My First Kiss - in Peru

My visit to Peru was driven by the business needs of my client. I work in a technology consulting role and meet with many people during each engagement. In the weeks leading up to my trip, I had scheduled meetings with a great many of the local subject matter experts.

Monday morning, I had flown all night and taken a slightly terrifying taxi ride from the airport to the office. There was the usual bit of confusion while a desk was found for me, site access badges were requested, and I logged on to my laptop, hoping furiously that I would have no problems accessing the local network.

Then it was time for my first meeting. Into my office walked a pair of Peruvian men. One was young and rather handsome. Much to my surprise, as I offered him my hand for a handshake, he leaned over and kissed me! It was rather startling and unexpected in a business setting.

As I puzzled over this during our meeting, the only thought that occurred to me was wondering if I reminded him of his grandmother!

I later found out that this is the custom in Peru - to kiss each other on the cheek in greeting or goodbyes. I was also told that Peruvian men do not kiss each other, only ladies. Argentinean men do kiss each other in greeting, which causes some awkwardness when Peruvian and Argentinean men meet.

Lomito Fino al Portobello

The Novotel hotel in Lima has a lovely restaurant that is beautifully arrayed in simple but strong shades of orange and brown, decorated by pottery inspired by ancient Peruvian civilizations.

For tonight's dinner I chose the Beef Tenderloin with Portobello Mushrooms. It was a delight to both eye and tongue. Rather than your usual shapeless blob, the mashed potatoes were a visual treat with portobello mushrooms nestled between layers of tasty, creamy yellow potatoes. The beef was perfectly cooked and dressed with luscious portobello mushrooms and gravy. And the vegetables added both a bright, colorful contrast for the eye, and a crisp, tasty treat for the palate. A perfect blend of flavors for a very satisfying dinner.

Lima Cheese Cake

I am a big cheesecake fan. The Cheesecake Factory is a frequent destination for both pleasure and business dining. In my younger days, a friend tried to bride me to audition for Bard of Cynaugua by promising me cheesecakes at every performance.

So naturally when saw this desert at the Inversiones la Rioja, I had to try it.

Lima Cheese Cake
Warm, with forest fruits lacquered in a purple corn sauce. Served with traditional cinnamon ice cream.

My only hesitation was the ice cream. I love cinnamon in baked goods like Cinnabons, but I don't care for it at all in candies like Red Hots.

I was not disappointed. The cheesecake was lightly fried for a crunchy exterior. The ice cream was rich, creamy and very smooth. The cinnamon permeated the ice cream perfectly and was very satisfying. And the forest fruits had an undefinable exotic flavor that complemented the cheesecake. An extremely satisfying variation on my favorite desert theme.

Alpaca and Andean Potatoes in Peru

What to do for my first dinner in a foreign country, where I do not speak the native language well?

Naturally, I decided to try the hotel restaurant, Inversiones lo Rioja. In the mood for something like but exotic, I tried the Alpaca and Andean Potatoes. The roasted alpaca was served rare. It was tender enough to cut with a fork, with a bit more flavor than beef. The crunchy layers of andean potatoes were thin slices of potatoe fried to a crispy crunch. The arugula salad rounded this light apetizer into a tasty light meal.

Overall, it satisfied the "exotic but satisfying" need.

Portobello Campero in Lima

Portobello mushrooms have become very popular in California over the last 10 years, and for good reason.

As I perused the menu at Portofinos in Lima, the Portobello Campero with Ricotta and Parmesan cheese sounded like promising vegetarian dinner. Beautifully presented, it was sinfully rich. The spinach salad was drenched in a tangy vinagrette-style dressing with a dressing of sauteed mushrooms. And while the portobello mushrooms were smaller than the California variety, the flavor was every bit as powerful.

A very satisfying meal in a beautiful location - overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Peru.

My Scariest Moment in Lima - The Temple

Lima is a beautiful city in many ways, but a frightening city in some ways as well. In California we have "good" neighborhoods and "bad" neighborhoods. In "good" neighborhoods homes and yards are open and airy. In the "bad" neighborhoods you often see bars on the windows of the shops and homes to protect the people living there.

In Lima, the entire city looked like a "bad" neighborhood to my eyes. There are private security guards at the churches, at the hotels, at the grocery stores and at the businesses. Most homes have 8-10 foot high stone or wrought iron fences with barbs, and occasionally electric wire, adorning the top. Even the parking garages have armed guards. And the British travel advisories warn you to be wary of unscrupulous taxi cab drivers due to some unfortunate recent mishaps.

So it was with some trepidation I decided to take a solo trip to the LDS Temple Saturday morning. I was warned it would be a busy day, so my best bet would be to arrive at 7:00 AM, when the Temple opened, for the early morning session. I planned accordingly, allowing for a 30-40 minute taxi ride, and possible delays with the taxi company. The taxi cab picked me up promptly at 6:00 AM and at 6:15 AM pulled over next to a 10 foot tall, black wrought iron fence with  barbs at the top and announced we were here. Granted, I've never been to the temple, but I have seen pictures and those pictures did not look like an abandoned street with a large, scary fence and some garbage scattered about. I found myself in the frightening position of being a woman, alone, at 6:15 in the morning, in  a strange neighborhood, in a strange country where I do not speak the language very well. In a panic, I tried to communicate my concerns to the taxi cab driver. What came out was "Mi seguridad!" as I frantically flipped through my phrase book trying to find the right words to say.  The driver began to understand, and offered to take a look around for me. After about a minute, he hopped back in the driver's seat, said something encouraging, then proceeded to drive around the corner. There, to my relief, was the entrance to the temple. I paid the driver, happily hopped out, and walked onto the Temple grounds. All fear and worry was gone. I knew I was home.

Human Sacrifice is Next to Godliness?

If sacrifice is a godly trait, then would human sacrifice be the most godlike type of sacrifice?

That would seem to be the theme in many ancient Peruvian cultures.

I toured the Museo de Larco in Lima. It is the most comprehensive collection available for public viewing. The metals, textiles and pottery are incredible.

But as my tour guide walked me through the Chimú, Moche, Cajamarca, Huari , Pukará, Paracas and Inca cultures, the theme of human sacrifice arose again and again. In earlier cultures, sacrifice was simple. They just threw the victims off the top of the mountain and left the broken bodies lying below.

In later cultures, most notably the Incas, the practice evolved into a formal ritual. There were ceremonial weapons used for draining the blood of the victim. There was a special plant used to prevent coagulation of the blood. And the culmination of the ritual, after the cup of blood had passed through many hands, was the drinking of the blood by the priest.