A Taste of Lima

We knew we would only get a taste of Lima since we decided to spend two days there, but turns out all we did was taste Lima.
We found ourselves with a chatty young cab driver that couldn´t believe we hadn´t tried food from the jungle of Peru where he is from. Fransisco insisted on taking us from our hostel to eat this food immedietly, and who were we to refuse? He said he had always wanted to show a tourist his side of Lima and I thought he was either going to kill us or feed us and I liked the odds that it would be the later.
Sure enough, he brought us to a dangerous part of Lima we never could have gone on our own (barrio Victoria) where we tried all kinds of unkosher delights and he wouldn´t let us pay. Se invito, se invito was all he had to say for us to know there was no hope of us paying. When a latin American says he is inviting you it is rude to protest.
So we also didn´t protest when he invited us to eat ceviche with him and his family the next day on his lunch break. We met him in the center and headed to Olivos where he lives. We picked up his wife and two sons from their house and laundry mat and headed to his favorite ceviche place. We each had a big plate and I ate mine right up even though my stomach was not doing to well from the night before. It was that good. Then, we got in the car and he said, ok, now we are going to eat at my wife´s aunt´s place. What??? we thought, more food? are you crazy? When we got their I had to puke, so I didn´t eat anymore, but Josh made up for it. He ordered rice and sea food thinking they would share it, but they wanted no part in it and poor Josh had to be rolled home.
Our lunch date wound up taking the whole afternoon and by the time Fransico got us back to the center all the museums were closed so we met up with a friend John we had met in El Chalten, made some dinner (and ate the last of the amazing olives they sell in Peru...I still dream of them), had some whiskey ginger ales and hit the town. We had a drink at a tourist nightmare and then when we headed back found this amazing bar right next to our hostel with a cover band playing classic rock. We danced away and then hung out with the band for a little bit not noticing that 4 o´clock had snuck up on us!!!
The next day we met up with our friend Katsu for lunch where we all shared ceviche, fish soup (divine) and fried fish and rice. It was way to much food again but so amazing and fresh! Then we walked around the area above the beach and drove around in Katsu´s new car. The sun was shining and for once we got lucky with the weather. According to Katsu it is often cloudy in Lima and then it is no picnic. But when the sun is shining off the ocean, and the poeple are out in their finest it is an amazing surfers city full of fresh fish, culture and wonderful things to do. I loved it and can´t wait to go back! After we left Katsu and John we reluctantly packed up our stuff, picked up our laundry and headed for the bus terminal for an epic 50 something hour bus jouney that would land us in Colombia. It wasn´t all one bus, but it was aweful...
But now we are here! We´ve made it! But more on that to come...