With nearly 10 million people, Lima is easily the biggest city in Peru. Normally a city this big completely intimidates me, but this one I was familiar with from my last trip to Peru. On top of that, Lima has a friendly little tourist district called Miraflores where you can find all sorts of comforts of home, from McDonald’s to Banana Republic (no, I did not visit either of them). One thing that I was no aware of the last time I was in Lima was the amazing food culture there. After catching an early bus out of Huacachina, arriving in Lima in the early afternoon, Ryan and I set out to find our first good meal. As we traipsed around Miraflores, slowly going from hungry to hangry, we went back and forth between the guilt of spending money we really don’t have, and the desire to eat something delicious. We spent about an hour looking for the perfect place before settling on something fairly average. Thankfully, we had many more meals in Lima!
So where did we eat in Lima that was good? We visited the delightful Punto Azul for some ceviche and tacu tacu (beans, rice, and sea food in a spicy sauce), Edo Sushi for some of the best sushi I’ve had in a long time, La Lucha for a delicious sandwich and smoothie, and of course Tutti Frutti and Pink Berry for some delicious lucuma froyo! The rest of our meals came from affordable menu del dias or cooking at the hostel. Outside of eating, Ryan and I made our way down to the old part of town to see the beautiful Plaza de Armas and some of the other older buildings in Lima. As well, we wandered down to a mall that is built into the side of the cliff, overlooking the ocean. It is a gringo haven, with all sorts of wonderful shops that I simply cannot afford. I took advantage of the free view though, which looks down the coast at the rest of the city.
On our second last day in Lima, we decided to take a cooking class. We did a lunch time cooking class with Sky Kitchen, learning how to make a traditional 3 course Peruvian meal. The first course was Papa a la Huancaina, which was made of 3 types of Peruvian potato and covered in a sauce that is made from chilies and fresh cheese. Our instructor described this sauce as the Ketchup of Peru, and I can definitely understand why – it was delcious! The second course was ceviche, raw fish soaked in lemon juice, which was of course delicious. Finally, we made a traditional chicken dish called Aji de Gallina. The chicken is cooked in an onion and chili sauce, and put over rice. I loved everything we made, so I left the class feeling extremely full. I have always doubted my ability to cook well, so it was good to step out of my comfort zone, challenge myself, and learn to make something really delicious. I actually surprised myself with how much I enjoyed the entire class.
Going to bed that night was bittersweet, knowing that it was the last night we were spending in a hostel dorm. It is crazy for me to think that I have been gone for nearly 6 months, and that the time has almost come to go back to Canada. Although I am looking forward to seeing my friends, I am not quite ready to head home. I feel as though the time down here has passed too quickly, and just as I was beginning to truly feel comfortable and confident down here, it is time to leave. I never imagined myself saying that I was going to miss the Latin American culture, the people, and the way of life – but I am going to. Above and beyond all of the amazing scenery I have seen, and bucket list items I have done, I have spent a lot of time searching within myself to find out who I am, and who I want to be. For me, this trip has also become a personal journey, alongside a journey to see and do everything awesome in South America. It has been important for me to accept that that journey can and will continue back in Canada, as well as to be thankful for all that I have learned while down here. With that final thought, I bid South America a tearful goodbye with a promise that I will be back again someday. Adios, South America – you have been beyond amazing! Onwards to Jamaica for a week of sun, sand and yoga!