BDay Weekend!

Dave was nice enough to give me some time on his blog to tell you about my birthday weekend. It was certainly eventful to say the least. It began with a trip to the peluqueria (salon) where I got my hair did for less than I would normally tip in a Boston salon (Please note the sauve locks throughout this post). We then headed to a music festival called "AcustiRock Arequipa" featuring 12 hours of the best rock bands in Peru. We rallied 6 of our friends from our language institute and found out along the way that there would also be a food festival happening right next door. Our tickets gave us entrance to both festivals, which made for a delicious afternoon. We began at "FestiSabores" (Festival of Flavors), which had tents featuring different Peruvian regions. Our first meal was ceviche from the Arequipa tent and was slightly different from the ceviche I've had in the past. The usual "leche de tigre" (lime/fish juice with onions) was used as a base, but the fish was served in large chunks rather than the traditional slivers. Next we entered the outdoor area where we shared a monster portion of cerdo (pork) cooked in an oven made of a circular stack of bricks served with pan de platanitos (plantain bread) cooked in corn husks, various types of potatoes, and a starchy green been. This was all washed down by countless 24 oz. cervezas Arequipeña and Cristal for about $2 US each.

Alpaca and owner (he didn't spit at us)

Ceviche!

This is the brick "oven" where they cooked us up a massive platter.

Jacob and the massive platter

Chomp!

Sup Bros

At one point there was a group of young dancers dressed in traditional Peruvian costume who hit the stage in front of the food tents. Their dance told a story of romance, including the chase of a beautiful young woman. To impress the woman, a shirtless male dancer began sticking cactus' to his chest in rhythm. I found out later this may have been the "marinera" dance. It was all very exciting, but at this point we decided it might be time to check out the music. I won't sugar coat anything- so not too much to say about this. I've got to be brutally honest and tell you it was a tad disappointing. I've truly enjoyed popular Peruvian music so far. Salsa, bachata, even criolla- it's all up my alley, as long as I can shake it, it sounds good to me. Unfortunately, the angsty teens of Peru are about 15 years behind with the rock music. It was a mix of late 80s hair band sound and early 90s punk. One of the primetime slots was taken by a Nirvana cover band...nuff said!

My salsa partner and amiga- Connie!

Thijs and Fabiola- I spy couple twinsies...

Late night anticuchos!

Luckily, we were able to make up for the blahhh music which ended the night. I exited the festival with a slight hunger and ended up with a plate of street anticuchos (grilled beef heart). Yummy! We woke up the next day to an eagerness for exploration. OK- I woke up to an eagerness for a hot 30 minute run to sweat out the alcohol and Dave was nice enough to join me, since it was my bday and all : ) 30 minute run turned into 3 hours of being utterly and totally LOST. For about 2 hours we were in the country on the outskirts of Arequipa where we could count on 2 fingers the people we saw and on 2 hands the farm animals. We also came across abandoned construction sites and a bullfighting ring!

Bullfighting ring

Volcàn Misti on the right and Chichani on the left

Cows!

When we finally found our way back we were horizontal for the duration of my birthday, until dinner. We deserved something extravagant, so Dave took me to one of the nicest restaurants in town. It began with a fruity pisco drink for 2, served in an ostrich egg, and ended with alpaca meat sizzling on a dish made from volcanic rock and trout served with a variety of tasty sauces. No room for dessert, but I wasn't mad since I came home to an extra box of Besos de Mozas (s'more-like treats), which I eat daily after dinner. All in all, I'd say my birthday was a great success. Thanks, Dave!

pretending this isn't the coolest drink ever served in an ostrich egg

Salmon and tuna entrada (appetizer)

Excited for Alpaca

Kebab Inn

We are currently enjoying the food and internet of a small Turkish cafe. Our internet went out in our house yesterday so we figured it was a great excuse for a $2.50 delicious falafel. The couple who run this place is awesome. The four of us are constantly battling to speak the other's language. We stumbled upon this place a couple weeks ago and were served the strongest Pisco Sour we've had yet.

Adobo at Plaza Cayma

Alex and I went to Plaza Cayma earlier this afternoon. Plaza Cayma is another awesome, small plaza only a few minute walk from our house, which is amazingly located between Plaza Cayma and Plaza Yanahuara. Both Cayma and Yanahuara are considered safe and affluent districts in Arequipa. Each have a beautiful plaza with their own church, restaurants, shops and feel.

Plaza Cayma is encircled by a half dozen adobo restaurants. In Arequipa, adobo is a spicy soup with pork that's cooked for hours in paprika, oregano, salt, garlic and vinegar. We met our friend and classmate, Fabricio, and had adobo at a place that was recommended to us by both Fabricio and a kind, messy stranger who approached Alex in the park. With all the places to choose from I think we found the one. Apparently this place opens at 3 am and it's a popular late night spot. We'll be getting on that soon.

Uno mas!

Last night marked Alex and my one year anniversary together. Let's hope I can convince her to to do one more. I can't imagine being with (or moving to a foreign country) anyone else. Salud.

We went out to a place called Kabab 52 off of the main street of Ejercito near our house. They had a "happy hour" (which wasn't translated to spanish) of 3 Mojitos for 20 soles. Kind of a weird promotion but sharing is caring.  

I gave Alex a rose...

"What do we want?! - LUNCH!" "When do we want it?! - NOW!"

During our morning classes we heard chanting and megaphones in the streets outside. On our lunchbreak, we went for a walk and discovered the source. The teachers of Arequipa were marching down the main street of Ejercito and across the bridge into the downtown. They are apparently upset with their wages and were demonstrating to attract attention for better pay. We were told that they have been on strike for 27 days. They were happy to see the gringo with his camera documenting their struggle, hoping I was a credible source in the world of photojournalism there to amplify their voice.

Two protestors with the cut out faces of the Peruvian President and his wife.

Traffic police have the best uniforms. 

Lunch spot menu on Calle Misti with Chachani in the distance

Afterwards we went to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant full of construction workers and painters. I had a rice and chicken dish and Alex had a minestrone soup with potatoes, pasta and stewed beef. They served us juice that was like a sketchy version of lemonade in a massive pitcher. I drank enough of it not to be rude. The picture above shows the menu which didn't have prices shown (and there was no menu inside) so we were excited to hear that the delicious food only cost us $2 total. The lunch specials in this town make it silly to go through the trouble of making your own lunch to bring to class/work. Alex and I are already developing a reputation amongst the locals we've met as having adventurous if not risky choices of lunch spots. So far so good!

You can often see the nearby volcanoes from the street and this spot was no exception. In this case the volcano in the background is Chachani. You'll also notice the trees are planted in the street protected by concrete. I can only assume that trees were an afterthought with the city's planning.