The last two days of our trip were spent in Lima, Peru’s capital. I normally like to find the positive in every city’s character, but I found Lima to be gray and dodgy with a negative energy. There is a very lonely and dangerous element there.
Still, there are some sweeter aspects of the city.
I have the homesick blues recently because of the cold weather and gloomy gray of Santiago. I thought it would be fun to describe the things I miss from my pre-expat lifestyle.
Some things I miss most about the United States include:
I’ve made due without a lot of them. For instance, E. and I started making peanut butter to get a PB&J fix. Without some of the processed food fallbacks we were using before the move, I’ve actually learned how to cook better by using whole foods like beans in place of soy meat.
Also, I have been fine without these things for a year and a half. It’s not a tragedy that I live without them.
Are there any customs or foods that you would miss if you left your country for an extended period?
If you are an expat, what do you miss about your native country right now?
Shelly at Musings from the Fishbowl is hosting a Sweet Freedom cookbook giveaway. Don’t forget to enter by June 27!
Cusco is the doorway to see Peru’s Sacred Valley. It’s a lovely town that serves mostly as a tourist base for the pilgrimage to Machu Picchu.
On the way to the Sacred Valley, we zipped through the town, intent on arriving at Ollantaytambo that day. It is suggested to travel to the Sacred Valley upon arrival in order to prevent altitude sickness since the valley is lower than Cusco.
Our trip got a little complicated when we descended Machu Picchu to the town of Aguas Calientes. Farmers were striking on account of the government’s privitization of water and had decided to block the Perurail train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo. This was a problem because the only way to get tourists out is by train. Farmers often demonstrate their frustrations to the government by damaging the tourist economy since it makes such an impact in Peru.
We were able to take a rescheduled train late into the night to Ollantaytambo. The strike was happening in earnest the next day–the day we needed to get to Cusco, so it was tough finding a ride. Protestors were placing rocks in the road, and there was a human block in the road outside of Cusco. No cars or buses could pass.
The trip to Machu Picchu was the focal point of our trip to Peru. It’s a difficult place to visit, as it requires traveling from Cusco to the Sacred Valley, taking a train from the Sacred Valley to the town of Aguas Calientes, and then a bus bright and early in the morning to the UNESCO World Heritage site. Pictures follow the jump.
Margaret at Cachando Chile wrote a great piece on her first experiences in Chile. She’s been here for 18 years now. Since she invited others to share their impressions, I thought it would be a good opportunity to write a less structured post than I usually write. Perhaps a more open post since I’m typically not a candid writer on the blog. These were my thoughts in the first month in Chile after arriving at the end of December, 2008.
Pollution
E. and I arrived in Santiago after crossing the Andes by bus. About the moment we crossed into the Chilean side of the mountains, I started experiencing post nasal drip which by the time we arrived in Santiago turned into a full blown sinus infection. I knew to expect more pollution in Santiago, but I wasn’t expecting to get sick so quickly! (I have to admit to inheriting a poor excuse for sinuses.)
The first couple months, my lungs hurt certain days. This has stopped, which is probably a bad sign. My body has succumbed to the pollution.
We just returned from a week visiting Peru—the sacred valley of the Incas and the cities of Cusco and Lima. It had always been a dream of mine to see Machu Picchu, but for some reason I never thought I would be able to see it. I never “saw” myself there. We went, and it was a successful trip even though a farmers strike almost prevented us from getting back to Cusco.
The above and below snow covered mountain is called Veronica.
The sacred valley is about an hour and a half from the city of Cusco. We took a flight from Santiago to Lima and then bounced to Cusco the same day. It was tiring, but E. and I didn’t want to waste any time.
It’s becoming Fall here! So strange to be writing about Fall foods like casseroles and chilly weather when so many of you are breaking out your skirts and t-shirts.
I went on another hike last weekend–this one on Cerro El Roble–The Oak Hill–and located in La Campana National Park about an hour and a half outside of Santiago on route five near Til Til. The forest was full of bright orange and deep red leaves.
This is the view from the top.
So I just found out that my Grandma has been reading my posts. Hi Grandma!
Since I’ve been learning more about cooking in the past year, I decided to make some regional specialties. In one my first tutoring sessions, I told my Spanish prof that I am a foodie. She brought me a little recipe book from the local supermarket chain “Lider.” The book is so great because it highlights typical Chilean dishes like Pastel de Choclo (a casserole with ground, cooked corn, olives, hard boiled eggs, and meat or eggplant), and Guiso de Zapallo, which is a casserole with butternut squash and fresh basil. E. and I don’t usually make casseroles because they can be so unhealthy and cheese centered. I decided to make this guiso as a change of pace.
This recipe has been altered to make it as healthy as possible. It originally called for a half cup milk and a half cup cream. I used one cup skim overall. You are welcome to use the cream if you’d like a rich final product.
I won’t lie–I got nothing this week. It’s finals time, and I’ve got a long way to go on grading. The last few brain cells are fizzling out. It’s cold and damp in our apartment. I just finished a decent glass of wine and ought to go to bed.
I had to listen to this song before sleeping: The Postal Service’s “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight.” Have you heard it? No other song makes me as sad and happy at the same time.
I had a low week last week. I’m not normally a superstitious person, and I don’t think horoscopes are credible, but I felt like my cosmic mojo was all off. Perhaps the moon was in the second sun and Jupiter wasn’t aligned with Mars. All I wanted to do was surf the net with a hot cup of instant coffee in my hand. (Alas, we have no coffee machine in our apartment.)
Last Thursday night I decided to watch the movie Yes Man despite my usual reluctance about Jim Carrey.
 | Diann on Lima, Peru |
 | Sara on Lima, Peru |
 | Mrs Myers @ Eat Move… on Lima, Peru |
 | Katrina (gluten free… on Lima, Peru |
 | eileen on Lima, Peru |
