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Grand Cayman Day 3 – The Main Event

Saturday, July 23rd, 2011 by virginia

Our third day in Grand Cayman was the whole reason for our trip – Claire and Sean’s wedding! I have to admit, when I woke up that morning, I was nursing a bit of a hangover from the previous night. Too many Cayman Blues, I think. Claire was smart about insisting on going to bed at 10 pm the previous night, precisely to avoid how I was feeling!

I ended up skipping breakfast because I was running a bit late but Josh thoughtfully brought me back some english muffins so that I could eat something to help settle my stomach. I was supposed to be at Claire’s hotel room by 11:30 so I quickly showered and gathered the stuff I needed for the wedding. In the process, I managed to stain my bridesmaid dress with some sunscreen. Oy! Fortunately it wasn’t too noticeable, and we were able to get some of it out later with Shout wipes.

I made my way to Claire’s room at the Beach Suites, and that’s when all of the fun began. Gathered in the room was Claire’s mother, Sean’s mother, and the three bridesmaids, Sara, Lauren and me. Claire’s sister Jill, the matron of honor, was unable to make the trip to Grand Cayman because she is due very soon, so she joined us for the festivities via Skype, which was so sweet. It was a total girly day, with Claire getting a mani/pedi and each of us getting taking turns to get our hair and makeup done. We spent the whole time chatting and laughing. We also snacked on the spread that Claire put out, an assortment of cheese, crackers, salami, fruit, crudite, hummus, and sun-dried tomato pesto.

Claire getting her makeup done with her cute bridal robe on the back of the chair

The bridal bouquet

From Claire’s balcony, we watched them set up the ceremony site on the beach. The view was just gorgeous, and although the weather would turn later that evening, the sun was shining and the lighting was perfect for the ceremony.

The arch in the lower middle of the picture is where they set up the ceremony site

Gorgeous view

When the photographer came, we had a lot of fun taking all kinds of pictures, both serious and silly. At one point, we bridesmaids ended up on Claire’s balcony wearing only white towels. I’m not sure what people thought if they looked up and saw us, but I think it made for a nice, whimsical photo. Finally, we got Claire into her dress and all buttoned up, and she was ready to roll. I have to say, she did make a stunning bride. After one more set of photos of Claire with the ocean as the backdrop, we headed downstairs for the ceremony.

I have to say, the wedding planner at the Grand Cayman Beach Suites was definitely on top of her game. She gave us our cue, and off we went, all down a straight line until we hit the beach and to the ceremony site. Claire and Sean were both beaming the whole ceremony, and it was really just a lovely, wonderful occasion. Both Silva’s and Josh’s readings went off without a hitch, the marriage licenses were signed, and soon Sean and Claire were proclaimed husband and wife.

The cocktail hour was next, up on the roof terrace of the Beach Suites. The reception was originally scheduled to take place there, but the incoming rain scheduled for later in the evening meant moving the reception indoors down the road at the Britannia Golf Club. The cocktail hour featured passed canapes, a seafood table, a cheese table, and a table of assorted dips and spreads. My favorite canapes were a beef carpaccio flavored with truffle oil and a shooter glass with fresh mozzarella and tomato. We watched the sun start to set from the roof, and then we piled onto buses that took us over to the golf club.

At the golf club, dinner was held on a covered porch that overlooked a pond on the golf course (which was good because it started pouring rain while we were eating). There were about 50 people altogether attending the wedding, so it was the perfect setting for such an intimate gathering. First we watched Claire and Sean do their first dance (which included a dramatic dip at the end), and then we were seated and they cut the cake (so that it wouldn’t get ruined in the heat). Dinner was served, and each course was pretty fabulous. Claire and Sean are both food lovers, and they planned a great menu.

The appetizer was fire roasted shrimp on snow peas and cucumber noodles, served with a curry yogurt sauce.

Fire roasted shrimp on snow peas and cucumber noodles

The first course was Florida greens with grilled zucchini, goat cheese, toasted walnuts and crisp shallots, served with a lemon vinaigrette.

Florida greens with grilled zucchini, goat cheese, toasted walnuts and crisp shallots

For the entree, we had a choice of grilled tenderloin of beef with red wine reduction and wild mushroom ragu, pan seared mahi mahi with cumin spiced plum tomatoes, herb crusted chicken breast with exotic mushroom stuffing, or a vegetarian option. Each entree was served with buttery mashed potatoes and veggies. Josh and I split the grilled beef tenderloin and the pan seared mahi mahi.

Grilled beef tenderloin with red wine reduction and wild mushroom ragout

Pan seared mahi mahi with cumin spiced plum tomatoes

Dessert was an assortment of sweets, featuring a slice of chocolate fudge cake, a passion fruit coconut tartlet, and dobos torte (a Hungarian layer cake).

Dobos torte, passion fruit coconut tartlet, chocolate fudge slice

There was wedding cake as well, a vanilla cake layered with chocolate creme, but my camera battery died before I could get a shot of it. We were all bursting at the seams by the time dinner was over, which meant that we had to hit the dance floor to burn off all those calories. What followed might not have been the most graceful scene (and it was pretty awkward at some parts – funky chicken anyone?), but we had a blast dancing our hearts out. Claire got so into the action that the bustle on her dress broke, but Sara, who apparently is a home ec genius (earlier in the day she ironed Claire’s veil without a hitch and helped me fix the stain on my dress), managed to sew it back together while we were standing in the bathroom.

We were pretty much all sweaty messes by the time the last dance was finished, but everyone was happy and still pumped up. We continued the party back at the Beach Suites, visiting our Canadian bartender friend at Bamboo. Felipe, Silva, Josh and I called it a night around 1 am when Bamboo closed, but apparently the party continued up on the roof after we left. While we were sad to find out the next day what we missed, our walk back to the Comfort Suites was pretty spectacular. We took the beach route once again, and there were brilliant flashes of lightening in the distance over the ocean. It was a little scary for me (since I hate looking at dark bodies of water at night), but an impressive sight nonetheless. It was a dazzling end to a wonderful day.

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Grand Cayman Day 2 – Seven Mile Beach Bar and Deckers

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011 by virginia

Our second day in Grand Cayman was full of fun and action. We didn’t get a super early start but we dragged ourselves out of bed to meet up with the Comfort Suite contingent in the lobby area for breakfast. Breakfast was included as part of our stay and while it wasn’t anything exciting, it did the trick. There was cereal, breads, fruit, yogurt, and, best of all, make your own waffles. We loaded up on some carbs, then took a quick walk to the nearby Texaco station to pick up some waters and snacks at the convenience store.

Our next stop? The beach! It was only a short walk from our hotel to the beach, maybe about 50 yards down a narrow path. I would say the hotel is pretty much on the beach. We frolicked in the water for a short while and then we had to bid half the group goodbye, as a few of us were scheduled to participate in the rehearsal event for Claire and Sean’s wedding and had to make our way toward their hotel, the Grand Cayman Beach Suites.

Rather than taking the scary sidewalk route on West Bay Road, we decided to walk along the beach down to their hotel. It was a MUCH better option, and we enjoyed the lovely views along Seven Mile Beach. The rehearsal event started at one o’clock and we got to the Beach Suites a little after noon so we decided to grab a quick lunch by the pool, at the Seven Mile Beach Bar. We got a round of frozen drinks to start and quickly placed our order, since we didn’t have much time.

I saw conch fritters on the menu and really wanted to try them. I’ve never eaten conch, and it’s supposed to be the local specialty. Josh, Mike, and I split an order to start. The fritters were made of ground up conch mixed with breading, spices, and diced vegetables. They reminded me of mini crab cakes, though I was a bit disappointed that we couldn’t really taste or detect conch in the mix. The fritters were tasty, but they could have been made from any kind of seafood. I also wished that they were slightly crispier.

Blurry conch fritters

For our mains, Josh and I split an order of fish and chips and a blackened fish sandwich. Again, I wished that the fish in the fish and chips dish were crispier, but I liked that they were big, meaty pieces of fish. I dipped them in jerk-flavored tartar sauce while Josh used malt vinegar (Claire would approve!).

Fish and chips

The blackened fish sandwich was a bit of a disappointment, as it was nowhere near as flavorful as the jerk fish sandwich we had at Stingers. The fish was also a bit too flaky and fell apart when we picked up the sandwich. The bread didn’t help either, as it was slightly stale and crumbly in texture. I did like the fries though, which were on the thinner side.

Blackened fish sandwich

While we weren’t crazy about the food at the Beach Bar, the drinks were really good. In addition, the views were pretty nice and service was great. We told our waiter that we were in a rush and he made sure to get our food to us quickly. We found that the service at the Beach Suites was always great, since we ended up seeing some of the same waiters and bartenders for most of the wedding events.

After we finished eating, we met up with the rehearsal group in the hotel lobby. Claire and Sean made a few quick speeches thanking the people involved with the wedding, and then off we went on the rehearsal adventure. Instead of having a traditional rehearsal dinner, Claire and Sean organized a boat excursion for us where we would get to snorkel at a coral reef and visit the stingrays at Stingray City. I had been researching a boat trip before we went to Grand Cayman, so I was super excited that this was what they had planned.

We were picked up in vans by people from Red Sail Sports, the company that ran our boating excursion. We drove a little ways to a dock on the bay side of the island which was the launching point for the boat.  After we signed our waivers (which always makes me a bit nervous!), we boarded the ship. It took about 45 minutes to get to our first destination, a coral reef where we could snorkel for a bit. The boat ride itself was pretty relaxing – we enjoyed the breeze and took in the views. It was a bit overcast when we set off, but the sun started peeking out more when we got to our destination. The water there was crystal blue and just gorgeous.

Boats along the way right after we set sail

The blue water as we approached our destination

Other boats letting their passengers off to snorkel

Another red sail boat similar to the one we were on

We donned our snorkeling gear (masks, snorkels, and flippers, plus a snorkeling vest for me) and went into the water. The waves were a bit rougher than I expected, considering how calm the water on the beach had been, so it took me a little while to get used to snorkeling again. We haven’t snorkeled since we were in the Galapagos, and I was a little rusty. I was also having trouble getting a good seal with the snorkel, and ended up with mouthfuls of salt water – blech! But once I got in the groove, I could see some of the coral formations and lots of cool plant life. There weren’t too many fish swimming around but we did see a few schools of small, colorful fish.

A coral formation

Close up on the coral

Bubbles! (and I think Claire's arm?)

 

Little blue fish

Cool plants

I have to admit, I got a little seasick from bobbing on the waves. We didn’t snorkel for too long though, about 20-30 minutes, and then we got back on the boat to head off to our next destination, Stingray City. The area is located on a sandbar so even though it looked like we were in the middle of the ocean, the water was only about waist deep. It was also crystal clear, and there were lots of stingrays swimming around our legs. It was a bit freaky at first, but then we got used to them brushing past us. The sand underneath our feet was super soft, and we were happy just standing there watching all the stingrays. Some of them were just enormous, and some of them were cute itty bitty ones.

Stingray popping into view

One of the larger stingrays

Top side view

One of the smaller ones being chased by a larger one. You can see how close they were to us as they were swimming around.

Some of the tour operators would “catch” a stingray and hold them up for us so that we could pet them and take a few pictures. The stingrays felt like wet, bumpy portobello mushrooms. Some of the braver folks (Mike, Sean) actually held the stingrays as well, propping them up with their arms underneath.

One of the guys holding up a stingray

Stingray waving its wing

Close up of the stingray skin

Soon it was time to say goodbye to the stingrays, and we were on our way back to shore. We all gathered at the front of the boat and relaxed with some Caybrews, enjoying the breeze once again. Once we were back on dry land, we returned to the Beach Suites to do the actual rehearsal. I practiced walking in a straight line, Silva and Josh learned their marks for their readings, Felipe thought about his signature, and Mike rehearsed his best Casey Kasem voice.

The start of the "aisle" for the ceremony, a long walk down to the beach

Claire and Sean had organized some welcome drinks for the wedding guests later that evening, so after the rehearsal we rushed back to the Comfort Suites to shower and get ready. Actually, we didn’t really rush, since we took the beach route back and stopped to take a few photos of the gorgeous late afternoon light on the water.

Back at the Comfort Suites, we cleaned ourselves up and met up with the rest of the crew for dinner. We decided to go to Deckers, a seafood restaurant across the street from the Beach Suites.

The restaurant has a large outdoor and indoor sitting area, and while we sat inside to seek some relief from the heat, the open air concept meant it was still pretty warm inside. Nevertheless, we were glad to be seated immediately and quickly ordered a round of drinks to start. I got a blood orange mojito, which was a nice reddish color and pretty refreshing.

Blood orange mojito

The menu had lots of interesting dishes, but I zeroed in on the Caribbean lobster mac n’ cheese. It featured a mascarpone, havarti, and grana padano cream sauce and was topped with bread crumbs and cheddar. There were lots of little chunks of lobster mixed throughout, though it wasn’t heavy on lobster flavor. I still really enjoyed the dish though, as the sauce was creamy, cheesy, and well seasoned. It was a whole lot of comfort in one big bowl.

Caribbean lobster mac n' cheese

The mac n’ cheese was pretty rich so Josh and I went halfsies on his entree, the catch of the day, which was escolar. It was served on an arugula salad with cherry tomatoes, warm potatoes, pine nuts, and a passion fruit dressing. There were also a few pieces of coconut shrimp on the plate. The fish was delicious – well seasoned and meaty. The dressing was sweet and tangy, and I’m always a huge fan of arugula salad.

Catch of the day - escolar

Overall we were all very pleased with our meal at Deckers. The food was well prepared and everything tasted great. In addition, service was really fast and efficient. We told our waitress that we were in a bit of a rush, and everything was delivered right away. Coincidentally, Claire’s family was there for dinner as well, and they liked it so much that they went back the next day, for an all you can eat lobster special. The restaurant was definitely one of my favorites on the trip. It wasn’t cheap but it also wasn’t so expensive compared to a lot of restaurants in Grand Cayman. As I said previously, the island is pricey in general. The lobster mac n’ cheese was C$18 and the catch of the day was C$26. The ambiance was slightly more upscale but it still had a low key vibe. I’d definitely recommend it for a nice but not overly fancy meal.

After dinner we crossed the street to the Beach Suites where Claire and Sean was hosting welcome drinks at the pool bar. Their signature drink was the Cayman Blue, which featured Bacardi Razz, Blue Curacao, and 7-Up. It was candy sweet and deceptively alcoholic. I was definitely feeling it after a few of those drinks! We had a great time that night, drinking and chatting with everyone who was attending the wedding. We got to know Claire and Sean’s families a bit better, and learned that Sean once fed his little sister pennies and dimes. All in all it was fun and exciting day, filled with good food, lots of drinks, and plenty of stingray.

Seven Mile Beach Bar
At Grand Cayman Beach Suites, West Bay Rd.
Grand Cayman

Deckers
Next to Hyatt Regency, West Bay Rd.
Grand Cayman

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Grand Cayman Day 1 – Stingers and Cimboco

Monday, July 18th, 2011 by virginia

We had a long morning of traveling to get to Grand Cayman from New York, but our trip was a breeze compared to the people who were coming in from Ireland and California. After an early flight to Charlotte and a three hour layover where we met up with a few other friends, we were finally headed to the island. Unfortunately, it was gray and rainy when we landed, but our spirits were still high. We were on vacation after all!

After clearing immigration and customs, we headed outside the airport to find a taxi to take us to our hotel. To our surprise, Claire and Sean were standing there, waiting to greet some of their family who had arrived on the same flight. We exchanged a few hugs and made plans to meet up at their hotel bar at the Grand Cayman Beach Suites later on in the evening. Then we all piled into a huge taxi van that took us to our own hotel, the Comfort Suites Seven Mile Beach, which was about a mile down the road from the Beach Suites.

Checking in was a breeze and we made plans to meet up at the bar, Stingers, for drinks and food. We dropped our bags in our room, which was perfectly fine but nothing too fancy. It was an alcove studio with a little sitting area and a small kitchenette area with a nice breakfast bar, a sink, microwave, toaster, and mini fridge. Our only complaint was that the air conditioner sounded like a jet engine, but at least it did its job in keeping the air cold.

Stingers is located out the back of the hotel, next to the pool. It’s open air but covered, so we were safe from the rain. Josh and I started off our island vacation with some appropriate frozen drinks – a strawberry daiquiri for me and a pina colada for him. We also split a jerk fish sandwich, our first taste of the Caribbean. The sandwich was really flavorful, with lots of spice on the fish. The fish was perfectly cooked, moist and flaky, and we enjoyed the burn from the jerk seasoning. The fries were good as well, thin cut and crispy.

Jerk fish sandwich and fries

Even though it was still raining after our late lunch, we decided to head to the beach anyway. We figured that we would be getting wet regardless, so a little rain wouldn’t hurt us. It was actually quite nice, since the beach was nearly deserted due to the weather. We were a little chilly when we first got into the water, but we warmed up pretty quickly. We had fun bobbing in the water and hitting a beach ball around. There were also some fake coral formations in the water so there were lots of fish swimming around. We donned some goggles and watched the fish dart in and out of the formations, and we did our best to avoid the spiny sea urchins.

When the air got a bit colder, we finished off our afternoon with a dip in the hotel pool, which was quite warm. It was also convenient since it was located right next to Stingers, so we enjoyed a few beers and cocktails while we were in the water.

After we retired to our rooms for a bit to shower and clean ourselves up, we rallied the troops and headed to Cimboco for dinner. It was billed as a Caribbean cafe, and the menu looked pretty good. Plus it was close to our hotel and in the direction of the Beach Suites, where we were going to meet up with Claire and Sean for drinks afterward.

The restaurant was pretty casual and had a nice colorful decor. The menu has a mix of Caribbean style dishes as well as pizzas and pastas. Josh and I both ordered a Caybrew to drink, which is the local Cayman beer. It was pretty light but perfectly drinkable, and refreshing in the heat.

Cayman Caybrew

To start, Josh and I split the plantain wrapped callaloo for our appetizer. Callaloo is like the local version of spinach, and it was rolled into fried strips of plantain. The rolls were served on a spicy Cayman style sauce that tasted like pureed tomatoes and peppers. The plantains were the savory kind but still had the banana flavor, and it worked well with the sweet and spicy sauce. I wished there was a bit more callaloo in each roll, but otherwise, it was a nicely composed dish.

Plantain wrapped callaloo

For our main course, Josh and I shared the banana leaf roasted snapper and the Carribean roti. The snapper was a perfectly roasted filet served with okra, carrots, zucchini, and a stuffed tomato. There were also pieces of creamy coconut infused cassava, or yuca, underneath the fish that had a great starchy texture to it and good flavor. The star of the plate was definitely the snapper though, with its flaky meat and well seasoned outer crust.

Banana leaf roasted snapper

The Caribbean roti was a wrap featuring curried vegetables, including potatoes, carrots, onions, and chickpeas. I was expecting more of an Indian style roti, which has many flaky layers, but this seemed to be an ordinary flour sandwich wrap. Nevertheless, the curried vegetables were very tasty, and there was a yogurt raita sauce and a tangy chutney on the side for dipping.

Caribbean roti with curried vegetables

Overall we all enjoyed the food at Cimboco, as well as the laid back atmosphere. We didn’t have a reservation but we didn’t have to wait too long for a table for eight of us. Service was pretty efficient, and I liked how the menu tried to incorporate local flavors wherever possible. Prices were pretty reasonable as well, with entrees topping out at about C$20, but most items were about C$15 (the fixed exchange rate is US$1.25 to C$1). Food in Grand Cayman was generally on the more expensive side compared to NYC, but they do have to import a lot of items. Plus the exchange rate doesn’t work in our favor. Nevertheless, I thought the restaurant was pretty good and would definitely recommend it to someone looking for something casual but still with a nice atmosphere.

After dinner, we continued walking down West Bay Road towards the Beach Suites. It was a bit scary because the sidewalks were narrow and there weren’t really any shoulders on the road, so cars would pass by us very closely. At the Beach Suites, we met up with Claire and Sean and their families for a few drinks, first at Hemingways, and then at Bamboo, which closed later. We ended up going to Bamboo most nights during our trip, so we made friends with the bartender there who was originally from Canada. All in all it was a great first day in Grand Cayman despite the rainy weather, and the best parts of our trip were still yet to come!

Stingers
P.O. Box 30725, Behind Comfort Suites, West Bay Rd.
Grand Cayman

Cimboco
P.O. Box 30786, Marquee Plaza
Grand Cayman

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Two Fat Bellies Hit the Road – Grand Cayman

Sunday, July 17th, 2011 by virginia

We were recently in the beautiful Cayman Islands to celebrate the wedding of our good friends, Claire and Sean. It was my first time in the Caribbean, and the beaches and water were as gorgeous as I expected them to be, maybe even more so. We had a great time hanging out with old friends and new friends who all made the trip out to witness the nuptials.

It was a long weekend of celebration, full of good food, multiple drinks, and lots of laughter and joy. Claire’s family traveled all the way from Ireland, and much to my delight, I discovered that the blog has an Irish following (hi Aine!). It was really lovely to see two families come together, as well as close friends from all over the country, to wish the happy couple well.

The bride looked stunning, of course, and the groom couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear. It was a great trip, and one that we’ll always have great memories of. Slainte!

A gorgeous stretch of Seven Mile Beach - who wouldn't want to get married in paradise?

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Chifa Sipan (Cusco, Peru)

Friday, June 10th, 2011 by virginia

As strange as it may sound, Chinese food is actually really popular in Peru. We saw lots of Chinese restaurants in Cusco and Lima and wondered if we should give it a shot. Our tour guide in Cusco recommended a place for lunch called Chifa Sipan, saying that it offered classic Peruvian Chinese food. Not knowing what that meant, we decided to take him up on his recommendation and try it out.

Josh saw peking duck on the menu and immediately jumped on it. Peking duck is one of his favorite dishes, but this version was like nothing we had seen before. It turned out to be thin slices of duck on a bed of deep fried rice noodles. There was no crispy skin, no wraps or buns, no strips of raw scallions or cucumbers, and no hoisin sauce. It definitely wasn’t peking duck as we know it, but at least the duck itself was tender, and the brown sauce it was doused in had decent flavor.

"Peking duck" Peruvian style

We also picked another one of Josh’s favorite dishes, pork in garlic sauce. Again, this particular version wasn’t recognizable to us. The pork was in large slices rather than the smaller, shredded kind we’re used to, and it was much darker in color than we expected pork to be. Unfortunately the meat was kind of tough and chewy. The pork was sauteed with lots of veggies – broccoli, peppers, scallions – which I liked for the health factor (we hadn’t been eating too many vegetables on our trip) and the crunchiness factor.

Pork with garlic sauce

We also got an order of chaufa – fried rice – to round out our meal. The fried rice was the most recognizable dish for us, and had lots of roast pork in it. This pork was much tastier and tender compared to the pork in garlic sauce, and it had the barbecue flavor we’re used to in char siu.

Chaufa especial - fried rice

Overall we found the Chinese food at Chifa Sipan to be a bit of a mixed bag. I think we just didn’t know what to order and tried to order dishes like we normally like here in the U.S., but the Peruvian version was not what we were expecting. I wouldn’t be adverse to trying it again if I knew what the specialty dishes are, or at least what locals usually order. The restaurant itself had kind of an old school Chinese joint decor, and service was fine. The three dishes we ordered was a lot of food, more than we could finish. Prices were very reasonable, and our meal with a few sodas came out to 52 soles, or less than US$20. It might feel counter-intuitive to eat Chinese food in Peru, but it really is part of their local culture. Peruvian fusion food isn’t new to us here in NYC either – Nobu is Japanese-Peruvian fusion, and there is a restaurant in Chinatown called Red Egg that is Chinese-Peruvian fusion. I would love to eat at Nobu, of course, but I’m also curious enough to give Red Egg a shot one of these days. If you’re in Peru, try it out. Just ask for recommendations or specialties first.

Chifa Sipan
Calle Quera 251
Cusco, Peru

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Peru Days 13 & 14 – Cusco

Sunday, June 5th, 2011 by virginia

We had two full free days in Cusco and spent our time relaxing, wandering through the city, shopping, drinking and, of course, eating. It was a nice way to wind down our trip, since our itinerary had been so jam packed up until this point. We basically slept in, had breakfast, walked around, did a little shopping, grabbed lunch, walked around some more, then went back to our hotel for a little rest. Afterward, we’d head out to a pub for a drink, then go for dinner. Not a bad way to spend our time!

Scenery around Cusco:

One of the areas we walked around was called San Blas, which is the artists’ district. It’s uphill from the center of Cusco, which made it a pretty tiring walk because we had to climb up a lot of steep steps. Once we got there, however, we saw lots of funky little shops selling all kinds of art, as well as larger workshops where they do the actual handiwork. We looked around for a while but most of the items we liked were pretty expensive.

Artist workshop

Courtyard behind the church of San Blas

Church bells

Fortunately the artisan market was a more reasonable place to shop. There were lots of stalls to browse through, and choices between mass produced items and handmade crafts. We did a little bargaining while we were there, though prices weren’t too bad to begin with. The key to bargaining is to get larger quantities of items, rather than trying to negotiate for a single piece.

Fountain near the artisan market

Another fountain

We also shopped at some smaller markets, which we would stumble upon randomly while we walked through the streets. There was a pretty good one near the famous 12 sided Inca stone. The stone is sort of hidden in an alleyway among many other Inca stones, so just look for a crowd gathered around a particular spot.

12-sided Inca stone - count 'em!

As for the pubs we visited, we mostly stayed around the main square. There was one in particular, the Cross Keys, that we liked. It had a British theme and it seemed like a hang out for English speaking foreigners. They were showing soccer on TVs and we just hung out for a while. I stuck with Cusquenos but Josh was craving something darker and tried out a few of the English beers they had on hand. A lot of the bars around the main square have 2-for-1 happy hours, but just for mixed drinks, not beers. I didn’t mind, as I found pisco sours to be tasty, refreshing, and intoxicating.

All in all, Cusco was a great place to finish up our trip. It’s a low key city that’s nice to walk around. There was lots to see in terms of beautiful buildings and intricate Inca stonework, but we didn’t feel any pressure to constantly be in tourist mode. Our favorite parts were just hanging out, eating/drinking on balconies overlooking the square. We had some good meals and a not so great restaurant experience, but more on that later. I promise, we’re almost done!

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Los Toldos (Cusco, Peru)

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011 by virginia

We told our tour guide in Cusco that we really wanted to try pollo a la brasa, or Peruvian style chicken, but every time we asked someone they would send us to a fancy place that didn’t actually serve it. Our guide gave us two recommendations so we went to both places to check them out. We eventually chose the one that looked to be the most crowded, but both were actually pretty busy, and all the food we saw going by looked mighty tasty. What drew us to Los Toldos were the rotisseries right out front with lots of chickens going round and round, dripping glorious juices and fat everywhere.

Our idea to pick the busiest place backfired a bit because the restaurant had run out of regular Cusquena beers. All they had left were the malted version, which Josh and I weren’t big fans of because we thought the flavor was a bit too sweet and syrupy. We decided to go the non-alcoholic route instead (shocking, I know!) and got a pitcher of limonada, which is lemonade blended with egg whites, so that it’s nice and frothy. It’s tangy, sweet but not overly so, and extremely refreshing.

Limonada

Josh and I decided to split an onion soup to start, and a half chicken platter for our entree. The onion soup was lighter than a regular french onion soup, but it was still topped with a nice stringy cheese. It had good flavor and I liked that it wasn’t too rich or heavy. The onions were soft and sweet, and we polished off the bowl quickly.

Onion soup with cheese

We were excited for the piece de resistance, the pollo a la brasa. The rotisserie chicken was tender and juicy, exactly as we had hoped. The chicken flavor was very pronounced, not like the flavorless chicken we get here at home. The skin was well seasoned and really delicious; it was hard not to eat it but we only had a taste and then pulled it aside. We started eating the chicken with knives and forks first, but we eventually abandoned all utensils and dug in with our fingers, making sure to get out all the best little bits from the nooks and crannies.

Pollo a la brasa

The accompanying french fries on the platter had soaked in a lot of the chicken juices so they weren’t as crispy as I had hoped, but they were really flavorful. The juices paired well with the starchiness of the Peruvian potatoes, and I was still happy to munch away on them.

French fries

Overall we were both extremely pleased with the pollo a la brasa at Los Toldos. It was exactly what we had been craving – simple, juicy rotisserie chicken. The onion soup was delicious as well, and we liked the casual, homey atmosphere. It seemed like most of the people eating there were locals, which is always a good sign. The portions were big, and our bill ended up being 52 soles (under US$20). It’s probably not the cheapest pollo a la brasa in the city, but we would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for good chicken in a restaurant setting.

Los Toldos
Calle Almagro 171
Cusco, Peru

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La Chomba Ajha Wasi (Cusco, Peru)

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011 by virginia

During our tour of Cusco, we made sure to get some local recommendations from our guide. We told him that we missed out on trying chicha, a fermented corn beer, while we were in the Sacred Valley, so he told us about a local place close to our hotel where we could try some. He also told us to try frutillada, which sounded pretty tasty to me.

We found the restaurant easily and there was a sign for it on the street but when we walked through the doorway, we ended up in a little courtyard that seemed to be pretty residential. Fortunately there was another sign posted and we made our way into the restaurant, which was actually larger than it looked on the outside.

The sign inside the courtyard

It was a super casual place, with long communal tables and stools. Nobody spoke english but we were able to get by. When we ordered a glass of chicha, however, they told us they had run out. Darn! We were extremely disappointed and ordered a glass of frutillada instead, which is basically a non-alcoholic chicha with the addition of strawberries. It’s a nice pale pink color, frothy on top, and looks sort of like a strawberry smoothie. The taste, however, was very different. It had a sour, fermented, yeasty flavor, with just a slight sweetness from the strawberries. There was also some sort of seasoning on top that I couldn’t identify, as it had an unusual taste. I wouldn’t say that I enjoyed the flavor of the frutillada, but it was certainly interesting to try.

Frutillada

While we were sipping the frutillada, one of the restaurant workers came bounding in, holding up a pitcher of chicha triumphantly. I don’t know where he went to get some but we were absolutely thrilled. Talk about good service! He poured us a glass and it looked and smelled exactly like what it is – fermented corn beer. It has a pretty low alcohol content but our guide had warned us to drink only half of what they served (the glasses here were huge, bigger than pint glasses) because chicha can be hard on an inexperienced stomach. The chicha was a bit too warm and yeasty for my taste so I stuck mostly with the frutillada, but Josh preferred the flavor of the chicha.

Chicha

Because we had skipped lunch, we decided to order a dish as a snack to tide us over until dinner, and to coat our stomachs a bit for the chicha. The menu at the restaurant was pretty basic, which we were happy about because we had eaten too much rich food already on our trip. We decided to get an order of chicharron, which is deep fried chunks of pork. It was served on a plate with large corn kernels, potato, and raw red onion. The pork was a bit tough but it had crispy skin, which is always a plus. It wasn’t fancy or dressed up in any way, just the perfect food to soak up the chicha.

Chicharron (fried pork)

Our total bill was ridiculously low – just 20 soles (US$7.40). I would definitely recommend checking out La Chomba Ajha Wasi if you’re looking for some local flavor in Cusco. It’s a no frills place but service was friendly and we were able to try chicha. It would be a good place to sit down for a bit, grab a snack, and drink some cold Cusqueno beers. Many thanks to our guide for the great recommendation!

La Chomba Ajha Wasi
Av. Tullumayo 338
Cusco, Peru

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Peru Day 12 – Cusco

Sunday, March 20th, 2011 by virginia

Yes, I still have a few Peru posts left to write. I know it’s been a while but we’re almost there, I promise! So after we arrived in Cusco, following a magnificent day at Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu, we had a tour of the city and the surrounding area ruins the next morning. It was a little cool and drizzly that day, the only time it really rained on our whole trip, so we felt pretty lucky with the weather.

Our tour started out at Koricancha, or the Temple of the Sun, which was literally across the street from our hotel, the Libertador  Palacio del Inka. It was an important temple for the Incas, but the Spanish eventually built the Cathedral of Santo Domingo over the temple. Still, they kept a lot of the original Inca walls with their unique trapezoidal doorways and windows, and the fascinating interlocking stones.

Spanish style courtyard inside

Trapezoidal windows that all line up

How the Inca stones interlock

View of the cathedral from the courtyard

View of Cusco and the solar garden

The next stop on our tour was a short drive from downtown Cusco, up into the hills were we went to visit Sacsahuaman. The site is believed to be an Inca fortress, with massive stone walls that form a zig zag pattern. The stones used in the wall are so big that it’s hard to imagine how the Incas managed to carve them and move them into position. There is also a theory that the walls were built in the zig zag shape as to form the head of a puma, when looking at the walls the the city of Cusco itself from above. Whatever the reason, it’s a pretty impressive sight.

Stone walls

Zig zag pattern

Massive interlocking stones

Trapezoidal doorway

After leaving the zig zag stone walls, we went over to Kenko, an Inca religious site with underground caves and temples. Many rituals are believed to have been performed here. In one cave, there was a huge stone slab that was supposed to have been used as an altar during the mummification process. It was an interesting place, and I was only slightly creeped out.

Going into one of the caves

Huge altar that was cold to the touch

Stone sculpture

Our last stop in the hills was Tambomachay, also known as the baths of the Incas. There are a series of aqueducts that lead to a temple where natural spring water pours out from specific points. It was a beautiful sight, and the sound of the water was very soothing.

Tambomachay - the Baths of the Incas

On our way back into the city, we stopped at a high point to look at the zig zag walls of Sacsahuaman, and a statue of Jesus that overlooks the city.

Sacsahuaman

White statue of Christ

The last stop of our city tour, and the end of the organized portion of our vacation, was the main cathedral on the Plaza de Armas. The cathedral was very intricate on the inside, with lots of carved woodwork and paintings, but no photos were allowed, unfortunately.

The outside of the cathedral

After the tour ended, we went to see La Campania church, which is also on the Plaza de Armas, next to the cathedral. There was an entrance fee to get in but it’s supposed to be the most beautiful church in Cusco. To be honest, I didn’t find it any more or less beautiful than the other churches we had seen, so if you don’t want to pay the entrance fee or don’t feel like seeing another church, you’re not missing a whole lot by skipping it. The church was pretty similar in style to most of the other churches, and there wasn’t anything in particular that stood out to me.

La Compania Church

Our tour guide on this day was really great, and we chatted him up on places to eat. We were complaining that whenever we asked other guides or the concierges at our hotels for local recommendations, they would send us to expensive, upscale places that weren’t really reflective of the local cuisine. He told us a place to try chicha, a sort of fermented corn beer, so we ended going there for lunch. The place was great, exactly what we were looking for. None of the waiters or counter people spoke english, and everyone eating there was local.

After going back to the hotel to rest for a while (being in altitude really does sap your energy!), we went back out and walked around the city at night, taking in all the lights and sights. Cusco was definitely one of the more lively cities we stayed in. There were lots of people out and about, and the bars and restaurants all seemed to be pretty full.

Plaza de Armas at night, with the lights of the surrounding hills in the background

A gateway into the city

One of the many plazas in the city

A government building

After walking around a bit to work up our appetites (the altitude also saps your desire to eat), we went to a restaurant that was also recommended by our tour guide, a place to get pollo a la brasa, which is Peruvian style rotisserie chicken. The place was not fancy but the food was fantastic, and exactly what we were craving.

It was a pretty packed day for us but also bittersweet because we knew that our trip was almost over. Still, we had a few more days in Cusco on our own, and we were looking forward to relaxing and exploring the city at our own leisure.

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Inka Grill (Cusco, Peru)

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011 by virginia

We arrived in Cusco relatively late in the evening, and although they gave us a snack on the train, we found most of it to be pretty bad so we decided to go out for a late dinner when we got into the city. We asked the front desk at our hotel for some restaurant recommendations, specifically saying that we were in the mood for some Peruvian style chicken. One of the restaurants they sent us to was the Inka Grill, which was right on the main square. As soon as we saw it, we knew they didn’t serve the Peruvian chicken we were looking for, but it was late and the menu looked ok so we decided to go in anyway.

The restaurant was definitely more upscale than what we were looking for, though the decor was pretty nice. It wasn’t crowded because of the late dinner hour so it was pretty quiet, giving us the opportunity relax and chat. We started with a nice bottle of red wine and they brought us some homemade potato chips to start. The chips were made from yellow starchy potatoes, and even though they were fresh, they weren’t nearly as tasty as the chips we had at the Lobby Bar at Tambo del Inka. The chips came with a green sauce on the side for dipping, which I thought would be a garlicky ajo sauce, but turned out to a mint sauce made from my dreaded Andean mint. Yikes! I still don’t know what it is about Andean mint, but I had to force myself to swallow that bite rather than spit it out. Josh liked it though.

Yellow potato chips

We weren’t starving at this point so we couldn’t stomach the idea of an elaborate dinner. There was a small section of the menu that featured sampler platters, which we thought would be the perfect way to try different things without having to order tons of food. The samplers were portioned for two people so we picked out the one that seemed to be the most Peruvian, the Novo Andean Sampler, figuring that would be enough food to make up a light meal. We turned out to be right, as the platter was pretty huge.

Novo Andean sampler platter

The platter came with stuffed chili peppers, kiwicha chicken fingers, alpaca brochettes, and quinoa croquettes. The chili peppers were stuffed with meat and weren’t spicy. They were smothered in a gooey, stringy cheese that was similar to mozzarella. I was a bit nervous when I saw all the cheese, since I’m usually not a fan, but when it was melted over the chili pepper it worked well and added a nice richness and saltiness.

Stuffed chili peppers smothered in cheese

The kiwicha chicken fingers were strips of chicken coated in kiwicha, or amaranth seeds. The seeds have a similar flavor and texture to sesame seeds and provided a good crunch. The chicken strips were kind of thin so they were a little dry but we remedied that by dipping them into the accompanying sauces.

Kiwicha chicken fingers

This wasn’t the first time that we had eaten alpaca on our trip, and this version was pretty good. We knew from experience that alpaca can get dry very easily, but these brochettes were well seasoned and perfectly cooked so that they were still tender and juicy. The meat also tasted a bit beefier than usual, which was a pleasant surprise, as we had previously found alpaca to be more similar to veal or pork. This was one of our favorite components of the platter.

Alpaca brochettes

The quinoa croquettes were another of our favorites. They were nicely fried to a golden brown crisp on the outside and warm and creamy on the inside. It tasted like the quinoa had been mixed with cheese, which made it extremely rich and decadent. Quinoa normally has a lovely texture that rolls along on your tongue, and in this creamy format it was similar to cheese grits – we enjoyed it immensely.

Quinoa croquettes

Overall we liked the atmosphere of the Inka Grill, but we probably didn’t taste enough of their food to know whether or not it’s a good place to have dinner. The sampler platter was generously portioned but the chicken fingers were just ok, and the croquettes were good because they were fried well. The brochettes were pretty impressive though, so I guess my recommendation would be to stick with the “grill” part of the Inka Grill. The menu was pretty eclectic, with items like pizza and pasta, french onion soup, and oriental chicken salad. I guess it caters to every taste, but we tried to stick with choosing a platter that seemed the most Peruvian to us, or at least used Peruvian ingredients. I remember thinking that the restaurant was pretty pricey though, we didn’t look too in depth at the menu since we weren’t so hungry at the time.  Location might have been a factor, as it’s right on the Plaza de Armas, but we kind of got the feeling that this place caters mostly to tourists. It had an upscale vibe to it and was a nice place for a drink and a snack, but I think we had better and cheaper meals elsewhere.

Inka Grill
Portal de Panes 115 Plaza de Armas
Cusco, Peru

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