must be used sparingly. Don't read it as a procrastination technique (which I am prone to doing occasionally).
  • To ensure you are getting information from reputable sources, type any of the following 'filters' after your search word or phrase: 
          site:.gov  
          site:.edu
          site:.org
  • Also - don't forget that books can be a useful resource too!! The upside is that they also tend to be more reliable. Whether they are appropriate or not depends on the topic of course, but don't discount them if they are. I have a few 'go-to' books here at work that I find invaluable.

Writing
  • Before you start researching, write down your title on a piece of paper and brainstorm ideas of what to include - this doesn't have to take long, maybe 5 or 10 minutes, but it allows you to focus your research and you will save time in the long run. After this you will have a clearer idea of which areas of the topic you will write about.
  • Decide on a few 'sub-headings' or topic areas (as a rule of thumb, I would say stick to four or five, but of course this will depend from article to article). I also used to do this for essays at university too, and I think I've saved days of my life using this trick.
  • Copy and paste certain blocks of text that you think will be useful into a word document. This page will seem chaotic at this point but resist the urge to organise it now - this will only slow you down.
  • Scribble down useful words/phrases/ideas on said piece of paper as you research. I usually write down the research under the relevant 'sub-headings' (which I might or might not include in the actual article). This means I have a visual aid of where I have enough research and where I need to find out more.
  • Now is the time to type out the first draft. The trick is not to overthink it. Just make coherent sentences out of the information you have, and delete and cross out your notes as they get written up. Seeing this visually really keeps me motivated.
You should end up with a reasonably intelligible piece.

Editing
  • The hard part is done, but don't rest on your laurels yet. Now is the time for reading through and rewording, restructuring, and replacing some words with better ones (the thesaurus is your best friend at this stage).

Proof-reading
  • Take 5 minutes or so away from the article (at this point I normally get up and make myself a cup of tea and then stare out the window for a little while). Then with a fresh eye, read through the article, tidying up any little typos or other errors that weren't picked up on during the editing stage.



This is the basic plan I've developed for myself and have found it works for me. Of course, every article is different but I do believe there are some tips which will help across the board. Hopefully I've managed to list some of them here!