Today is Sunday, the day of rest, and that is exactly what I am doing! Yesterday I think I walked about ten miles (approximation) so I am spending today writing this blog, watching tv, and eating delicious food. Agata and I live in a district called Magdalena del Mar and our friend Evelyn lives just a few blocks away. Yesterday we decided to go for a long walk to the Miraflores district in order to get to know our surroundings better. Our destination was the mercado Inca of Miraflores. It was a nice day to walk because the city was covered in a very thick mist so we had some protection from the sun. From what I understand, this misty weather will become more frequent as we move into winter.
The misty Miraflores coast.
I now understand why Peruvians usually take a bus or taxi to get around instead of walking. This city is nearly impossible to navigate. Lima is actually known for having some of the worst urban planning in the world. We had a map with us so every once in a while we would hide behind a tree and try to decode the labyrinth of diagonal streets, straight streets, dead ends and roundabouts. Finally we figured out what direction we should head in order to get to the Inca Market and after walking for 15 minutes we would realize we somehow had arrived nowhere near where we thought we were going. At one point I think we actually teleported to another part of the district, but who knows. One really fun thing about walking in Miraflores (and in other parts of Lima) is seeing all of the graffiti. Now, I'm not talking about the type of graffiti where someone just puts their name or profanity, but occasionally we will come across long walls of really impressive graffiti art. Yesterday we actually got so see some of these works in progress. There were just groups of guys all along the wall with cans of spray paint and paintbrushes. I took a photo but I was trying to be nonchalant about it so it isn't the best quality.
Wall of graffiti in Miraflores.
I would love to do something like this. Maybe when I get back home my parents will let me use the side of our house to practice! Anyway, after a few minor setbacks and some sore feet, we finally found the Inca Market. It's a really cool place, and if I decide that you are worthy of receiving a gift from Peru, this is probably where I will buy it. They have tons of hand made crafts and souvenirs for pretty reasonable prices. Speaking of prices...one thing about Peru is that bargaining is very common, especially in markets and taxis (they don't have meters, so you decide on the price before you get in). Well, I am very proud of myself because I bargained for the first time! Granted, it was unintentional, but still an accomplishment in my book! You see, I was thinking about buying this little stuffed alpaca doll so I asked the woman in the shop how much it costed. She replied, "seis soles." In response, I said "Oh, seis soles?" In my head I was thinking "Oh, only six soles, that's not much at all!" (That's about $2.25). But the woman interpreted it as, "What? Seis soles! I'm not paying that!" So she promptly responded, "ok, ok cinco (5) soles!" I was very pleased so I purchased the little alpaca doll and he is adorable. His name is Carlos.
I think that's about all I have to talk about for this entry but I'll leave you with a Peruvian food update. I had a dish the other day called "arroz tapada." It is a layer of rice, a layer of meat sauce and peppers, and then another layer of rice stacked in a small cup and then flipped over to make a nice tower of rice and not rice (I really have no idea what was in it so please excuse my vague description). Once again I forgot to take a picture before I ate it so here is one I stole from the internet!
I also got to try "Chifa," which refers to a style of Chinese food that has a little Peruvian influence. It was delicious. Well, classes start tomorrow so it should be a busy week! I can't wait to start LEARNING! Let's just hope I can understand my professors...
