Baking Goddess in South America... Peru

A bit of a break between my posts but unfortunately I fell ill near the end of my amazing trip!! But not to worry I'm now well enough to let you know what happend next! 

 Now I head to Cuzco. The first Incan city... The centre of the empire. Legend says Inti (the sun god) sent his son and wife to earth to help organise humans and told him to take his gold rod and where ever it would enter the ground completely that would be the centre of the earth (Cuzco in quechua means 'Navel of the earth'). A city located 3,999m above sea level, you can feel the altitude as soon as you arrive at the airport, colder air and a light pressure on your chest. As recommended by my guide I walked slowly and had a substantial amount of coca leaf tea. 

    Plaza de Armas

That day I had a city tour. Joined by a Brazilian family, we headed to Cuzco surrounding areas where you can find their national parks filled with arqueological findings. It's absolutely magical!! We saw ruins of an enormous temple(Sacsaywamán), a water ceremonial ground(Tambomachay) and a funeral ground(Q'enqo). All date back to the Inca empire. This culture was extremely fascinating... They were ahead of their time and had a very interesting rule... They did not destroy nature to create their communities, they worked with nature, complimented it to suit their needs. Amazing I say... 

    Sacsaywamán

     Tambomachay

Back into town and we sail through the magical streets of cuzco... So much history full of mystery. It all just draws you in, you feel all the culture and traditions. And this feeling is enhanced when you walk into the grounds of the Santo Domingo convent. This catholic convent was build by the spaniards over the biggest inca temple there is! But with the earthquakes the convent's walls fell down to reveal the rock solid walls of the inca temple... Truely amazing. After we get to visit the cathedral which is another building of imense beauty and history. It shows that not all inca religion and tradition were lost. Catholic church actually embraced some of them and you can find evidence of this in elements all around the building. 

    Qorikancha, Santo Domingo convent 

Once the tour is over I head back to the hotel to put on multiple layers of clothes to venture out in the cold! I went from extreme heat to having to wear a wooly hat. Before dinner I wondered around the streets of Cuzco. In the plaza de armas you get to witness a magnificent view... All the houses on the hillside are lit and the light display is so beautiful! 

Everyone is out on the street, eating, talking and enjoying each other's company. There is a buzz in the streets, a mix between tourists and locals all enjoying the town for different reasons. I go for Lomo saltado for dinner, a peruvian version of a stir fry, with a pisco sour to  help it go down smoothly (and to warm me up!). Delicious! 

Now to bed... Need to rest before my next adventure! 

A baking goddess in South America... Contd

After a long long day travelling from brazil, I finally arrived in Lima, Peru. 4 hours later than expected(poor carlos my tour guide had to wait at the airport all that time too) I make my way to the hotel. I was happy to see a bed! Unfortunately it wasn't for long as I had my first tour early in the morning the next day. 

Off I went to get to know the city of Lima. Lima is such a big city! You can see all the colonial influences in its grand majestic buildings. We started the tour at the peninsula of Lima where you can find the sculpture of the kiss. 

Then we head on through two of the higher end neighbourhoods of Lima, Miraflores and San Isidro. In this last one you find the Huaca Huallamarca, a restored adobe pyramid produced by the Lima culture and used as funeral grounds. It is imense! Three levels of stone, mud and clay, with a ramp leading you to the top where you could see how the tombs were used. These ruins were so well preserved they found a mummy in perfect condition. 

At this site I also got to see a peruvian dog! Do you know the Egyptian cats that are hairless and ugly? Well this dog is the same... Hairless and some would say ugly. A breed that is disappearing so I felt pretty special to have seen one! 

In this neighbourhood we also got to see the european influences, if you didn't know you were in Peru you could have easily mistaken it for England! 

On with our tour... And now to the historic centre. A very wide main plaza filled with beautiful buildings, all reminiscent of colonial times. We visited Iglesia Santo Domingo and its monastery,  that once you enter its cloisters, you stop hearing the busyness outside and only here birds... So peaceful. 

After my tour I had to head back to the hotel for some sleep! In the evening I headed out for ceviche. You can't come to Peru and not have ceviche!  So I ordered a mixed ceviche(it had scallops,octopus,squid, prawn, lemon sole, seabass and snail) and to go with it, I had a pisco sour(the country's signature drink). Might I say it was delicious! The fish and seafood 'cooked' in citrus juice, garlic, pepper, onion and coriander is a perfect combination. To finish off I was advised to try lucuman, a fruit that only exists in Peru(flavour wise, it is a cross between a papaya and a mango). And so I did! I wasn't disappointed! It was very tasteful and sweet. 

Now for some rest before my next adventure! 

A baking goddess in South America cont...

Ahhhh I now arrive in the sun! And I am amazed... Gobsmacked with so much beauty!! 

Florianopolis, Brazil, paradise on earth! 

I finally arrive tired after two delayed flights. And the familiar face waiting for me at the airport made it so much better! 

Straight to bed after an exhausting day to rest and wake up fresh and ready to rock the next day! 

My first full day in Floripa I ventured to the nearest town to exchange money... A small 30min walk in the sun... Needless to say I arrived there a bit drenched. After a small look around I managed to get money and ventured back! It's so much fun to venture into such a different country and forget they speak the same language! I was mistaken for an argentinean a number of times as they take over a part of the island during the summer months.   

The heat is just so intense! I had to sit in during lunchtime or else I would burn and ruin the rest of my visit! 

In the afternoon I ventured to the nearest beach, jurerê internacional, and arrived to a packed beach... Went for a little walk and was mesmerised with the amount of things that are sold on the beach! Every few meters there were small huts selling, cocktails, fresh fruit juices, coconut water, corn on the cob and beer. Not to mention all the beach carts going round selling the exact same things! You could also buy nuts, sandwiches, grilled cheese on a stick(weird right?), ice cream, bikinis, beach wear and a lot more! 

I found myself a quieter spot and bought a green coconut to enjoy its water. OMG... It is soooo good! I can honestly say it is delicious! It tastes like nothing I've ever tried. Far from the coconut flavours we are used to, it is a refreshing super hydrating water that just makes you want to go back for more! Plus the idea of drinking out of a coconut makes it even more appealibg... Felt so exotic! 

I then went for a dip, the heat is just insane, there is no way you can sit on the beach without going for a swim to cool down. The water was just the perfect temperature, not to hot(like Hilton Head Island) and not too cold(like Portugal). Perfect to cool off and enjoy the magnificent landscape of the island. It is just beautiful! 

Day 2 I joined my friend, who is native to the island, and she took me on a tour of the beaches. First we stopped at 'praia brava'. A beach that has colder water and more agitation. Again full of people all in the vacation spirit. Went for a dip and after we dried off decided it was too hot to be out in the sun,so my friend took me to see her neighbourhood and we stayed there for lunch. We had 'pastel de camarão  ' (prawn pattie) and 'bolinhos de siri'. Siri is a crab found in the sands of Brazil and its meat when pulled apart is stringy. All accompanied by Brazilian beer, Antartida, delicious!! 

After we made a quick stop for some 'caldo de cana', an amazing refreshing drink made from the juices of the sugar cane mixed with lemon juice. I just can't put into words how delicious this drink is! The lemon juice cuts down the sugar just enough so that it isn't sickling, and bathed in ice... Heaven for those extremely hot days!  

We then head to 'Praia da Daniela', a beach that is surrounded by a small peaceful neighbourhood, but no hotels. This makes this beach much calmer, and less explored. Beautiful views of the mainland and surrounding islands. After a nice dip in the sea we walked along the beach to discover even more beautiful views. 

For dinner we had a craving for sushi! I know I know... It's not Brazilian food. But due to the Japanese immigrants in the country, Brazil produces some of the best sushi chefs in the world! So we have to try Brazilian sushi! And it was good... Loved it! 

Day 3 I was the colour of a pepper(the sun was so strong I managed to get sunburnt before lunchtime and with spf 50!!!). So I went to jurerê centre all covered up for some shopping. I walked through their open shopping and saw a place that sold 'pão de queijo' (cheese bread), a brazilian cheese bread that I am obsessed with!! They are small and you can definitely eat two in one go. I then headed towards the beach to walk back(much cooler this way) and got myself a nice coconut water for the road. Ahhhhh the life! In the afternoon my friend picked me up and took me to the south end of the island to show me the beaches around there. Again mesmerised with such beauty!! We went along the coast, stopped along the way for photo moments, saw the Lagoa de Conceiçao and praia Mole. We then headed to a lagoon to cool down. A lagoon encased in mountains filled with vegetation... A paradise on earth!!! 

 We then headed to a small town on the coast and have a Sol meat sandwich(this meat is treated with salt and dried out in the sun, and just like cod, you need to soak it for a few days to remove the excess) with a red wine caipirinha! Delicious! Had a walk around, shopped for souvenirs and before we knew it it was midnight!! You lose track of time when you are on holidays!! 

On out trip down to the south end of the island we also made a quick stop to try a bowl of Açai. A berry grown in a palm tree tht has good fats that help you lower colesterol. You order a bowl of this berry, it comes in the form of a frozen puree mixed with guarana extract and banana, and the you select sides to mix with it. A wonderful earthy and spicy flavour that combined with your favourite i gredients makes for a wonderfully delicious snack. 

On my last day in Floripa I got up early and went to say goodbye to the beach, embrace the island's beauty one last time before heading onto my next adventure. Had one last coconut(I don't know how I am going to survive in Portugal without fresh coconuts!) and thanked the island for these amazing four days! 

All in all, The purpose of this visit was to relax, enjoy the beach and eat as much as you can! 

Onto my next stop...  

A Baking goddess in South America cont...

And now I am in mendoza... One of the well known wine regions in Argentina, the region that produces 75% of all argentine wine. 

I arrive to a city surrounded by mountains... Beautiful... Just what i like. But it is still very very hot... Worst of all it feels stuffy and like we say in Portugal 'ar de trovoada'(it feels like there could be thunder). 

The city in itself is nothing compared to Buenos Aires. Much smaller not as easy to get lost and a lot less traffic(less risk of getting runover!). 

After a long nap, I took to the streets of Mendoza... And soon realised the weather was not making my life easy... The stuffy air gave me a headache and made me feel queasy. After 2 hours of exploring I decided to head back armed with sparkling water to help my uneasy stomach. 

When I decided to venture back out for dinner it was raining and thunder!! Oh it felt good... The temperature instantly went down and the cold rain helped to cool off! At first i was a bit uncertain of venturing the streets with lightning but no one else seemed to be worried about it! 

Obviously I went for dinner where I could have nice meat... I got recommended Facuno. I had a nice piece of sirloin with garlic chips and pumpkin mash. I ordered a glass of wine... But my mistake was to order a glass of white wine... And here is where I felt like a wine snob. But really I just couldn't let this one go. 

The waiter brings me the wine, an argentine sauvignon blanc, pours it for me to taste and although a very nice wine, it was warm!!!! I told the waiter it was warm... His response?! Whilst he kept pouring said he knew it was warm but he didn't have cold wine, and that he would bring me some ice for the wine... Wait... What?! Did you just say you would bring me some ice?! For the wine?! No way... I couldn't let this man ruin this wine!! So I kindly said no and asked the waiter to chill the wine... Inexcusable! 

My second day in Mendoza was spent tasting wine and exploring the town. I was picked up from the hotel in the morning by a very nice tour guide, enrique, who then took me to my first 'bodega'. One that I personally selected, Luigi Bosca. On the way to the bodega, I got a very detailed explanation of Mendoza and its wine heritage. I learned so many new things! (I have some knowledge of argentine wines) I wasn't aware that Mendoza produced most of Argentinean wine and that it has over 1000 producers! It's incredible! I also learned that the producers have a big problem with hail in the winter... It comes down in the form of tennis balls which destroys the vineyards. 

At Luigi Bosca we got shown around the property, which had this beautiful smell of macerated grapes. We then get guided into their shop where we got to sample four of their wines, a sparkling, white(sauvignon blanc) and two reds(pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon). 

    Bodega Luigi Bosca

After we rushed over to Septima to see if we could still get the tour before lunch, but unfortunately we weren't on time! Never mind... We still have lunch there to look forward too. A four course lunch, paired with three of their wines. Septima is owned by a Spanish company, the seventh property to be owned by this company, located on the no. 7 road, on the seventh mile. Lunch was really good with good wine and an amazing view of the vineyards with he mountains as backdrop!

     Bodega Septima

    Desert at Septima

Argentinean wines are still like I remember! The reds are nice and smooth with no tannins and the whites extremely aromatic. I got to try different grapes, but my favourites are still their crown jewel Malbec and torrontés. 

Back to town and I decide to take the city tour, which I was surprised to find out is bigger than what I expected! The whole town has a unique irrigation system that dates back to Incan times. A system the foliage of the town requires to exist because Mendoza is desert land. This system guides the water from the Mendoza river into canals found all over town. It's genius! This also allows the town to have a magnificent park(parque San Martin). A park that houses an artificial lake used by the regatta club, golf club, horse riding club, tennis club and amazing views. 

My third and last day in Mendoza was spent on a guided tour called 'Alta montaña', a tour which takes you up the mountains towards the border of Argentina and Chile. A day long trip that takes you through the most amazing views and luckily for us the day was nice and clear and we got to see mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain of the Andes at 6,960.8 metres. Covered in snow it was astonishing! So beautiful and majestic!

    Mount Aconcagua

 On our way to our final destination we also stopped at 'puente del inca' a bridge formed of organic materials and the first location site where General San Martin's army camped. Here you could find the ruins of a stone bridge and the river Mendoza. Legend says if you drink the water of this river you rejuvenate! The water was so cold and nice! We then went further up the mountain to 4000m above sea level to 'Cristo redentor', where the two countries meet! Turns out I did go to Chile... For a few minutes. It is unbelievable how much temperature drops! We went from 34C to 19C, very cold and windy! And the high altitude also gets to you ... I had to do my jumping photo and from just two jumps I was out of breath! Back down we went and stopped at the bottom of the mountain for lunch. A gorgeous meaty hikers lunch that a wonderful Colombian family(who joined us for the tour) kindly paid for mine! There is still hope in the world with small and kind gestures like these... Thank you! You made my day:) 

On the way back into town we stopped at the 'dique Potrerillos'a beautiful blue lagoon created by the river dique. What a beautiful site! 

This was just a magnificent day, where I got to see exceptional views and meet wonderful people. 

    Puente del inca 

    Crossing the border

    Dique Potrerillos

For my last dinner in Mendoza I wondered the street of Sarmiento where i ended up at 'Downtown parrilla' and was recommended to try the Mendocina trout. It was delicious and went down well with a glass of Malbec(thought i was going to leave argentina without a taste of  their crown jewel!) 

 I was surprised to learn that in mendoza you take the siesta in the afternoon, so shops close until 17h and then re-open until 21h(this explains why the town looked deserted in the afternoon) and it makes a lot o sense because it's too hot to be out during that time. As a result the town comes to life at night, where people come out onto the street to enjoy the cooler weather. 

I now leave this town and country with amazing memories and experiences, and move on to explore a different country... Floripa here I come!!!!! 

A baking goddess in South America...

My adventure in South America has started! Yes this baking goddess has changed continents for 3 weeks. 

I started my adventure in Argentina... Buenos Aires to be more precise. And after three days here, I have come to the conclusion that porteños(that is how you refer to a Buenos Aires citizen) are obsessed with football, dulce de leche and dogs!! Who would've thought dogs? But yes, I have seen more dog walkers here than in any other city!! 

It is such an immense city, huge buildings, streets and cars everywhere!!! 

The traffic is crazy... If you thought New York was bad, then you clearly haven't tried to cross the road in Buenos Aires!!! Three days here and I still have no clue on how to do it without risking getting run over!  

    Teatro colón

In such a big city, a girl like me can easily get lost! Luckily I had a very special tour guide who (as before, but in a different context) gave me the tools I required to survive my visit. And for that I thank her very much. It was so good to catch up! 

A bus tour in a hop on hop off bus gave me the overview of the city. A city that draws you in with all of its grandness. A mix of Historic buildings that remind you of Europe with buildings that have a south american feel to them. Beautiful I might add. 

    Inside teatro colón 

My favourite thing about this city is that everywhere you go, you can feel the tango... You can see it, hear it, taste it and feel it. Porteños are extremely proud of their heritage and aren't afraid to show it!

Thanks to Martina and José I got the chance to go see a tango show. This show was called 'Rojo tango' and let me tell you it was amazing!! 

It was located in an incredible hotel, hotel Faena, a very modern and without a doubt expensive hotel. You go in through an extensive corridor, full of dark glass windows and doors, and half way through you enter to your right a small red room that has the feel and look of a tango club! Straight away you are put into a tango mood(if you weren't already). 

And the show begins... Tango orchestra dressed to the tee, beautiful music sets the scene. And there they are... Tango dancers dressed in amazing outfits, making you feel like you have gone back in time, back to the 20s! Extremely talented dancers and singers(I did not expect live singers!) give you the best tango experience ever! 

I highly recommend a tango show if you ever visit Buenos Aires! 

     Rojo Tango 

I didn't realise how big the city was until I got my map and as a tourist on a budget decided to walk everywhere.... In some cases it took me an hour to get from A to B!!! I think its fair to say that I will be keeping in shape if all this walking continues! 

Being in Argentina and this being the country of amazing meat, it would be a crime not have some whilst out here!  Just look for a 'Parrila', which is not hard to find, there is one in every corner of the city. With the recommendation of my dance teachers and my american express guide book, I made a reservation(you can only get a table if you make one) at La Cabrera. A restaurant located in the neighbourhood of Pallermo, away from the busyness of the microcentro. Once again I recommend it! An amazing succulent ribeye steak with delicious sides and salsas(not your typical fries). 

    Lunch at La Cabrera

And now the best for last... Dulce de Leche!!!! Sooo good!!! It is everywhere!! You can even have it for breakfast as a spread. Amazing... 

A dulche de leche ice cream is also a must have. Buenos Aires has a lot of italian influences and as a result have some of the best ice creams in the world! 

Freddo is the name you associate with ice cream here but Volta is also very very good! Since I'd tried Freddo before (you can find them in London under the name Freggo), I got to try Volta and it was yummy!!! Had dulce de leche and chocolate cone... Delicious!!! 

But there is one thing you have to try that I couldn't stop thinking since I tried it during my internship in America... Alfajores!!! They are these delicious cornstarch cookies sandwiched together with dulce de leche in between and covered in chocolate... Amazing right?  

     Dulce de leche 

Now its time to move to a different city... Onto Mendoza!!!