We actually had an excellent weekend, in spite of the whole stolen camera thing. Saturday we looked at three potential houses, and after a bit of agonizing we chose the last one. The second one we saw was practical - in a gated community, large, two storeys with only one staircase, four large bedrooms, a large yard - but kind of generic and (dare I say?) tacky in its ostentatious decoration. The last house we saw was smaller, taller, full of stairs, in worse repair, on a busy street, with a smaller, darker kitchen. BUT. It has a gorgeous view out the back from all of its levels, and just feels right in a way that the other one didn't. It's hard to describe the house, but once we get a camera (!) I will post pictures of it. And those of you who come visit us will certainly have a chance to experience the rooftop patio, complete with brick barbeque and panoramic view of the Chachani and El Misti mountains . . .
We then did a bit of banking - well, we set up a Peruvian bank account - and then we went to a fabulous Arequipan restaurant, where we dined on a shaded patio while Joffre danced to Peruvian music in the courtyard.
Sunday we visited the Plaza de Armas, watched some parades in honour of various presidential hopefuls, ate some typical Peruvian food, visited the claustros of the Compania, and rounded out the day at the Monasterio de Santa Catalina. (Just click on the place names to see photos of these places)
Best of all, the weather both days was clear and sunny, with bright blue skies and great views of the mountains. I felt as though I was finally experiencing the Arequipa I'd read about!
Sunday night we got pollo a la braza, rotisserie chicken which the Peruvians have raised to an art form.
All in all, it was a great weekend. Monday and Tuesday have been good, and interesting, in their own ways, but more on that later. The important thing is that now we are experiencing the fine Arequipan weather we were promised. The only drawback is that the sun is very fierce, and the kids and I are sporting weird little burnt patches where the sunblock missed us.
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So, what is typical Peruvian food?
Well, at the fancier Arequipan restaurant, I had anticuchos, which is skewered roasted beef heart. Aaron had a spicy stew of freshwater shrimp, and Joffre had ocopa, which is a slab of breaded, fried cheese served with cold boiled potatoes, sliced hardboiled eggs, and a creamy, mildly spicy peanut sauce. At the mediocre place on the Plaza de Armas, Aaron had chicherrones, which is deep fried pork skin with boiled, fried potatoes, and I had soltero, which is a sort of salad of minced tomatoes, red peppers, fava beans, enormous corn kernels, cubed fresh cheese, all in fresh lime juice and salt. Side salads often consist of marinated mild red onion, thinly sliced, with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.
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