Friday, December 22, 2006
3 December 2006 Sunday in Trujillo, beautiful weather, great company and interesting & tasty activities
One of those lovely Sundays when families spend time together, enjoying each other's company. And of course I'm in Paola's home town so she and Andrew are doing the "VFR sightseeing tour". Showing me the best sights and activities...
I spent a very pleasant hour wandering into town from my hotel enjoying the sights and soaking up the atmosphere. Beautiful day - sunny but not too hot, with a cool breeze. Everyone seems to agree - with plenty of people out and about; socialising; going to church; chatting on street corners; out enjoying the day.
Investigated the 'Americana Hotel', an old colonial hotel with two large courtyards inside an ornate facade. Very tired and run down but oozing charm. A&P tell me it's up for sale - a cool 3/4 million US$ - and you'd need another $US250 to make a dint in the wear and tear. So expat 'rahj' - could be in Singapore or India...
The Plasa de Armas is particularly inviting in Trujillo. My impression is it seems to be a town with some class and old money. Very conservative and proud. The Cathedral that A&P were married in dominates the square. All yellow and white on the outside. Rather spanish colonial, as they are, on the inside. A service was being held so just sat quietly at the back. As I don't know much about the Catholics I was a bit lost but plenty of candles, chapels, icons, virgins and bleeding Christs. That's ok - it seems the thing in churches here...a small version of the ornate Catherdal in Lima central.
The square is surrounded by beautiful colonial architecture, generally in very good condition. The spanish influence is very strong here. Large colourful front walls face the street protecting private courtyards behind. The walls have multiple windows with ornate wrought iron grills protecting them. And the upstairs timber verandahs hang out over the street with intricate latice work providing privacy for those watching the public expose´ going on across the square. The huge doors into the courtyards are heavy ironworked timber, many with smaller doors set within them to enable more simple day-to-day entry. I wonder how often the big double doors actually get opened these days, especially in private buildings...The courtyard is a garden compound, often paved with a fountain in the centre surrounded by apartments for living, doing business, etc.
After watching Matthew, Paola and Andrew do two laps of Plasa de Armas in the miniture train (you know the sort that carries sight-seers around) we grabbed a cab and headed out towards Huanchaco and stopped at the Peruvian Dancing Horse Show - Caballo de Paso Peruano.
These horses are bred specially for the work and are useless to be riden in any other way. The Peruvians believe the horses are born only able to move in this 'dancing trot' and they are merely encouraged. Not sure if this is so but certainly they are trained to move this way and don't seem to walk any other way. Had a ride after the show and the horse didn't walk and even when they let Andrew take the reins the horse moved this way.
The show was on a large grass paddock and included two small children dancing in Spanish costume and the horses dancing around them with their riders dressed in a 'Spanish Mexican' style with ponchos. The kids were probably only 6-7yo but did a magnificant job. We watched from a deep shady verandah on the 'hacienda'. A very Spanish scene with Peruvians riding, dancing, serving, etc.
Before we got too settled for the afternoon (drinks in the shade were looking decidedly enticing), Andrew got us moving out to Huanchaco, Trujillos local beach, and considered by the locals as 'the' place to be. Well yes, it was very busy. The tide was in so the black sand beach with great lumps of pumice was only a couple of feet wide. Up against the seawall many handmade reed boats were leaning, with their long pointing bows reaching to the sky. They are quite stubby at the stern end and the locals ride them rather like a surf board but sitting down. Looks like a lot of fun. Don't think my constitution would appreciate swimming here though...Very popular with the locals and not a western style hotel in sight!
Had THE MOST AMAZING seafood this afternoon. Ceviche was invented here and has become a national dish. And while I have now (three weeks later) eaten quite a bit of ceviche, this is definately the BEST. It is a seafood platter of fresh fish pieces (in this case Sole and Sea Bass), octopus, calamari, squid, prawns and the local freshwater crayfish (the only inclusion I found unenticing). The seafood is not cooked but marinated in a chilli and lime. The acid of the marinade 'cooks' the white meats to a 'just pink/white' colour. The crustacians are put in a seive and have boiling water poured over them to get the 'orange look' before being added to the marinade. A very tender but spicy seafood dish. And I must say, although I had nothing alcoholic to drink, the strength of the marinade combined with a hot day, gave me quite a hangover that afternoon and a nanna nap was very welcome...Andrew tells me this is the sign of a good ceviche! If you are feeling strong you can drink the marinade - known as 'tiger juice' which is very strong and fishy. Paola did have a small amount but I didn't need any extra help.
We also tried boned baby goat slow cooked in large cuts with corriander, chilli, olive oil and the local beer. Incredibly tender and flavoursome (and again, in hindsight having tried this dish in several places, this was the pick!). Have bought a Peruvian cook book to give this a go. I'm sure if Marsh's can't supply goat; lamb or yearling beef would be an alternative.
This evening, after our nanna nap, we wandered out for coffee about 7.30pm and had yet another highly caramelised peruvian 'desert'. This is like a lemon merangue pie but instead of lemon it is condensed milk caramel and the merange is more marshmellowy than crisp. With cinnamon on top. Very sweet, very rich and very yummy! Especially with a hot double espresso to wash it down and melt the sugar from your pallete...
And to finish a decadant Sunday of food and family, we moved on from coffee to dinner at 10pm and had fantastic local steaks with fresh veges and a very pleasant spanish cab sav. As I've mentioned before Andrew has been very generous , and this dinner was the first he allowed me to pay for. The surprise was three of us ate for approx 180 soles ($70AUD) and 120 of these was the wine!
HINDSIGHT: Trujillo and Cusco seem to be the most Spanish looking squares so far. Arequipa may prove to be too...
Note to myself - need to do 3 and 4/12 Trujillo to catch up Peru to date.
One of those lovely Sundays when families spend time together, enjoying each other's company. And of course I'm in Paola's home town so she and Andrew are doing the "VFR sightseeing tour". Showing me the best sights and activities...
I spent a very pleasant hour wandering into town from my hotel enjoying the sights and soaking up the atmosphere. Beautiful day - sunny but not too hot, with a cool breeze. Everyone seems to agree - with plenty of people out and about; socialising; going to church; chatting on street corners; out enjoying the day.
Investigated the 'Americana Hotel', an old colonial hotel with two large courtyards inside an ornate facade. Very tired and run down but oozing charm. A&P tell me it's up for sale - a cool 3/4 million US$ - and you'd need another $US250 to make a dint in the wear and tear. So expat 'rahj' - could be in Singapore or India...
The Plasa de Armas is particularly inviting in Trujillo. My impression is it seems to be a town with some class and old money. Very conservative and proud. The Cathedral that A&P were married in dominates the square. All yellow and white on the outside. Rather spanish colonial, as they are, on the inside. A service was being held so just sat quietly at the back. As I don't know much about the Catholics I was a bit lost but plenty of candles, chapels, icons, virgins and bleeding Christs. That's ok - it seems the thing in churches here...a small version of the ornate Catherdal in Lima central.
The square is surrounded by beautiful colonial architecture, generally in very good condition. The spanish influence is very strong here. Large colourful front walls face the street protecting private courtyards behind. The walls have multiple windows with ornate wrought iron grills protecting them. And the upstairs timber verandahs hang out over the street with intricate latice work providing privacy for those watching the public expose´ going on across the square. The huge doors into the courtyards are heavy ironworked timber, many with smaller doors set within them to enable more simple day-to-day entry. I wonder how often the big double doors actually get opened these days, especially in private buildings...The courtyard is a garden compound, often paved with a fountain in the centre surrounded by apartments for living, doing business, etc.
After watching Matthew, Paola and Andrew do two laps of Plasa de Armas in the miniture train (you know the sort that carries sight-seers around) we grabbed a cab and headed out towards Huanchaco and stopped at the Peruvian Dancing Horse Show - Caballo de Paso Peruano.
These horses are bred specially for the work and are useless to be riden in any other way. The Peruvians believe the horses are born only able to move in this 'dancing trot' and they are merely encouraged. Not sure if this is so but certainly they are trained to move this way and don't seem to walk any other way. Had a ride after the show and the horse didn't walk and even when they let Andrew take the reins the horse moved this way.
The show was on a large grass paddock and included two small children dancing in Spanish costume and the horses dancing around them with their riders dressed in a 'Spanish Mexican' style with ponchos. The kids were probably only 6-7yo but did a magnificant job. We watched from a deep shady verandah on the 'hacienda'. A very Spanish scene with Peruvians riding, dancing, serving, etc.
Before we got too settled for the afternoon (drinks in the shade were looking decidedly enticing), Andrew got us moving out to Huanchaco, Trujillos local beach, and considered by the locals as 'the' place to be. Well yes, it was very busy. The tide was in so the black sand beach with great lumps of pumice was only a couple of feet wide. Up against the seawall many handmade reed boats were leaning, with their long pointing bows reaching to the sky. They are quite stubby at the stern end and the locals ride them rather like a surf board but sitting down. Looks like a lot of fun. Don't think my constitution would appreciate swimming here though...Very popular with the locals and not a western style hotel in sight!
Had THE MOST AMAZING seafood this afternoon. Ceviche was invented here and has become a national dish. And while I have now (three weeks later) eaten quite a bit of ceviche, this is definately the BEST. It is a seafood platter of fresh fish pieces (in this case Sole and Sea Bass), octopus, calamari, squid, prawns and the local freshwater crayfish (the only inclusion I found unenticing). The seafood is not cooked but marinated in a chilli and lime. The acid of the marinade 'cooks' the white meats to a 'just pink/white' colour. The crustacians are put in a seive and have boiling water poured over them to get the 'orange look' before being added to the marinade. A very tender but spicy seafood dish. And I must say, although I had nothing alcoholic to drink, the strength of the marinade combined with a hot day, gave me quite a hangover that afternoon and a nanna nap was very welcome...Andrew tells me this is the sign of a good ceviche! If you are feeling strong you can drink the marinade - known as 'tiger juice' which is very strong and fishy. Paola did have a small amount but I didn't need any extra help.
We also tried boned baby goat slow cooked in large cuts with corriander, chilli, olive oil and the local beer. Incredibly tender and flavoursome (and again, in hindsight having tried this dish in several places, this was the pick!). Have bought a Peruvian cook book to give this a go. I'm sure if Marsh's can't supply goat; lamb or yearling beef would be an alternative.
This evening, after our nanna nap, we wandered out for coffee about 7.30pm and had yet another highly caramelised peruvian 'desert'. This is like a lemon merangue pie but instead of lemon it is condensed milk caramel and the merange is more marshmellowy than crisp. With cinnamon on top. Very sweet, very rich and very yummy! Especially with a hot double espresso to wash it down and melt the sugar from your pallete...
And to finish a decadant Sunday of food and family, we moved on from coffee to dinner at 10pm and had fantastic local steaks with fresh veges and a very pleasant spanish cab sav. As I've mentioned before Andrew has been very generous , and this dinner was the first he allowed me to pay for. The surprise was three of us ate for approx 180 soles ($70AUD) and 120 of these was the wine!
HINDSIGHT: Trujillo and Cusco seem to be the most Spanish looking squares so far. Arequipa may prove to be too...
Note to myself - need to do 3 and 4/12 Trujillo to catch up Peru to date.
# posted by The Essence of Good Taste @ 5:10 PM 
