More Peruvian specialties

I like going to the grocery store (at home, too). Here in Peru, it's an adventure. What will I try this time? Today I ate my first cherimoya, an oddly shaped green fruit native to Peru. I scooped the inside out with a spoon, avoiding the large seeds. It's sweet, with a taste like pineapple and banana. Delicious!

Here are a few other treats I've tasted. The Inka Corn is what we call "corn nuts" in the US. They're giant kernels of corn. These were spicy. Next to the Inka Corn is a bottle of the national soda, Inca Kola. This bright yellow soda tastes to me like bubblegum. I'm not sure I'll need to have more than that one bottle.

Next to the Inca Kola is a bottle of locuma drinking yoghurt. Locuma (stress on the first syllable) is a fruit that tastes a like maple syrup. Mmm.

I'm eating well, in case you wondered. Today I had two turkey sandwiches. The first was at lunch, at a place where Gustavo promised me they had the world's best sandwich. I admit, it was pretty great. Turkey with onion, lettuce, tomato, mustard, mayonaise. He told me that the world's second best sandwich was at Parque Kennedy, a short walk from my apartment. I needed a walk this evening, so first I went in the opposite direction, to Larcomar, the swishy mall that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. I went to the upper deck for a bit of sea breeze, then walked among the tourists in the open-air mall.

From there, I walked to Parque Kennedy. On the way I ran into a couple I'd met at the hostel where I stayed in the first week here in Lima. I'd also run into them on the street in Cusco. Funny to see familiar faces on the street!

In Parque Kennedy, I easily found the stand where they sold the turkey sandwiches. There were a few people in front of me. Gustavo was right, this was an excellent sandwich. It had the welcome addition of a bit of spicy aji sauce. Yum.