Settling In

We've only been in Lima for a little over a week. Several of those days included work-related academic conferences. But at this point I'd say we're pretty much completely settled in. That includes a school for the Little Lady, a full complement of groceries that are restocked on a regular basis, a work routine, and finding our bearings around the neighborhood. Here is where things stand and how we were able to set things up so quickly.

Flight to Lima: Dealing with Disruption

Our trip to Lima began on Tuesday afternoon. We loaded our stuff into the station wagon and our wonderful friend/surrogate family member Travetta was kind enough to ride with us to the airport and then drive our car back to be safely stowed away in Knoxville while we are away. The trip was uneventful enough to begin with. We had an on time departure and arrival to Dallas, a comfortable layover that allowed us to sit down and eat a decent meal with plenty of time to board our late night flight to Lima. Except that flight didn't go exactly as planned.

Back to Lima Again

We're headed back to Peru for most of summer of 2017. Looking back, I have not posted since we returned from Peru nearly two years ago. It's not that we haven't been traveling, it's just that nothing we have done would qualify as particularly "authentic." I'm hoping to have a good enough internet connection and enough spare minutes in Lima to provide regular updates on what we're doing in Peru without repeating myself too much from our last trip. We leave Tuesday afternoon and are now in the last throes of packing up the house so that the friends staying here while we are gone can move in after our departure. Once we get back from Peru, it's just a couple of weeks before we head to New York for a year in Manhattan at the Russell Sage Foundation. So, all the packing for over a hear away from Knoxville has to happen now. It's a stressful time, but we are excited about what the next year-plus has in store.

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.