BREAKFAST is provided in the downstairs communal kitchen with a range of fruits, toast, cereal, tea and coffee.
The alternative to Corn Flakes are some wheat puff things with some extra small seeds thrown in, as well as some aniseed, I think.
This makes for slightly liquorice-tainted Wheaties, which is nice.
It's Sunday, so it's off to church. I'm warmly greeted at the Maranatha Evangelical Church and the minister/preacher is already into the sermon.
The service is in Spanish so I'm pretty much in the dark about what he's saying, except for picking up a few things and " gracias Papa" (thank-you Father).
Beth and Tom from the United States have had the same idea as me, slinking in to the back corner during the service.
We're having a chat when numerous people come over, say hello and welcome us.
From here, it's off to a world attempt, involving potatoes, of course.
A group of chefs and universities have gotten together to make the world's largest "causa rellena" which is a traditional dish involving layers of potato, vegetables, olives, parsley and usually a meat of some kind.
A crowd of thousands has gathered within the courtyard of a cathedral (there happened to be one spare) to watch the chefs build away at the exorbitant dish, prepared on a 5m x 1.5m stainless steel tray.
This thing is enormous. It looks like a small runway of potato. Eventually the officially record is declared (591kg) and there is much rejoicing.
This seems to indicate that the potato is even more highly valued in this part of Peru than Lima.
My potato intake increases with lunch at Bembos, which is a takeaway food place. The meal involves a burger with a meat patty, bacon, cheese, a sauce of some kind… and small fries. Yep - they even put potatoes on burgers.
It is a sensational eat, I must say and different to the other western chains (of which there are outlets within 200m).
It comes with an Inca Cola, my drink of choice when travelling in Peru. Hopefully Coca-Cola, which owns the beverage, will come good with a sponsorship.
- Ashley Walmsley travelled to Peru with assistance from the Crawford Fund and with financial support from DFAT Council on Australia Latin America Relations.
Ashley Walmsley
Ashley Walmsley is the editor of ACM's only national, fresh produce magazine, Good Fruit & Vegetables, while also covering horticulture stories for the agricultural papers and websites. He also writes the weekly, The Ringer, column in the Qld Country Life.
Ashley Walmsley is the editor of ACM's only national, fresh produce magazine, Good Fruit & Vegetables, while also covering horticulture stories for the agricultural papers and websites. He also writes the weekly, The Ringer, column in the Qld Country Life.
