a heartfelt apology

To my diehards,

I am very sorry that I have been remiss in my posting. The combination of crappy computers, random blackouts and all the exciting stuff that lies beyond a glowing screen has made it very difficult to keep up with this. I really like to post some photos as well, but it that always proves itself an insurmountable challenge. Anyway, to bring you up to date. Since Machu Picchu, I have been in Arequipa, Arica and Santiago. Now in Mendoza. Tomorrow - Buenos Aires, including a side trip to Iguazu. Then my full circle will bring me back to Montevideo, where I will stay for a while, until I decide what the next step is. Maybe then I will have some time to finally be up on this blog. Until then, though, something on the fly about Peru. Stay tuned.

Missing Thanksgiving was only made tolerable by the fact that I spent it in Peru - touring ancient ruins, drinking pisco sours and generally indulging in all the glutony that my favorite holiday celebrates.

So far in the trip, we've been on a roller coaster of gastronomical
experiences that has included - fantastic cheap ceviche served to us
by an 8-year-old in a restaurant that is basically somebody's house,
really horribe expensive ceviche that was pretty much just over-cooked
fish in some lime juice, all different varietals of bready breakfasts
that were sometimes served with eggs and this marmelade made out of a
fruit that doesn't exist in the US, unchewable meat that we accidently
ate in a karaoke bar, daily smoothies and tres leches tastings.

Peru, though, has been nothing but high points. We started out in Lima on Saturday at Astrid y Gaston, a Peruvian staple that has been around since 1994 and was given to us a reccomendation from Jose Garces. Trying to forget the
petrified ham sandwiches we were forced to eat on the bus that morning, we went all out and opted for the 5-course tasting menu. We added the foie gras as an extra course. It came with dessert. We ordered another. La Mar was next, a ceviche restaurant owned by the same couple in which we were served my favorite meal of the trip. After the ceviche tasting and abottle of wine, we went paragliding off the beachside cliffs.

In addition to those grand meals, we've had a ton of other memorable lunches and dinners in Peru's chifas (which are not at all like the GRG restaurant byt the same name) and elsewhere. We didn't eaten bad there at all and that includes the pesto we made from a box one night to save money.

One thing I can't get over though, is that guinea pig is considered a Peruvian delicacy. If you know me at all, you know that I'm pretty adventurous with food and I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed in myself on this one. But everytime I see it on a menu, all I can picture is little Patches, my first and only pet, curled up in his wire cage in the corner of the living room of our townhouse
which is enough to make me gag and pass over and over again. I did, however, eat some ostrich carpaccio.