Wardrobe Makeover

Last night I got distracted.  Seriously distracted.  As in hours and hours of reading fashion blogs, distracted.

So I am now inspired.  Based primarily upon this blog, I will be rehab-ing my wardrobe, cleaning out the old, and bringing in the new, hardy but still fashionable clothes that I am very very excited to go shopping for.

I'm starting by making up a list of what I need.  Included are many of the items I have been searching for this season and before, and I'm also taking tips off other wardrobe essentials lists that I've been reading about on the addicting internet.  I feel that I have a  decent idea about which clothes I own, and I can already name a few items I know I'll be getting rid of.  Since I basically culled my closet last year when I had to pack up for storage, there isn't too too much to do, but I do believe I will gain at least half a drawer back :)

Currently my biggest holdup is, am I really willing to spend the extraordinary prices that many fashion bloggers are calling 'worth-the-price' and invest in a quality piece, i.e. a white cotton button-down, that I can wear for years to come?

I don't know.  I'm cheap, but I do understand the concept of cost-per-wear and frequently consider this when shopping, and additionally I have splurged for a few quality items that will not be leaving my closet.  But $600 boots?  I don't think so.  This will be a quality/price/style/longevity wardrobe makeover, probably judged in that order as well.

However, there is one rule that I am going to stick by.  I will NOT buy it unless I love it.  L-O-V-E it.  As in, walk away for a day, can't stop thinking about it love.  This is a rule I try and live by, but looking through my closet I have definitely gotten away from that at times.

No more!

The experience starts tomorrow, at my neighborhood Goodwill!

Squash, squash, squash

I don't like squash.

At least I thought.  But since my tastebuds seem to be reorienting themselves, and since I am being exposed through many varieties of squash through work, I thought this is the time to really test out my my likes and dislikes!

The experiment started a few weeks ago, when I invited some friends over for a squash fest.  With a butternut, spaghetti and red kuri squash at my disposal, I was ready to try out some recipes.  First up was roasting the squash, which, as you may know, is easy enough.  Then I decided to prepare the butternut and red kuri as I like my sweet potatoes: tossed with an onion, olive oil and seasoning salt, and baked in the oven!  For the spaghetti squash it was served with sautéed tomatoes, onions and feta cheese on top, and I thought it turned out really well.  Kathryn and I ate so much of it we weren't even hungry for the other dish, which was fine by me as I didn't like it!  Despite this positive review, I still don't think I'd ever buy a spaghetti squash.

Finished product, I'll work on plating, this was our
serving platter AFTER we'd started digging in!

Next up I received a Jamaican, or Caribbean Pumpkin which I'd heard was sweeter than a normal pumpkin.  With this in mind I knew it was time for...pumpkin bread!  A little bit of googling, a lot of time, and some wisdom from Alton Brown and I had myself some pretty tasty bread!

The process started off with roasting (seems to be a squash trend), and then blending into a puree.

Have you used the Cuisinart Immersion Blender?  Pretty sweet!  Thanks to my roommate Julia who brought it.

Next was the typical bread making process, which I used this recipe for, but minus the nutmeg and with only 1 cup of sugar.  

Into the oven and, well you already saw the final result.  I think I overcooked it a bit, but with a bit of butter it was quite tasty.  My roommates seemed to agree as when I came home this afternoon, starving from work and thinking about pumpkin bread on my ride home, the empty dish was in the sink.

I guess it's a good thing I have more puree in the fridge, trying to decide what to do with it next!

Review:

Spaghetti: +

Red Kuri: -

Butternut: -

Jamaican Pumpkin: + (in bread)

Weekend in NY

I was off to NYC this weekend to see my (as seen on National TV) aunt!  Her co-owner was running the NYC Marathon, so with over half the distance covered, I switched around some shifts and took the Fung Wah down to the Big Apple!

Despite the unproductive bus ride (I tend to get motion sickness at times, and the half-lit bus and bumpy ride didn't allow me to read my econ HW as planned) we had an absolutely marvelous time.  

First up after my 10:30pm arrival time was dinner!  We went to a cheap Chinese place where I ordered a so-so Braised Fish with rice dish.  The rice however was delicious, and it's kinda sad when that outshines the sweet & sour sauce that the fish and veggies were coated in.

The next day we were up and at it by 8:30, navigating the subway to the Highlands Park and on the search for breakfast.  We ended up stopping at the Donut Plant where I ordered the square Vanilla Glazed with Blackberry jelly, which was very good but nothing special in terms of being a jelly-filled glazed donut.  I also got to try and PB & Jelly donut as they accidentally messed up our order :)  That one was very good as well, but I'm a sucker for PB&J.

Next we went to Eataly, Mario Batali's Italian market & restaurant extravaganza.  We enjoyed a baguette with meat and cheese (just cheese for me!) and I got a Peach flavored yogurt drink by Ronnybrook.  It was all good, although the drinkable yogurt here has nothing on the Global South!  While I was in Peru I enjoyed a variety of drinkable yogurts such as Gloria and Pura Vida (which might be a Gloria product...) that were infinitely more enjoyable, although they probably have the sugar and calories that explain in.

Nevertheless, our next stop was Fishs Eddy, a cute, albiet expensive, housewares store.  I saw one glass bowl there decorated with orange designs, that I'd bought at Crate & Barrel for less than half the price I think!  Needless to say, none of us bought anything, but we did enjoy looking around.

We then continued walking around, and ran into the most fabulous farmer's market!  It put Boston's Cambridge, Arlington and Copley markets to shame as it had fresh plants, every assortment of local, organic produce and meats, homemade sparkling ciders, more sprouts than I've seen in my life, and even a demonstrations pavilion.  I picked up a recipe for pear jam, and also saw the coolest handmade bamboo bike.  The owner told me he had taken a workshop and had built the bike from bamboo and carbon steel.  He let me lift it up and it was quite light for it's size, and he said the frame had just the right amount of give.  It was truly a beauty and I'm sorry for not taking a picture!

Uniqlo and Gap were next, with a bit of shopping at each.  Then dinner at Mario Batali's restaurant Lupa where we ate a variety of delicious appetizers, entrees & amazing desserts.  My favorites were the pickled beets with pistacchio sauce, Linguini with clams, and an absolutely phenomenal coconut sorbet with chocolate shavings, yum!

All too soon the day was over and I was back on the Fung Wah for a lengthy ride back to Boston.  I slept almost the whole time and loved every minute of it.

Lovely Weekend

What a lovely weekend.

This marks the first time my Girl Scout Troop has gone Camping, and it was wonderful.  A few hiccups here and there, as to be expected, and we may have had more leaders than girls, but ultimately it was a great 23 hours (yes, not even a day) filled with nice weather, good food, fun times & good experiences for all.

AAannd, I should really learn to use my camera in the dark, because all my non-flash photos are just horrendous.

After rushing out of the camp, driving, getting lost, and finding my way to NU (yes I DROVE in Boston!) I then rushed out to Alewife to go gleaning.  Cue the getting lost again :(  Did you know there are so many no left turns in Boston?  As a biker I guess I just ignore them, or taking side roads, so when I was on the streets from a driver's point of view it was so confusing!  I'd barely made it off of campus before I realized I was in a turn lane, turned, did a U-turn, tried to turn left, couldn't, turned right, went down Gainsborough-->Hemenway, tried to turn left on Mass Ave again, couldn't, went straight, did a U-turn and THEN was able to get back on Mass Ave so that I could sit...at lights, for the next 35 minutes, making me 20 minutes late...

Luckily my boss and the other volunteers were in good spirits, and we were shortly on our way to Lunenburg for apples, peppers & kale!  Delicious!

I met some great people, got paparazzi-ed by TWO photographers (one from the Globe! perhaps more to come on that) and was able to grab some delicious looking veggies for myself.

The apples, Jonagolds, were absolutely amazing, I'm not normally a fan of green apples, but these were crisp, sweet but a bit tart, and tantalizingly juicy.  I was also gifted a reject melon by a fellow gleaner, and I thought it'd be the best ever since it smelled so good, but after cutting it and tasting, and re-tasting, I had to throw it away.  Just not very good at all, like a weird cross between honeydew and cantaloupe, with the worst of both highlighted.  Oh well!

Gleaned: Melon, Pepper, Apples, Kale.
Not pictured, squash of undetermined variety.

I then made Kale Chips for my second attempt.  After the disappointing last venture, I was convinced by fellow gleaner's enthusiasm to give it another shot, and I must say they are oddly addicting and quite tasty!  I think my mess up from the last time was not getting them crispy enough, or adding enough salt.  We all have a soft spot for crunchy salty bite-sized pieces no?

Crunchy, Captivating Kale Chips!

I then took a trip to target with my fellow intern, because when you have a car you MUST stock up on toilet paper.  Unfortunately I forgot to buy towels, salt & butter.  Darn!

Now it's back to the grind, although I haven't managed to do any HW yet...I'll try again now!

So NOT a Lazy Week

This week was far from lazy.

My mother was in town.  I had a paper due.  I'm taking my Girl Scout Troop camping this weekend (first time!).  Pressure is on at work with us trying to get a press release out the door AND I'm starting to venture into grant-writing.  Eek!

So, it's been a while since I've posted, and I've learned some exciting info about my new bicicleta.  Here's the stitch:

1) I went to Back Bay Bicycles a few weeks ago to look at waterproof gloves.  The weather (at that point) was turning and I knew my hands would be feeling the cold!

2) I was also on the hunt for PEDALS!  I'd been doing some online research (you should know I am an intense research-before-you-buy person) and determined that I wanted cages (perhaps VO's half clips) and new pedals since my foot had already slipped off, and one pedal's plastic component was breaking+uncomfortable.

3) I bought some gloves!  Only approved for 40 degrees, but supposedly waterproof and we shall see how they do...  Haven't needed them since purchasing since it's been just balmy lately.  I think gloves have been jinxing me lately since after I bought gardening gloves I haven't gotten to go gleaning at all :(

4) Their pedals were PRICEY!  And no half clips.  So I decided to wait.

5) BUT, while I was there I solicited some advice.  It is my goal to convert this bike into a fixie, so I asked what type of wheel I should be getting.  Unfortunately the shop guy there busted my dream and told me I needed a rear-facing rear dropout.  Now, since I did EXTENSIVE research before purchasing my bike, I knew this wasn't true, but held my tongue anyway since I'm really not in any place to argue with a bike mechanic.

6) Luckily the fellow was still nice, he played around with my gears some, which had been having trouble shifting (and in fact still are), and also told me that the bike was probably from 1976-1978.  Wow info!

A few days after this trip, I was on an all day biking+shopping trip with a friend, and I convinced her to stop at the Cambridge Antique Market with me.  Did you know they have lots of bike parts in the basement?  I was able to pick up some pedals with attached clips and straps for $30.  A tad rusty but I'm very happy with them so far and have been able to get my foot in!

Took forever for me to muscle off the old pedals, but I think they are doing well, and I haven't noticed any difficulty with me getting my foot in or out.  Even better is that the straps are cloth and not leather!  (I also periodically go through and anti-leather phase, despite the fact that my favorite purse is leather, but never fear, I did weigh costs and benefits for quite a while before that purchase).

Pics to come!

EDIT:

And I forgot to mention!  Tonight I went to the Food for Free Party Under the Harvest Moon, their annual fundraiser, with my employers.  It was a darling event, with free food, open bar, silent auction & live music.  I had TONS of delicious food: a veggie burger slider, chocolate mousse tart, lemon cookie, bean & rice burrito (and one is in my fridge now too!), curried coconut crab soup (delicious though I don't think the crab is necessary), gorgonzola stuffed apricot+probably more that I'm forgetting.

Also got to meet Ton & Ray Magniozzi from Car Talk!  I remember my parents listening to that ever Saturday (?) on the radio, so I was lucky enough to get an autograph for my mom.  Also snapped a few pics of my boss posing with them for her Car Talk obsessed niece, cute!

Say hello to...

My NEW BIKE!

A beauty, no?

She's an undetermined make and year, I'll probably do some more research on that later, but she rides well.  10 speed I think (not really use to gears, and also don't really care).  Fairly light, odd handlebars but working brakes, and a slight bit tall for me, but a decent price (I think), so she will do!

Here's the plan:

Paint, perhaps dark forest green and keep the lugs silver?

New handlebars, I'm thinking drop bars, nicely wrapped with gel inserts!

Take off rear brake and gears, this girl is going fixie!

Rear rack has an undetermined fate at this time, handy, and looks fine now, maybe it will get a paint job too.

Here are the issues:

Where can I paint?  It's getting cold, plus I live in a dorm!  Not sure if the park across the street is open to me hanging my bike from a tree and spraying it. (Professional job is FAR too much money)

Need to learn a bunch more about bikes!  What size tires do I want, what size handlebar will fit?  What is the best bargain fixed wheel to buy?

Nonetheless I'm super excited to start on this project in my spare time (haha what a joke!)

Connor's Farm: Apple Picking

Today I was lucky enough to join my friends in the Chemistry Department for their annual Apple Picking trip!  We headed out to Danvers to go to Connor's Farm for a day of corn mazes, apple cannons, hayrides, cider and apple picking.

After a quick 45 min on the school bus (haven't been on one of those for a while!), we pulled into the farm stand and straight away bought an apple cider doughnut.  Now I'm not sure if you've had one of those, but they are delicious.  Unfortunately for me I've had better, at the Louisburg Cider Mill back home in the Sunflower State!  I actually went there right before coming back to school.  I got myself a gallon of cider, apple butter, and a doughnut.  So I'm pretty sure I count as an expert.

Regardless, the rest of the day was a good time!  I've never been apple picking, done a corn maze, shot an apple cannon, or been on a hayride, so it was a day of firsts for me.  We picked an enormous bag of apples that I think we were supposed to share with 7 people, but instead got split between the 3 of us.  That means we each got around 15 apples...I'll get to that later.

But anyway, the main adventure of this day was, we get back on the bus to return to Boston, and I realize that I can't find my phone.  Kathleen and I had just been on an amazing jumping pillow (FUN FOR ALL AGES!) so I rushed over there to look, but I didn't see it anywhere.  I told the Chem. director, who offered to let me catch a ride back from him so that I could look.  Already my hopes were dropping, as we had literally gone everywhere in the place.  Luckily I knew that I'd had it after the corn maze, so I decided the Hayride was our best bet.

I rushed back to the bus to tell Kathleen (who generously agreed to stay with me) and grab my other things.  We searched high and low while waiting for our tractor to get back, and when he arrived, I asked the driver if he'd found it, and he HAD!

It was honestly a miracle, and I still can't believe it, because if it was in the orchard there is just no way it would ever be found.

And now onto the apples.  Today Vicki and I made my mom's Apple Crisp, and I came home and made this Apple Cake.  Unfortunately I overmixed, and I think it could do with a bit more sugar, and maybe even an extra half an apple.  More like bread than cake, but lucky for me I have enough apples to experiment for a long time!

Why do I bike?

Biking became a part of my life when I began commuting to work last summer.  A bike was ‘strongly encouraged’ at the non-profit I was working at, and since there was no mention of a T or Bus pass for this stipend internship, I was an easy convert.

Of course I had been admiring the slim, graceful cyclists who weaved through Boston traffic (for better or worse) while cars and buses stood still and I trailed behind while walking.  On a college student’s budget and an education in Environmental Studies, I knew it was only a matter of time before I picked up the bike my cousin had insisted on shipping me cross country, and went out on the Southwest Corridor.

Riding my combination mountain bike frame with sturdy wheels, a wide handlebar and no gears, the summer was hard; hot and sweaty I was passed by fixie riders as I went towards the suburbs opposite of the other commuters.  I’d arrive at work, frantically try and cool down in the bathroom before wiping my forehead and going to sit under the AC in my office.  But times improved and I gradually grew more secure, doing my own weaving between sticks and acorns, learning how to dress for the weather, and even buying rain pants and fenders for those downpours.

One day, on the return trip home to campus, I needed to go directly to a meeting.  It was drizzling in Boston (of course), so I had on my rainpants, rain jacket, and a baseball hat under my helmet so I could see.  I turned up quite a sight, but when questioned by my peers, I proudly answered, “yup, I rode to work today.”  They all pronounced me crazy, but inside I could care less.  Each day the ride to work had become more and more important.  I was becoming addicted, the freedom, the solitude and the breeze kept me coming back, and even when I didn’t need to go anywhere I would just ride to get my legs moving, my hair blowing and a smile back on my face.

Today I still ride, to the store, to the river, to my new internship with another non-profit, but I'm ready for a new bike.  This workhorse bicycle served me well, but I'm ready for an attractive frame with girly details, thin wheels and more options than are offered by my single speed.

New Hairstyle?

Today I ran across this, a tutorial on how to make the perfect, full bun.  Now, while that may be her go-to hairstyle, mine is definitely the messy bun.  I have pretty much perfected it, and despite the clips that I have to put in to hold my in-between bangs back, it is a simple style that gets my hair out of my face.

However, I'm currently wearing the 'perfect bun' (with sock!) and I must say it is a nice change.  I will have to work on the pinning a bit, since it's falling out already, but this might be a good change.  Although it is certainly less do-able when I have  to take my bike helmet on and off.  For that I think the messy bun will have to stay.

Don't you wish they made helmets that allowed for bangs though?  I'm still not sure what to do with mine.  Let them stick to my head and get sweaty or push them back and risking an electrified look when I get there?  I'll keep experimenting.

In other news, it's back to my old bike :(  Long, long story, but I think I will visit a Used Bike Store today!

Also made a delicious if unique meal with friends last weekend.  It started off as this, but since I added the rice too early (and we made do with Basil rather than oregano) it came out a little different.  Also on the table was my mom's famous Black Bean Salsa (made with fresh corn handpicked by ME!), Newman's Pineapple Salsa, and a couscous salad made by the lovely Raquel.  She and I wisely mixed everything together, and pronounced it delicious!  It was.

Also had were some strong margaritas, and a new drink we have named, The Chocolate Cupcake.  It consists of UV Cake Vodka and Silk Chocolate Soymilk.  I'm not much of a drinker, but this might just beat out my old fave Blue Moon.

Handlebar Tape

Purchased some beautiful red cork handlebar tape from Back Bay Bicycles today.  Everyone there was helpful, and one cashier passed on a helpful hint, students get 10% off!  I had a coupon for 20% off so I stuck with that for now, but it will definitely get me back in the store, a good shocker since I had always (mis)judged the place as being pricey.  It is Back Bay after all...

A quick google search and I found some videos that taught me how to wrap the tape.  Here's the finished product:

I wanted red to hopefully bring out the red of the Fuji logo, and provided some much needed color to the bike.  It is beautiful, and I am actually quite a fan of the silver, but I like color!  Not pink so much though...which unfortunately is what the tape can sometimes look like...

But, the other option at the shop didn't look as cushy or sweat-resistant, so with a recommendation for the good ole cork I stuck with this color.  So far so good as the ride I took was much comfier than the previous trek.

I still need to change out the seat, but that will have to wait until I get my little set of Allen Wrenches back.

Off to Cape Cod tomorrow!

OUCH

Well, it is a beautiful bike, that is for sure.  But the previous owner took off the handlebar tape!  Now I had never noticed the importance of this little feature, but after just riding a 2.5hr round trip ride to my new internship in Waltham, I really get it.

There were a variety of issues with this ride.

1. No handlebar tape.  My palms feel a little like they were smashed and all the bones have spread out.
2. The seat is definitely male.  Double ouch.
3. I converted it to a fixie yesterday.  That means awkwardly backward pedaling to stop (thank god there is a front brake still) and SO MUCH ENERGY on the hills.  I haven't gotten the hang of standing and pedaling on this baby yet.
4. I'm not use to pedal cages and for now can only get 1 foot in, probably because I'm too busy trying to ride this fixie.  Hopefully it will click in a week or 2 and I can start avoiding the "does she know how to ride a bike??" looks.

So, for now I shall cease riding the new Fuji until I get some handlebar tape.  And I'm waiting on that until I am sure the previous owner won't be returning to claim this beauty.

My first venture in dyeing!

Well, unplanned at the beginning of the day, this marks my venture into the world of dyeing (apart from past Girl Scout Tye-dying).
Being a usual college student, I am constantly trying to figure out ways to live on the cheap.  So when my mom suggested buying new towels because mine were grungy/bleached looking (they ARE clean by the way, just have developed a slight grey tint....on previously white towels), I rebelled!

But not immediately.

First I came back to Boston, moved into my new place, unpacked, cleaned, organized, and found packets of half used RIT dye!  Now, from the brief research I just did on dyeing, I've learned that RIT is considered quite the inferior dye.  But, it's here, it's free, I know (in general) how to use it, and Marisa on www.newdressaday.com uses it!  So how bad could it be?

Anyway, I luckily learned that I probably should be a good roommate and not use our bathtub for this adventure, so instead I went on a hunt for an appropriate vessel.  Our sink seems to be missing it's plug, so that was out, and the bathroom sinks are porcelain, a big no-no.  So, I did what any other college kid around move-out day would do, I went to the trash room!

Now you may be thinking, "ummmm, WTF, who does that??"  But you should know that the trash room can be a wonderland around move-out time.   Just 2 days ago I got a perfectly good plastic, 3-drawer chest.  Complete with textbooks in the drawer, one of which I just sold for $20.  So yes, I <3 the trash room.

And it didn't fail me today!  I got a giant plastic drawer, relatively clean, which is now my dye tub.  I also utilized a plastic pitcher that belongs to my roommate's friend, a metal spoonula found in the kitchen, dish washing gloves and a metal bowl also unearthed in the kitchen!  And so the dyeing began.

I loosely based my process on RIT's own suggestions.  Since I had about 3 half used packs (blue, purple and orange), I used the blue and purple, and threw in some of the soda ash I also found for good measure.  One site said RIT doesn't work with soda ash, but since I couldn't stop it from bleeding I decided it couldn't hurt.

This was a VERY water intensive process, which made me quite sad, but since I haven't showered yet today, we'll call it even for now.  After a good hour of soaking, stirring, rinsing, rinsing, rinsing...and then washing, I THINK that the 2 hand towels and 2 shirts I did might be complete.  They are now laying out to dry, and my work looks pretty good for now!

EDIT:

Just had to share.  Look at this beauty!

Summer Projects

I've found myself sewing a lot lately.  As soon as I got home from school I began sewing these amazingly handy foldable bags that I learned from Crafty Ady.

My mom had helped me make one before I went to Peru, and I used it daily there.  Used as both as luggage and a shopping bag the bag held up remarkably.  I made that one out of what I believe is Polyester Lining fabric (a remnant I had bought back in my Barbie clothes days).  The fabric was perfect and I was even able to wash out a pomegranate juice stain in a hotel bathroom!

Unfortunately I couldn't find the same fabric anywhere (at least in the 3 stores I tried), so instead I just bought some nice cotton remnants from JoAnn's.  I'm making the bags as Christmas gifts for my family, so I am trying to somewhat cater to personalities, but so far I've only made 4.  I'm also making reusable produce bags based on Wendy's design.  For both bags I've made some adjustments (ribbons instead of the button+flap, ribbon+snap instead of drawstring) and it has taken some trial and error but they are coming out well!

I also just made a bike seat cover based on this design.  Since my bike is hanging out with a friend in Boston he sent me the measurements and hopefully it will work!  If not I'll be trying to hand sew one up there...

Today I made myself a delicious lunch of GRILLED CHEESE!  Sounds sad, right?  Not at all!  Heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella (from our brand-spankin'-new Trader Joe's!), freshly picked homegrown Basil and some 12 grain bread!  Delicious.  Unfortunately I didn't layer it correctly, so the cheese didn't melt through to hold the sandwich together, but still tasty!

Can't find my camera cord so phone camera
will have to work for now,
doesn't look too bad though...does it?

Next on my to-do list is this skirt (just found Freshly Picked yesterday and I think I'm in love!), also would love to make this for my pens+pencils and maybe a lace shirt similar to this one!

Perú

The following blog posts are originally from my blog Peru in 6 weeks

They cover the 6 weeks that I spent in Perú during the summer of 2011 on a class trip through Northeastern University. The trip was amazing and I learned a fabulous amount of Spanish, about the culture of Perú and myself.

This trip was actually my second to Perú, a pure coincidence! While in High School my mom and I had gone to Trujillo, Perú for a weeklong medical mission trip. Unfortunately my Spanish skills have been pretty low for both trips although the benefits of immersion school are tremendous and I progressed leaps and bounds with the help of the El Sol and Amauta.

Regardless there may very well be some typos (Spanish and English!) on this blog and if you would like to help me correct them feel free to pass along errors.
I have tried to sum up the best of my trip in Perú: Lessons Learned but unfortunately do not have links or exact locations for many of my suggestions! Nevertheless please look for some of these places when you are next in Perú! I still salivate remembering the Limonana slush of The Bagel Cafė!

¡Viva Perú!

¡Chau Perú!

Lessons Learned: what to do, where to visit and what to eat in Perú:

General:

1.     Try bread.  Everywhere

2.     Always travel with hand sanitizer and toilet paper.

3.     Bring Peanut Butter or other favorite foods if you think they can’t be found in your destination!

4.     I think under-packing, rather than over-packing, is actually better, but in general, pack wisely!  (I need to work on this..)

5.     Track exchange rates for a while and change your money when it is around the highest point

6.     Nothing can be put down the toilets in Perú, no toilet paper, tampons, nada!

7.     Explore the local markets: goods, foods, whatever!

8.     Peru cheese is just not the same

9.     Papas secas (dried potatoes) are disgusting.  Beware.

10.  Take pictures, lots.  And with you in them

11.  Travel with someone who likes taking pictures and get them to take photos of you

12.  Set your camera on the correct setting for the picture (dusk, dawn, etc)

13.  Bargaining is widely accepted, just don’t insult people too much, especially those that hand make their crafts

14.  Visit antique shops

15.  Dune buggies are awesome!  Definitely an activity to try out, along with sandboarding

16.  Fruit in Peru is delicious, try it all

17.  Check that your dish is vegetarian, and make sure that you ask about chicken as well, some places consider vegetarian to only include red meats

18.  Falafel and Chinese (Chifa) is pretty good the world over

19.  Churros, every chance you get

20.  Buy a map

21.  Talk to locals about the best spots to check out

22.  Playa means parking in Perú, along with the typical meaning of beach

23.  Try the food, but be smart, being sick away from home is terrible

24.  Don’t drink the water if not recommended

25.  Carry a copy of your passport with you

26.  Bring water to the restaurants, it is pricey there!

27.  Keep all papers given to you at the airport, it just might be a $35 replacement fee entrance/exit paper!  (Not a personal lesson learned)

28.  Manajar Blanco (Dulce de Leche) should be eaten whenever possible.  In fact dessert should be eaten as much as possible

29.  Bring an assortment of money and cards so that you are never without funds

30.  Talk to taxi drivers!

31.  Avocado+Bread serves as a good meal any time of the day

32.  Soup is served before almost every dinner…good at some times but BLAH at others

33.  Food here seems to be extra salty

34.  Two words: Platanos Maduras

Ica:

35.  There are some crazy waitresses in this town, beware!

36.  Chifa place on the Hotel de Ica street is good and fairly cheap

37.  The Confetti Maní sold by almost every street vendor is tasty and addicting

38.  Plaza food here isn’t as expensive as other cities, but it is still definitely more near the plaza rather than a bit off the beaten path

Lima:

39.  Taco place on Avenida El Sol, not a taco but delicious nonetheless

40.  The bread at Metro Supermarket is cheap and delicious, the flat one is especially amazing, if not a bit greasy

41.  Get ready for some honking, Lima drivers never stop

42.  Arroz a la Cubana at the terrace restaurant 3 floors up next to the Plaza de Armas is cheap (S./ 8 for appetizer, entrée and drink) as well as delicious

43.  Negotiate your taxi driver down as much as possible before getting in the cab.  General rule?  Split his given price in half and go from there, normally you will end up in the middle, or if it is still too high don’t worry about finding a different cab

44.  The sticker cabs (without the actual taxi sign) are generally cleaner, cheaper, and know where they are going compared to other cabs.  Mi favorita!

45.  Pizza in this city is not the best, especially Las Pizzas Bar

46.  Taxi drivers here don’t know where they are going, it is not unusual to stop 2+ times to ask pedestrians for directions

Cusco:

47.  Go to the Bagel Café and try all 3 of the mint shakes, especially the Limonana.  And if you are craving fresh veggies that is the place to get a salad as well, just don’t expect a hearty American bagel (Gringo Alley)

48.  Eat empanadas in Peru, especially the veggie one at the Plaza Regocijo

49.  Cabs here should not charge more than S./ 3 for areas close to the Plaza de Armas, but you will pay more at night

50.  Our ‘Vegetarian Place’ had great prices and great food.  It was one of the best restaurant finds of the trip (you are welcome guys!) (Calle Tigre)

51.  Chocolate Museum!  Need I say more? (Plaza Regocijo)

52.  You can either negotiate the price before getting in the cab or get in and pay what you think is a fair price.  The second option is generally more successful but can end up with an upset taxi driver

53.  San Pedro Market, buy and eat a mango right from the stand, the owner will cut it for you (cortar: to cut)

54.  Honey in San Pedro tastes just like fresh flowers, yum!

55.  McDonalds has free wi-fi and MUCH better fries than in the states.  The Iberica McFlurry can also hit the spot on a hot day

56.  Try the trout (trucha) and cebiche, Peruvian specialties!

57.  Jugo at the Mercado is cheap and good, and you get at least 2 glasses with every purchase (the Jugo Especial includes malt beer and comes with 5 glasses, bring friends!)

Aquas Calientes:

58.  The restaurant owners will bargain and give you free stuff almost without you having to do anything, but it is still more expensive than every where else I went in Peru!

Arequipa:

59.  S./ 3.50 all around!  YES

60.  A little off the plaza everything gets wayyyy cheaper

61.  There is a legitimate Krabby Patty burger place off of the Plaza de Armas.  I naturally didn’t try the burger but it looked great and I only heard good things.  A newly cut bun, papas fritas and vegetables topped off the freshly grilled meat which can be eaten in the Spongebob decked out store, or for one confused look the meal can be para llevar.

Well that about sums up my trip to Peru.  Fun times, good people and amazing experiences all around.  I feel like I have definitely seen a large portion of the country but can't wait to explore more in the future.  ¡Hasta luego Perú!

Cusco: Last Day

Grammar test at Amauta School today finished off our official schooling in Peru.  Afterwards we went to San Pedro Market for the best 2 mangoes, a juicy slice of watermelon.  In addition we shared juices: strawberry+milk, mixto+milk, pineapple+banana and banana+milk as well as S./ 1 cookies from the bread ladies.  As we were leaving we also got some Manajar Blanco for the road.

Then back to the Artisan market to finish off last minute souvenir shopping and I also finally got the blanket I have been debating for our whole 2 weeks in Cusco.  Man, it really sounds like all I did was shop in Peru, doesn't it? But neverfear, sometimes we would just wander through the market on our way to one place or another, and I am a champion window shopper so I certainly did NOT buy things every time we go 'shopping.'

At our last fancy dinner at Hotel Monestario we enjoyed tabouleh salad, spinach and cheese ravioli and the oddest strudel I have ever had.  It was a wonderful last meal and the heartfelt ending toasts were the perfect ending to a wonderful trip.

Cuzco: Inti Raymi

Time to celebrate Inti Raymi!  The Sun God of the Incas!

To start off the day we went to see the first performance of dancers calling out the Sun at one of the Dominican/Incan Churches/Temples that we had visited earlier.  Dancers representing the 4 districts of the Incan empire performed before Inti Raymi came down to the field.  The whole ensemble was elegantly dressed in colorful outfits, but a little limping dog that flitted between the dancers caught everyone's eyes.

Perrito!

We then returned home to change clothes (a bit hotter than expected) and lather on the sunscreen before meeting at the Plaza de Armas to take our bus to the main celebration at Sacsayhuaman.  When we got to the Plaza the 2nd celebration of the day was just finishing up, basically a repeat of the first ceremony.  The center fountain was unveiled as a rock with Inti Raymi on top of it, a pleasant surprise as it has been covered for the 2 weeks that we've been here, presumably undergoing repairs.

Next we went to Sacsayhauman to see the full Inti Raymi celebration.  With our $110 tickets we took our seats and waited for the performance to begin.  Similar to the previous representations dancers from the 4 Suyos came out with offerings to Inti Raymi which the High Priest accepted and dealt with accordingly (burning llama innards, lighting incense, etc.)  The ordeal ended with a good forecast for the next year and a celebration of the Incas successes in uniting people up and down the Peruvian coast.

After, a group of us walked back to the city and got the chance to take pictures with many of the dancers who had just performed.  From what I hear the main priest was a famous Peruvian actor while many of the dancers were part of the Army or University students.  Evidently there is also some amount of indigenous blood needed for one to be in the celebration.

Fabulous find of the day was a giant slice of S./ 2 cake from a little shop 2 streets up from us.  The Vanilla and Chocolate is delicious while the plain Chocolate fell a little flat.  An amazing deal and a must try when in Cusco!

Cusco: Corpus Christi

This time we had a 13 hour bus ride!  Thanks to some on-the-road repair work we made it but between the thrown-off-your-seat gravel roads and 2 hrs of mechanical work everyone was so glad to get off of the bus at 9am.

We returned to our previous hotel, showered and then Kris and I headed to the Artisanal Market to finish off souvenir shopping.  Next up was delicious empanadas and ice cream at a wi-fi café.

As we neared the Plaza the crowds got crazier and crazier and we switched our backpacks to be in front of us.  Braving the swarms we held onto each other and pushed forward to see the parades.  Each church held a parade with different saints which they marched with music, floats and banners into the main church where they will stay for a week.

We then went to explore the food stands located in a neighboring plaza.  Stacks of roasted cuy (guinea pig), chickens and a corn-bread looking starch filled each stand and it was intriguing to see that there was absolutely no variation in the foods being offered.  Families sat at the tables and chowed down as they shared large bottles of Peruvian beer.

Todays craziness was just an appetizer to the madness that tomorrow’s Inti Raymi celebration I’m sure!