Day 45. Lima. 2.3.25

" LIMA STREET FOOD & TRADITIONAL TAVERNS-Embark on a 4-hour walking food tour in Lima's Historic Centre. The first stop is the city's most famous 'Plaza San Martin.' After taking in one of Peru's most renowned plazas and capturing a photo opportunity at the Gran Hotel Bolivar, we will head to Lima's very own Chinatown and the city's largest market! During this food tour, you will have the chance to taste popular on-the-go delicacies that locals savour. While enjoying these flavourful local treats, you’ll learn more about Peru's history and interesting facts surrounding the local informal economy and daily life in Peru. In the historic centre of Lima, you will observe some of Lima's most emblematic architectural masterpieces of Spanish and Moorish heritage. It will also be a great opportunity for you to people-watch and immerse yourself in a truly joyful local experience – we designed this food tour so that you can feel like a real Peruvian"

Finally got a good sleep. Didn't wake until 7.45! Small breakfast in the garden before heading off on a 'foodie' tour.

A few photos of some of the art works in the Hotel foyer while waiting for our guide. ⬇️

Mafalda from a Japanese cartoon that older Peruvians watched as children. 

Condorito. Our guides mum used to watch the cartoon while growing up. 

Our first stop was to taste fresh fruit,  dark chocolate and cacao tea. Cacao tea (also known as chocolate tea) is a light and refreshing hot drink made from cacao beans. Unlike breakfast, mint, or green tea, cacao tea isn’t made from leaves but from roasted cacao bean shells. I enjoyed the tea.

Aura our guide showing us a cacao bean.

We tasted 3 different flavours of dark chocolate and tried to guess which flavours they were. We only got 1 right 🤷‍♀️

I preferred the top one and Mark the bottom one.

Some of the varieties of locally grown vegetables. 

Peru has more than 4,000 varieties of potatoes, which are a staple of the country's diet. 

Golden finches.

Chicken empanada with coffee.  I personally found the coffee too strong but Mark enjoyed it. 

Our next stop was to try a 'delicacy' originating from the time of slavery. The slaves would use the parts of animals that their masters didn't eat. I elected not to eat the delicacy.

Needed hair nets to enter the kitchen to watch the chef prepare beef heart kebab for Mark and chicken kebab for me. He explained the whole process as he went. 

Wok frying the vegetables. 

Cooking our protein. 

Outdoor dining area. 

Inca Kola is a soft drink that was created in Peru in 1935 by British immigrant Joseph Robinson Lindley. The soda has a sweet, fruity flavor that somewhat resembles its main ingredient, lemon verbena (not to be confused with lemongrass, both of which can be known as hierbaluisa in Spanish).

Local artists painted murals during the covid pandemic. 

Visited an art gallery. 

We crossed the 'wish' bridge, where you hold your breath as you cross the bridge thinking about your wish as you go. At least this on was shorter the the one in Ushuaia and I could get across in time 🤞🏼 

The church had been damaged by earthquake and was being repaired. 

Vultures on the cross.

María Isabel Granda Larco (3 September 1920 – 8 March 1983), better known as Chabuca Granda, was a Peruvian singer and composer. She created and interpreted a vast number of Criollo waltzes with Afro-Peruvian rhythms.

Locks of love.

Trout on a potato and corn base.

Fruit juice.

Ceviche, a cold dish of fish marinated in lime juice and seasonings to cook it. This is the first time I have tried uncooked fish. It actually was pretty good but our bellies were already full from the previous dishes so we couldn't eat it all. 

Municipal Park of Barranco. 

Our next stop was at a bar.

A pisco sour is an alcoholic cocktail of Peruvian origin that is traditional to both Peruvian and Chilean cuisine. The drink's name comes from pisco, a brandy which is its base liquor, and the cocktail term sour, implying sour citrus juice and sweetener components

We got to do the final shaking.

It gets strained to remove the ice which is put in to make the egg white foam.

Our last stop was for an icecream/gelato, some made from Peru's fruit.

Exhausted from all that food we waddled back to the hotel and crashed for the afternoon.  We had walked about 4.5kms.

Today's temperature range was 22-27°

Hotel library. 

More hotel art.

Day and night by Flavia Meléndez.

View from the rooftop bar. Our room is on the top floor, windows 3 and 4 from the left.

Sunset from the rooftop.