Peru {Part 4}

Cesos (cow brain) in butter, parsley and garlic.

Agatha, myself and Axl.

Alredo, myself and Andres.

Houses on a mountain side as I traveled to the Lima airport.

Okay, when we last left off...I was playing golf on Thursday, came home to an empty house, Andres's sister-in-law has a baby, time to celebrate...

We returned from the hospital on Thursday afternoon and the whole family gathered in the kitchen to celebrate the birth of Alfredo #4.

Bottles of champagne were opened and Ursula stood at the stove sauteing cow brain's for me in garlic and parsley. The texture was similar to scrambled eggs but the taste was pretty good. I had a few bites and was definitely glad that I tried it. Not as good as the cow heart but good nonetheless.

We all sat around laughing, smiling, drinking and eating for the rest of the afternoon. Once again, I lost track of time.

Hanging in the air that day, suspended for me, was the smell of Peruvian cuisine, the euphoric happiness that comes when one is surrounded by friends and the strange sensation of comfort in a home that was thousands of miles away from my home.

---

I took a shower in the early evening and opened up a Cusquena beer. We went back to the hospital to say hi to more family and see little Alfredo again.

Then Agatha, Cholo, Andres, Talia and I went to pick up their cousin Meg. We went to a swanky bar in Miraflores and had some anticuchos, spring rolls and double pisco sours.

Two doubles had me buzzed in a hurry! Cholo's sister was also at the bar but didn't join us as we left for the club, Gotica.

As usual, I followed Andres and Cholo as we arrived and Gotica and went into the "guys" line. We waited for a few minutes, watched Talia and the girls get in, and then got to the front of the line. I'm expecting to pay a steep cover but somehow our names were all printed out on a list and we got in for free. Connections are nice!

Gotica was quite the club. It had a few different levels and the dance floor was at the bottom level of the club, next to the DJ. Most of the music was techno-electronica but a lot of Spanish-language music was also played.

We bought bottle service and received wrist bands, a bottle of Chevas Regal and a bunch of Red Bulls as mixers. I got absolutely blitzed off of the Chevas Regal/Red Bull combination and it wasn't long before Meg was teaching me how to salsa and meringue. I think I eventually caught on (Meg might disagree with this) but either way I had a blast dancing the night away with hundreds of my young, hip, friends from Lima.

I think we left the club around 3:30 am and bought some burgers at Bembos before getting a taxi home and passing out from a long day of momentous occasions for the Baertl family and myself.

Friday was spent nursing a hangover, buying pirated DVDs for less than $1 each, eating Domino's pizza, meeting Andres's older brother Alex, sitting around on the couch and simply being lazy.

Thursday, of course, had been the climax of the trip. Friday was pretty much a lost day. On Saturday, I woke up at about 7:00 a.m. and went to the kitchen for one last breakfast in Lima.

I buttered my toast, ate a few pieces of the Peruvian grapefruit, had some orange juice and sat there talking to Agatha. It had become my morning routine and I was nearly sick to my stomach that the routine was ending on this day.

The taxi driver arrived a little before 7:30 a.m. I said my goodbyes to Agatha and Andres and got in the car. The 30-minute cab ride was fairly quiet. I exchanged a few pleasantries with the driver but basically looked out the window the majority of the ride.

I saw Peruvian men and women going to work -- spilling out of buses that had taken them from their mountain homes to the city for the day.

I saw a flower market with gorgeous bouquets that probably only cost a few soles.

I saw a group of children kicking a soccer ball and a young couple kissing on a park bench.

I saw the nicer parts of Andres's neighborhood replaced with the run-down houses that were ubiquitously placed on the side of the small mountains that enclosed the city of Lima.

At the end of cab ride, I saw my reflection in the window.

My face was filled with sadness and even though I couldn't feel it on my cheek, I swear I saw a tear running down my face as the Lima airport appeared outside my window -- beckoning me home.

Peru {Part 3} -- Alfredo, Of Course!

Kei's fuente de soda where I enjoyed lunch on Wednesday.

Historic center of Lima.

A hallway in the Franciscan Monastery we visited on the bus tour.

Agatha's wonderful cupcakes!

Andres's sister, Abbie, and I.

Andres with his newborn nephew.

On Wednesday, I returned to Miraflores for lunch and once again, Agatha was kind enough to drive me around. Agatha took me to Kei’s fuente de soda – basically a small diner with a daily special, many fresh juices and coffee.

Agatha introduced me to her friend, Karen – the owner of Kei’s – and left me in her excellent care.

I enjoyed an apple juice, the daily special of chicken with rice, an empanada and a café americano to end the meal. Sitting outside reading “Dreams from my Father” by Barack Obama, I took a moment to breathe in the fresh Lima air. Realizing that moments like this don’t last forever but as much as we can we keep them in the forefront of our minds – remembering that contentment is never too far away.

In the afternoon, I took a bus tour of the historic center of Lima. It was interesting and I enjoyed seeing the historic sights of such an old city, but on the tour I realized how touristy this was -- my bus-mates straining to get countless photos of old buildings whose names they soon wouldn’t remember. The tour guide trying to crack as many jokes as possible. The inhabitants of Lima gazing at the tourists sitting on top of the double-decker bus – some waving, some probably imagining what it would be like to be us, many others probably laughing inside knowing that our attempts to understand the culture of Lima would not come from a 3-hour bus tour.

I spent the rest of the day relaxing, playing tennis with Axl on the clay courts of their country club and enjoying sushi at Edo with Andres, Talia, Cholo and Agatha.

Thursday would be the climax of my trip and it would allow me to forget the cheap, touristy feel that I experienced on the tour bus.

---

On Thursday I was awake by 6:45 a.m., excited to go to the club with Agatha and Ursula. I took part in my third spinning class of this trip and Thursday’s instructor was probably my favorite.

“Cuatro, tres, dos, uno --- VAMOS!” he would yell as we spun until we were exhausted. Singing to the remixed songs of The Killers, Queen and many popular Spanish-language songs, he definitely knew how to engage the class and I think we all really enjoyed his energy.

Ursula and Agatha left for their yoga class next door and I went to the gimnasio to run on the treadmill and lift some weights. At 9:00 we left for home and my daily breakfast of bread, orange juice and a Peruvian type of grapefruit.

Andres arrived home from class around 11:30 and we headed back to the club to play a little golf. There was a women’s tournament going on so we ended up hitting balls at the range for a while and then playing 6 holes on the back nine. We played a skins game and Andres ended up beating me by 2 – earning two pisco sours from his former coach!

We finished the round and sat outside the clubhouse drinking a couple of Cuesquenas before going home for lunch.

When we arrived at the house, I plopped myself on the couch and Andres ran upstairs to talk on the phone. I was a little unsure why no one was home but if I had learned anything on this trip, it was to “go with the flow” – so I just sat there and waited for Andres to return.

All of a sudden, Andres ran downstairs and said, “Josh, vamos!”

Then I remembered that Andres’s oldest brother, Alfredo, and Alfredo’s wife Christina, were expecting the birth of their baby this week and that must be why the house was empty!

The clinic was only about 200 yards away from their house and we jogged to the waiting area to meet the rest of Andres’s family. As we were rushing to the clinic, I realized that this was the first time in my adult life that I had ever hurried to a hospital to witness a baby being born. It was an exhilarating feeling to see Ursula and Alfredo waiting for the birth of their first grandchild.

We went back to the house to enjoy a quick lunch and then came back to the hospital to find out that the baby had been born.

"What's the baby's name?" I asked Agatha.

Agatha simply replied, "Alfredo, of course!"

The fourth Alfredo Baertl was born into this world while I was in Lima -- knowing Spanish wasn't a prerequisite for understanding the next few hours with complete clarity.

Agatha smiling from ear to ear.

Andres straining to see baby Alredo, his newborn nephew, in the nursery.

Alfredo proudly shaking my hand -- a father for the first time.

Sr. Alfredo nearly in tears.

Axl jumping around the hallway in excitement.

Ursula standing by me, in the background, smiling -- clearly taking the moment in.

Yeye and Tota thrilled to see another generation enter the family.

I was filled with such happiness the whole afternoon that I forgot I was in a different country. I forgot I was not a part of the family. I think I even forgot that I didn't speak Spanish very well.

Thursday afternoon turned to Thursday evening -- it was time to celebrate.

To be continued...

Peru {Part 2}

A view of the ocean from Miraflores--a tennis club is in the foreground.

Ursula at her painting studio.

The Passion Roll at Huarike where I ate sushi and cebiche.

La casa de Baertl.

Andres´s cousin, Cholo, and I.

Andres´s sister, Agatha, and I.

Andres´s mother, Ursula, and I.

As trips often do, this experience is all beginning to blur together for me. The fast, winding car rides to a restaurant or Miraflores are soon replaced by a slower pace when we arrive at our location.

The only time this really was not true was on Monday morning when I went Agatha and Abbie to their spinning class. It was intense and I was feeling good and having lots of fun until the heat and humidity got to me and I had to stick to the seat for the last 10 minutes. I was drenched in sweat after the 45 minute workout but felt really good (mainly to be done!).

Agatha took me to Miraflores in Lima, which is a nice area of Lima that is located on the ocean. She showed me Ursula´s painting studio and Alfredo´s architect´s office.

I spent about 3 hours exploring Miraflores -- walking through the parks, seeing the ocean up close for the first time on this trip, people watching, shopping for new Adidas sambas, eating cebiche (a mixture of raw fish marinated in citrus juices and a staple of Peruvian cuisine) and sushi at Huarike, and finally meeting Ursula at her studio to go home for a 2 pm lunch.

Alfredo drove Ursula and I back to the house for lunch. I have finally found a person who drives faster than New York City cab drivers and on much smaller streets -- it was an exciting adventure just going home for lunch.

We zipped and zagged through Lima at an incredible pace only to completely slow down when we arrived for lunch -- rice, beans, cheese and salad.

My afternoon nap was ended by Axl who told me it was time to go. Where were we going you might ask?

Well, I´m going to save the details of that experience for my next blog. Let´s just say that there is video of this and mom, you might not want to watch -- mountains, a steep cliff and a wooden box car are involved!

After surviving ¨las montanas de muertos¨ I enjoyed a meal of Chifa with Andres´s family. Chifa is what they call Chinese food here and it is very popular and also very good. Andres, Cholo and I went to the Atlantic City casino after supper and played some $3 blackjack. The night ended at about 2 am -- once again, a speedy car ride taking us home, The Killers blaring through the speakers, a city of almost 8 million going to sleep.

---

Today has been a very relaxing day after a busy Monday. I slept in until nearly 11 am, had a small breakfast and sat on the couch with Andres and Cholo to watch 2 and a Half Men on tv.

All of a sudden at about noon Andres says time to go and we were off to lunch in Miraflores. When we got there we had pisco sours while waiting for a table. Then, of course, without having any clue we were meeting his family for lunch, his family arrives and Andres says - I forgot to tell you my family was joining.

Cholo, Andres and I joined Alfredo, Ursula, Agatha, Alfredo´s aunt from Texas and her daughter.

The meal at Panchito lasted two hours.

It started with bread and 2 dipping sauces -- butter and a spicy chile sauce. Next came the red wine and skewers of meat served with Peruvian corn and a type of sweet potato. We had two types of meat -- swordfish and anticuchos (martinated cow´s heart). The anticuchos was truly amazing -- the highlight of the meal for me. The meat was tender, flavorful, and paired with the chile sauces and chimmycurry, the taste made time stand still for a while.

We were then brought clean plates and I assumed dessert was on its way. However, the 3 main dishes were then brought out. They included cabrito (baby goat), duck with rice, and osso bucco.

Stuffed beyond belief and a little buzzed after having two pisco sours and one glass of wine, dessert finally ended this never-ending meal -- I say never-ending with a sad tone, this was a meal that I didn´t want to end even though my stomach would not have been able to go on eating any more food.

Dessert was a funnel cake like donut served with honey.

The meal at Panchito was better than the Churrascaria in New York City or the Mario Batali Italian joint in Vegas.

For me, Miraflores, will always remind me of lunch. My first true experience of cebiche on Monday and a lunch fit for kings on Tuesday.

---

Tuesday continued with visits to the country club, a drive around Lima with Andres, Cholo and Alexia, and a long nap followed by Pancito leftovers and a tamale for supper.

The slow pace has once again set in -- but as I´ve come to expect in Lima, it won´t last long. Tomorrow will come soon enough and spinning classes, the historic centre of Lima and more incredible food are only a short, incredibly fast car ride away.

A cycle of fast and slow. A city bursting with energy and a passion for food. A people filled with vigor and excitement -- who obviously know that a two-hour lunch with family and friends can be the most important part of the day.

Those same people speeding from place to place only to relax upon arrival, kiss the cheek or shake the hand of all whom they meet, and settle in to make each individual moment the most important that could ever exist.

Peruvians clearly know how to....

Enjoy the ride,
Damm

Peru {Part 1}

The room that I´m staying in while I´m here.
The golf tournament, with Rafa to the right and las montanas in the background.
The very nice country club where the tournament was held.
Rafa, Eddie, Andres, soy yo, at the after-tournament, cocktail party.
The homemade paella, risotto dish that included octopus and squid! Loved the spicy ahi chile flavor.

I´ve only been in Lima, Peru, for 24 hours but I already have a fresh, new lens with which to look through.

This lens is even more open-minded, free-thinking and diverse than it was only a day ago.

---

On Friday night, I headed up to St. Paul to stay with Charlson and go out for our, now routine, pre-Damm vacation drinks. Due to a good suggestion, we went to a bar and struck up a good conversation con una chica. I drank too much and was feeling it the next morning...but oh well, just a day in airports and airplanes anyway.

I traveled from Minneapolis to Chicago to Miami to Lima throughout the day on Saturday. I had a great time people watching in Chicago and on the 5 hour flight from Miami to Lima I watched the movies UP and CHARIOTS OF FIRE on my awesome in-flight multimedia center. I also listened to some Yo Yo Ma and The Killers new album!

It was interesting that once I got to Miami, everyone was speaking Spanish all of a sudden. You would have to be bilingiual to live in Miami.

I will admit that I was a little nervous when we touched down in Peru.

Did my luggage make it okay? Would Andres be on time and be there to pick me up? Could my horrible Spanish get me through the situations that were bound to come up on this trip?

When I got out of customs at about 11 p.m., I looked and looked for Andres but couldn´t find him. Finally I exchanged some money and used a pay phone to call Andres´s cell phone. He picked up and told me he´d be there in 10 minutes and he was.

I was glad to see a familiar face and we hopped in the car which his sister, Agatha, was driving and I also met Andres´s girlfriend, Talia.

It was about 65 degrees outside as we drove to Andres´s house in Lima. Pulling into the house -- or I should say complex -- I realized this was going to be a very interesting trip. It is turning out to be the first time that I´ve truly dived into another culture.

And just as I thought it would be, it´s a blast!

---

So once we arrived at la casa de Andres, he whipped me up an awesome omelette with cheese, tomatos, onion and ham. He poured me a pisco ginger -- pisco is a strong grape liquor -- and we walked outside to his cousin´s house just across the yard.

The Baertl complex includes a few houses which belong to Andres´s family. He lives right next to his cousins and the houses all seem to connect while maintaining privacy for each family.

I´m staying in the room of Andres and his 17-year-old brother, Axl. Not only is it their own room it is actually their own building. The main house includes the kitchen, a large living area and multiple bedrooms for the rest of the family.

Andres´s family includes his mom, Ursula; his dad, Alfredo; his sisters, Agatha and Abby; and his brothers, Axl and Alfredo. All but Alfredo, who is married and is expecting a kid this week!, live in the main house. Including Andres´s grandma and her sister.

I didn´t realize any of this until I headed over to breakfast sans Andres--he had left early to caddy in a golf tournament for his friend, Rafael--and met his entire family.

We had scrambled eggs, bacon, Peruvian fruits, leche, and freshly squeezed orange juice. I felt right at home right away and didn´t even feel weird that the only person I really knew was not eating with us.

After desayuno, I went with Agatha to the golf course to watch Rafa play. He ended up winning the tournament and will be turning pro after his next tournament in Argentina.

When Andres and Rafa went to practice at the Leadbetter Golf Academy in Florida, they met Leadbetter and saw him giving lessons to Michelle Wie--cool!

Rafa shot a smooth 68 and we then headed to the post-tournament cocktail party where we were immediately offered cerveza, pisco, Johnnie Walker and ceviche.

This party included the country club elite of Peru. They had a chocolate golf cart, outstanding tables of food that included cheeses, meats like chorizo and jamon, and incredible, artistic desserts.

I had a pisco sour and about 4 or 5 beers along with a sampling of all the food!

I was delighted to meet many of Andres´s friends including Eddie, Santiago y su novia, Rafa´s padre y mucho personas mas.

Of course when we got back to Andres´s house, there was a full meal waiting for us that included paella with ahi chiles, octopus and squid as well as strawberries with cheese and a really good spinach pasta with curry.

The entire family was once again eating together and this time even the cousins had come over to eat.

It was so much to fun to see all of them interact even though most of the time I couldn´t keep up with the Spanish. They affectionately hug each other and laugh and joke--it´s so refreshing to see this outward display of love and affection!

In Peru, without exception, every woman I have met, I have kissed on the cheek. And almost every man has warmly shaken my hand. As Rafa played his round of golf and his friends came to watch, he greeted each of them during the round and seemed absolutely delighted to see them.

There is an openness and friendliness here that is intoxicating -- both literally and figuratively -- an alcoholic beverage is never more than an arms-length away.

Proud of their food, their culture and their family, the Baertls have made me feel at home in only 24 hours. Heck, I spent the early evening watching Harry Potter, Love Actually, and Ocean´s 11, with Agatha, Luce Maria, Andres and Cholo -- I even feel asleep for a while as we flipped from movie to movie. All of them in English with Spanish subtitles so I could continue to learn the language.

The free-flowing, airy, open architecture of the Baertl complex is only matched by the hospitable way they have welcomed me into their beautiful home.

I´ve only been in Peru for 24 hours and Peru is already a part of me.

Disfruta el viaje,
Damm

4 letter words

So I'm riding the bike at the y right now and wanted to see if this blog posting worked.

Going to keep it to short words from here on out.

Peru on sat
Ceviche!
Golf
70 and sunny
Beaches

Getting out of shape right now
Need to build base for tri
Half ironman train starts in jan
Having fun at work lately

Rosetta stone spanish
Fun!

Recent tv
Glee
Dexter
Mad men
Modern family

Love pandora

Peru!

Time to lift.

Currently

Enjoy (ing) the ride,
Damm
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