We had 2 days in Lima
before heading to Chincha, Peru and getting back to work. We don’t arrive at the hotel until after 1am , but
the next morning after a late breakfast we meet up with work friends, Tim and Kristine,
to explore parts of Lima. First stop- we want a Pisco Sour! Peru is known for Pisco which is technically
a grape brandy but I personally think it has a bite and reminds me of tequila. The Pisco
Sour is essentially made with 3 parts Pisco, 1 part simple syrup, 1 part tart
fresh lime juice, and 1 egg white.
Shake for 30 seconds with ice and pour into a glass and finish with a
splash of bitters. You may wonder about the egg white but it adds a froth and substance to the drink
that makes it something you won’t have any other place. Every restaurant and bar has their own recipe
that they claim is the best… we are willing to try as many as we can.
As we wander around
Lima on our first day we stop at local restaurants and discover half the male
population of Lima seems to be named Roberto.
Our first stop was Jiron Bar which offered a handful of pisco drinks and
a dozen different types of ceviche. We wandered
throughout the historic district of the city and window shop and try ceviche
and many other popular dishes at several restaurants. .
Next day-
Miraflores! Miralfores is the “ tourist”
beach area of Lima. The beaches of Lima
are not the sandy beaches of Florida or the Caribbean islands you envision when
hearing the word “beach” . On one side you have cliffs and on the other a
thin strip of sand and then “dunes” and a beach made of egg sized pebbles. We obtain an umbrella and are basking in the
Lima sun when I spy a local who is camped out in-between the pebble dunes with a
pile of 5 gallon buckets. I notice
someone gesture to him, and he grabs a bucket, takes the trek over the pebbles to the ocean and fills it up with cool
seawater then floats a small sand bucket
on top and delivers it next to her beach chair. The savvy locals use the sand bucket
to splash themselves with water and stay cool without having to take the “treacherous”
walk over the stones to the ocean. I
signal to him and after a few minutes he delivers us a bucket of cold ocean water
for 3 sol ($1 US dollar). Even with
the bucket of cool water we make our way over the rocks to the ocean to jump in
and cool off. The walking on the beach can be tricky and painful but it’s worth
it as we sit and listen to the music of the ocean over the rocks. 
We finished off the afternoon at La Rosa Nautica restaurant on the pier looking over the Pacific enjoying fresh seafood and yes, more Pisco.
On our last day in
Lima we ended up enjoiying Sunday Brunch at the Marriot in Miraflores. A sumptuous buffet offering everything from
chilled squid in black olives, to purple corn pudding, to Peruvian baby goat
stew. It was all wonderful! Next to us was a large family of twenty or
so family members made up of all ages, from young children to grandparents. They were talking
and singing along with the musical trio that was wandering around the restaurant. The family sang song after song, laughing
clapping and hugging. All of a sudden we hear “ da da da dant” and they snap their fingers and break into a chorus of The
Adams Family theme song. Our table
cracks up, starts snapping our fingers and sings along, after the song is over I
approach them and tell them how much we have enjoyed watching their family. They inform me their last name is Adams
(hence the theme song) and they are
celebrating not only a birthday but today they buried a loved family member and
they were celebrating his life the best way possible; the gathering of family,
wonderful food, drink, music and
love.
It was a wonderful
happy way to finish our stay in Lima, joining a family in celebrating a
wonderful life in a beautiful city.
Cheers, and may we always be so lucky to celebrate life Peruvian style.
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