Top Fives November 11, 2008

Top 5 things to buy on the streets of Lima

1. Choko Soda–chocolate covered soda crackers, I love them so much that I plan my walking routes so I can pass by a street stall that sells them.  I don’t know why America hasn’t discovered this delectable treat.
2. Chifles–chips made from bananas or plaintains, salty, not sweet, and oh so tasty.
3. Arroz con Leche & Masamora Morada–rice pudding and purple corn pudding/jello (served hot).  A perfect combination on an overcast Lima day when there is a chill in the air, warms you on the inside.
4. Jugo de Naranja–Fresh squeezed orange juice.  They peel the oranges right in front of your eyes using a contraption similar to the Pampered Chef Apple Peeler Corer Slicer (minus the coring part), then about 5 whole oranges are used to make the most refreshing OJ I’ve ever had.
5. Yesterday I paid .10 centimos (about 3.3 cents) to weigh myself on the street–a cautionary measure to make sure that all the aforementioned snacks weren’t taking to heavy a toll on me   I would never weigh myself in public in the US, but for some reason I feel perfectly secure doing it with hundreds of people around in the midst of a public market in Lima.  (and for the inquiring minds out there–I weigh the same that I did when I left the US 3 weeks ago)

Top 5 Extraordinary (read: funny, strange, disturbing, beautiful) Things Seen So Far in Lima

1. The DredMullet–buzzcut on the top and sides, long dredlocks in the back.  Enough said.
2. The nearly naked man–wearing less than a speedo, with a T-shirt on his head, standing on the sidewalk and rubbing his belly as my bus meandered by.
3. The Sarah mural–a spraypainted mural of a woman’s face with enormous penetrating eyes that reminds me of my friend Sarah.  She stares at me when I pass her on my bus ride home and reminds me of art and beauty.
4. Public urination–A lot of men do it, and I gotta say I’m not comfortable with this one.
5. The sunset in San Juan de Lurigancho–a mix of coastal clouds and pollution that makes for a rose-colored glow as the sun drops behind the tall rocky mountains of Lima.  Gorgeous.