Culinary Adventures in Lima

I've been meaning to write a little bit about the food we experienced while in Lima. At this point it is far from real time. But I want to jot down a few notes before the memories fade too much, as the food was truly amazing and I want to have at least a little bit of a record.

Celebrating Peruvian Independence

We're starting our last full week in Lima, and this week is Fiestas Patrias, the celebration of Peruvian independence. The official celebrations happen on July 28 (the day of independence) and the 29th. This year the 27th has also been declared a holiday. But we've already experienced a lot of fun related to the celebration. More after the jump.

Finding some Sun and Penguins in Paracas

Paracas is a small town on the coast of Peru about three and a half hours south of Lima. Often, during Lima's cloudy winter (surprisingly sunny so far this year), Paracas is sunny and slightly warmer. We made the trip down for a long weekend with the primary purpose of seeing some penguins, which can be seen on the Islas Ballestas, off the coast of Paracas. Mission accomplished.

A Getaway to Arequipa - One of My Favorite South American Cities

We took an opportunity to get away for a few days in Arequipa, a city in the south of Peru, while Jana's parents were in town. After a major issue with our flight plan, we absolutely loved Arequipa. It is now one of may favorite South American cities. The central square there is as good as any I have seen. And it is the most Spanish feeling place I've ever been outside of Spain. More details after the jump.

Lima's Outstanding Fountain Park

One of the best attractions we've visited so far in Lima is the Circuito Magico del Agua, in Parque de la Reserva. It is a beautiful park filled with more than a dozen fabulous fountains. The LL loves this place, and it is just a very relaxing, peaceful place to spend a few hours. Pictures from our visits below.

Want Culture? Cook!

Food is one of the most important facets of any culture. And Peru has some truly wonderful food. Fish and seafood. Asian fusion. Exotic jungle cuisine. Thousands of types of potato. Amazing sauces. It is a place where it is not hard, or expensive, to eat very well. Last week I decided to take a bit of time out of my normal work week to learn how to make some of the classic Peruvian dishes.

A Trip to the Zoo

One of our top priorities upon arrival in Lima was to visit the zoo. You see, the LL has a book about a family of Humboldt penguins who live on the west coast of Peru. Given that we are now living on the west coast of Peru, she figured she would be able to see some penguins. While we do plan to make a trip a bit south to see where the penguins live on the ocean, We promised a trip to the zoo. We saw penguins and more.

It's Hard to Beat a Kid's Birthday Party for Authentic

A trip to conduct field research in Peru with a two-year-old along is not easy. Definitely not easy. But having a two-year-old in tow also opens doors to things we would never be able to experience otherwise. Last weekend was a great example. We were invited to TWO birthday parties for other kids in the Little Lady's pre-school. We could only attend one. Details after the jump.

Markets: Ground Zero for Getting to Know a Place

We are fortunate that so many of our trips are actually short-term moves. It allows us to really live in a place and experience much more like a local. But one of the things that we have always found make a new place feel like home can also be replicated on shorter trips - visiting a local market. More on our Lima market experience so far after the jump.

The Transition to Lima Begins

Today marks our second full day in Peru, and we have been working hard to make the transition to life here as smooth and as quick as possible. The first few days in a new place are always hectic. And when field research needs to begin and you only have about three months to work, the pressure is on to get up and running as quickly as possible. So here is a bit about our trip to Lima and what we've been up to since our flight landed around 1 am on Thursday morning.

Don't Forget to Plan for Emergencies

A few weeks ago, we discovered in rather dramatic fashion, that the Little Lady has a very severe allergy to cashew (and pistachio) nuts, as well as a milder reaction to several other tree nuts. This happened while we were in Florida, and I confess we really hadn't made an emergency plan. Fortunately, things worked out and we were in a context where we basically knew what to do. But when traveling internationally, it's important to have a plan in place before you go. And for us, that has gotten even more important. I'll tell you what happened and how we've planned for the worst when we go to Peru for field work this summer.

Gearing Up: Planning Mode for Peru and Puerto Rico!

I've been off the blog for a bit. I try not to say things when I don't have anything to say. Well, I'm going to have more to say soon. At the moment, I'm in the midst of planning two trips. One for business (and some pleasure, I'm sure) to Peru and the other for a pre-academic conference extended family trip in Puerto Rico. More after the jump.