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...
Friday 26 September 2014
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.
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).
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.
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.
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:
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
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
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
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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