Peruvian Lasagna

I never quite know what to expect when I'm getting picked up at the airport by someone I've never met but I had been told to look for a sign at the Lima airport that said, "Santa," so I figured I'd be able to pick him out of the crowd. Sure enough, there was a man carrying a sign with Santa's face and a neon pink piece of paper that said "Kathryn Lasagna." That must be him!

 

But perhaps I should explain.

 

In the seventh grade, I first met one of my best friends. One day I forgot how to spell lasagna correctly (I think I spelled it something like "lasaganaga") and eighteen years later, lasagna is still my nickname. In fact, when my friend's American family was coordinating my stay with her Peruvian family, they couldn't remember my real name. That's the power of Lasagna!

 

On my way to Bolivia, I had a 22 hour layover, so my friend's family had kindly agreed to put me up for the night and show me around.

 

Tio Abad picked me up with his Santa/Lasagna sign and as we drove home, we talked about politics, world events, women's rights, and a little philosophy for good measure. It was quite a workout for my Spanish but I think I did ok.

 

I showered and put on my nicest backpackers clothes and went out to lunch with Tio Miguel, his wife Chela, and their son Miguelito. They were great hosts! They were very accommodating of my vegetarianism and we had a great (and enormous!) meal. Chela burst out laughing when she saw vegetarian lasagna was an option on the menu. "That's you!" she giggled. Afterwards, Miguel and Chela spent the afternoon at their favorite casino (I had no idea there were so many casinos in Lima!) and Miguelito played tour guide around Lima.

 

Our first stop was the beach. It was a sunny Sunday and the beach was packed! It looked like the Jersey shore on the 4th of July weekend. He drove us up a hill from where I had a great view of the coast. The coastline disappeared subtly into the clouds.

 

From there, we continued on to Cristo al Pacifico. Resembling Rio's famous Christ the Redeemer, this statue is set high on a hill and was built only within the last couple of years. On this Sunday afternoon, there were dozens of families and couples who had come to visit the statue and admire the view. In one direction, there was a clear shot of the coastline as it hugged the arid rocks. Lima is practically a desert. In the other direction, I got a sense of how tightly packed this city of nine million is.

 

A few other monuments were clearly visible, including a huge metallic cross. Built to commemorate the Pope's visit to Lima in the 1990s, the cross is illuminated nightly.

 

We drove downtown and visited the Plaza de San Marti. The statue is surrounded by gorgeous buildings with ornate details. The plaza was bustling with city dwellers enjoying a quiet weekend afternoon.

 

It wasn't far to Plaza de Armas. The Palacio de Justicia was a sprawling building that resembles Paris's Louvre. The main cathedral (pictured below), where the Pope once held mass, is richly adorned with columns and statues.

 

I snapped a quick photo in front of the Palacio Presidencial. This is literally the one thing I remember from my equally short stay in Lima in 2001!

 

Next stop was the main park in Miraflores. Fellow backpackers had told me this was a great neighborhood to stay in and I could see why. There was plenty of activity: capoeira groups preformed on a corner, artists sold their works to locals and tourists, business was good in a small market area, people ate popcorn and sat on benches. I noticed there weren't really any pigeons around. I'm guessing there's a connection to the fact that there were so many stray cats wandering around in the park!

 

Miguelito had a fantastic idea: he took me round the corner to have my first churro. It's a traditional Peruvian sweet bread covered in sugar and filled with a gooey cream. One end is closed and the other is open like a straw. Since there are only two ends, probability would dictate that it's 50/50 I would start from the correct--that is, the open--end. However, the Laws of Kathryn override probability and it was pretty much a guarantee I'd take my first bite from the closed end, resulting in cream oozing out the open end after every bite. Very gracious! But it was so good, I ate it too fast for anybody to really notice!

 

From there, Miguelito took me to Larcomar, a shopping plaza located on the coast with a wide view. It was just after sunset and Cristo al Pacifico and the large cross were now illuminated.

 

Our final stop was to pick up Miguel and Chela and head over to Abad's apartment where I met his wife, daughter, and granddaughter. This was my final Spanish test of the day! It was great fun to sit with the family and talk for the evening.

 

I can't believe I only spent one day in Lima given everything I did and saw (and ate!). For the first time on this trip, I felt like a regular person instead of like another gringo tourist. I felt like I blended in more than usual. As happy as I am to stay in hostels, it's a welcomed change of pace to stay in a family's home. Not having to wear flip flops in the bathroom, sleeping in a bedroom all by myself, and being able to spread my things out are the little thing I appreciate. But above all else, I would like to thank the entire family for the warm and generous hospitality they have shown me. They made me feel like a family member and welcomed me into their home with enormous kindness. I'll have to return to Lima soon to see my new family!

 

Muchisimas gracias!