The Quest For Cuy

On the evening of our last full day in Peru, I was getting antsy.

Besides hiking to Machu Picchu, one of my goals for this trip was to try cuy. I only had a few hours left.

Cuy (pronounced kwee) is what the Peruvians call a guinea pig. It's a delicacy in these parts. They throw an annual Cuy Festival here, and unfortunately we had just missed it.

Normally, the thought of eating a rodent would absolutely sicken me. Also, my brother once had a pet guinea pig. I thought it was the cutest thing ever. And now I wanted to eat one. Because I firmly believe that if you're in a foreign land, you do as the natives do. If you're in France, you eat the crepes. If you're in Holland, you eat the pannenkoken. And if you're in Peru, you eat the cuy.

Let's back it up a little bit. On our first day in Cusco, we had lunch at a restaurant (who's name escapes me) and lo and behold, cuy was on the menu. I thought it was way too soon for cuy. I hadn't even hiked yet! So I passed. My friend Allan, who also made it a goal to try the cuy, did not pass up the opportunity.

And this is what he ate:



You can have cuy many ways; grilled, deep-fried, raw. OK, maybe not raw. Allan ordered it roasted. They had to cut it in smaller chunks for him. It was a little much. But Allan seemed to like it.




So it was with a little trepidation that I, along with my friends who REALLY wanted to see me try this thing, walked into La Tranquera restaurant in Miraflores, a swanky, tourist-friendly section of Lima.



La Tranquera is not your typical Peruvian restaurant. It's actually an Argentine-themed steakhouse. Meaning they do meat right. Including cuy. So I bucked up and ordered an entire guinea pig.

And this is what I ate:



No seriously, this is guinea pig. Sure, it looks like it's a decent cut of meat. That's because it is! The chefs are that good. La Tranquera, folks. Check it out when you're in Lima.

So how was it? Good, I guess. It was definitely unlike any meat I've had. It kind of tastes like pork. But not really. It's hard to describe. You really have to eat one to see (and taste) for yourself.

This is what I looked like as I was finishing my cuy:



It was a big guinea pig.

Everyone else in our group, except for my best bud Allan, just couldn't imagine eating cuy. I didn't know what the big deal was. Why would I travel to some country just so I can eat food that I'm familiar with? With that said, I would never ever eat cuy in the U.S.

Because that's just weird.

Here are some more pics taken from our last day in Peru. To reassure all of you, we did eat very well on the trip. But that's another entry...

Museum Issues

I have a confession to make.

As much as I love museums, I cannot fully enjoy them. There's too much wandering, standing around and reading tiny print. It's not that comfortable, my back always hurts and I never retain any of the info that I was supposed to pick up.

So when we went to the Archaeological and Historical Museum in Lima, Peru's capital city, I decided that I was going to try a different tactic; I would take my little journal to jot down some notes, and I would take my camera and snap a few photos.

The results were mixed.



For example, back in the day, tribes would intentionally deform the shapes of their skulls to stand out more. However, I have absolutely no idea which tribe did this. So I kinda learned something, but not really.



And take this exhibit. Just freaky. Although I don't remember if this is how he died or if they positioned him this way. Or, if he is a she. He (or she) is still kinda freaky.



Now this is taken from the part of the museum devoted to fertility-related artifacts. I spent a great deal of time in this section. I've always been fascinated by ancient cultures' views of procreation. And as you can see, those tribes native to Peru were very...open to such matters. And this was one of the tamer artifacts.

Unfortunately this is pretty much the extent to which I learned about ancient Peru. I'll probably have to go back and spend the whole day at the museum. OR I can go to Wikipedia.

But where's the fun in that?

Here are some more photos of the Archaeological and Historical Museum in Lima, along with various other pics from that day.

The Road To Machu Picchu: Part One - Looking For Signs

As we pull out of Lima International Airport, Victor, the shuttle driver taking us to our hotel in the heart of the city, turns to me and asks, "Habla Espanol?"

I answer the way I always do when asked this question: "Un poquito." Very little. I'm being humble here, in hopes that Victor would talk to me at the very least in broken English. No luck. All Spanish, and all very very fast. It's been like that all day, from the ticket counter in LAX to the flight attendants on the plane, to Victor the shuttle driver. And finally I get to use my five years of learning Spanish to good use.

I'm able to maintain a sensible conversation with Victor. I tell him my friends and I are on way to Cusco the next day. He tells me he's been to Cusco, but not to Machu Picchu. I ask small questions here and there about this and that. He gives me recommendations for restaurants to try in Miraflores, a fancy-schmancy part of the city located by the sea. All the while, my friends and I are mesmerized by the huge billboards, run-down buildings and speedy taxis and trucks creeping insanely close by our shuttle. Shocking, to say the least.

Victor drops us off at the Sheraton in Central Lima. I say, "Gracias", he says "De nada" and just like that, I make a new friend in Lima, Peru.


*The view from my hotel room*

The first day of a big vacation is all about looking for signs. Embracing the good, and scooting the heck away from the bad. Getting all your luggage from baggage claim? Good sign. Having a reliable shuttle driver who offers suggestions on where to eat on your first night? Good sign.



Checking in your hotel, flipping on the TV, and having "La Oficina" be the first thing you see? GREAT SIGN.

But I couldn't stay too attached to Lima. I'd be back here in a week's time anyway. But I was about to get on another plane the next morning to Cusco, the capital of the Incas, where more than a few adventures were awaiting me.

I had a good feeling about this trip.

For more pics of central Lima, LarcoMar Shopping Center in Miraflores, and more, go to my flickr page here.