Barranco and Peruvian sushi

Wow, I am slacking off on the blog lately. Of course, there is not much going on that is blogworthy, I am mostly cramming to finish preparations for the online class that I start teaching on Monday. Almost ready! I just need to finalize a few assignments and write the exams. I have spent most of my time in Lima doing work in the hostel, although I venture out every now and then for food or short activities. The first photo is the table setting in a fancier version of a sushi restaurant. It was a pretty stark contrast to the one in Bogota. The bottle on the right is a gorgeous one for the soy sauce, none of those silly Kikkoman bottles here! In the center is the mesero signal. It is like the flag things at Pancho's, but much more technologically advanced. You push the button if you want service, and it causes an alarm to go off on the arm of the server. There is even a separate button for the check!

I also wanted to make sure that I got in a visit to the home and studio of artist Victor Delfin, who has converted his home to a B&B. My dad highly recommended the studio tour, so I headed to the Barranco municipalidad to check it out. Unfortunately you need an appointment, and since I wasn't a guest I was scorned and turned away. No big deal, the area is pretty cool by itself so I walked around. The buildings are very colorful and there are some interesting art pieces around (example in photo 2). There are also quite a few historical buildings, restaurants in old train cars, and the like.

I also found a way for pedestrians to get to the ocean (photo 3)! It is impossible to do so in Miraflores where I have been staying, but there is a less-steep hill to descend and a nice pedestrian bridge across the Pan-American Highway. The ocean is not exciting at this particular beach. It isn't very clean, and when the waves recede you can see iron death spikes from what was probably once the stilts of a building or pier (photo 4). I do love the sound that the waves make here though, because they are falling on what I would have previously described as river rocks - fairly large, smooth stones that make a neat sound when they are dragged across one another under the waves. The last photo is a vulture on top of a church that is falling apart. They are leaving it up as a monument, but there are vultures all over the roof. This particular one stayed in that same position with wings spread for a good 20 minutes at least, and was still like that when I left.

I walked around a bit and then headed back to the hostel to try to get some course prep done while watching the Copa. The hostel had a nice little party since the owner is German, with free food and discounted booze. Everyone was for Germany, so it was disappointing for them. They were a very excitable crowd, though! After that I took my work to a restaurant hoping to get some veggies and some warmth. I ended up with vegetable (i.e., potato) soup and warmth from my comestibles, but it didn't last so I eventually headed back to the hostel. The restaurant was interesting though. I was watching an Argentinian telenovela and listening to American 80s soft rock while sitting in an Arabic restaurant in Peru. How cosmopolitan! Overall I have enjoyed Lima, but am looking forward to some sun in Cusco!!!