Off The Deep End

We spent three days in Lima. I am not a huge fans of giant cities, but we ended up having a great time there. Jammie and I arrived the day before Adrial and we were all leaving together for Cusco on the 5th so we had to make the most of our short time.

The city of Arequipa in southern Peru is like no where else in the country. The down town area has been dedicated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its many historic buildings, churches and monuments. Beyond the architecture the culture and cuisine of this city stand out. The people are proud and political and the heated coffee shop debates are matched with a spicy vibrant cuisine. In fact the people of Arequipa have gone so far as to design their own flag and passports to set them apart from the rest of Peru.

Happy hour at La Regata Pub doesn't work like normal happy hours. Check out this video to find out the quirk this local establishment has thrown into the quintessential bar offering.

We steamed up this crab fresh from the sea and Jammie wanted to show her mom what delicious food we are making here in Chile.

La Regata Pub has quickly become one of our favorite places in Algarrobo. They are located right on the main drag at the intersection of Av. Algarrobo and Av. Carlos Alessandri. We singled them out because they have the best french fries, papas fritas, in town and at great prices. Their staff is friendly and helpful and the drinks are very good and very strong.
We came back today for happy hour and drank several delicious Pisco based drinks. Their catch on happy hour is that although the prices go up from earlier in the day they give you every other drink for free.

We hit up the fish market today and picked up fresh caught crabs and clams. Heading to Gonzolo's place we planned on how to cook these delicacies. After shopping for supplies we set out to make a seafood lunch extravaganza. This was amazing! The crab was so good, although messy and the clams were tasty. We ended up chopping up the clams we could finish and making a clam pasta dinner.

After arriving in Valparaiso and resting from our long and harrowing journey we set out to explore the city. Valparaiso is a colorful jumble of houses stretching across a set of coastal hills. This port was once one of the richest cities in the world but a hundred years ago its wealth dried up and the city fell into disrepair. A decade or so ago the area was rediscovered by Chileans and foreign tourists who were drawn to its charm and mystery. The streets wind and climb the hills splitting and rejoining to form a labyrinth of sorts.