{"id":485,"date":"2015-05-27T07:30:54","date_gmt":"2015-05-27T11:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/?p=485"},"modified":"2015-06-23T09:57:18","modified_gmt":"2015-06-23T13:57:18","slug":"lima-peru-city-kings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/lima-peru-city-kings\/","title":{"rendered":"Lima Peru: The City of Kings"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Colin Roohan, AFAR Ambassador<\/em><\/p>\n

My plane landed on a warm and humid evening, the ocean\u2019s fog in combat with light, city-smog. I\u2019ll admit I didn\u2019t know much about Lima<\/a>, but after a few days of guided, local experiences led by USTOA<\/a> tour operator Travcoa<\/a>, I fell in love with Lima\u2019s charm. It\u2019s an inviting city and one with ample signs of growth: western billboards line the streets, luxury automobiles cruise the streets and construction projects emerging EVERYWHERE. I found it to be an exciting city that is finding a fantastic balance between old-world charm and new-world comforts. It is a city of contrasts, inviting locals and there is so much to explore.<\/p>\n

On our first day in Lima, we first started the day at the vibrant Mercado de Surquillo in south-central Lima.\u00a0 As we entered we were stopped in our tracks by a plethora of unrecognizable fruits and with help from our local Prom Peru guide a vendor let us sample some: the custard apple, the yellow dragon fruit and the lucuma \u2013 with a texture akin to pumpkin but a flavor that resembled maple syrup! After our healthy fruit-filled tour of the market, we headed towards Se\u00f1oria de Sulco in the Miraflores district of Lima where a cocktail and cooking demonstration awaited us. We were introduced to the head bartender who had the ingredients of Peru\u2019s best known cocktail, the Pisco Sour, displayed in front of him. The bartender began to masterfully exhibit the process of making a Pisco Sour. Its ingredients are few: pisco (a grape derived alcohol), lime juice, simple syrup, egg white, and a drop of bitters. The result was a very refreshing cocktail that is reminiscent of a margarita. Following the Pisco Sour lesson, we moved downstairs to watch a ceviche demonstration. Ceviche with its unadulterated simplicity, has always been one of my favorite meals. The chef chose sole, a mild white fish, and after mixing in a few other ingredients had crafted a light dish bursting with citrus and seafood flavors, all with a subtle underlying heat. It was some of the freshest and most well prepared ceviche I have ever had.<\/p>\n