Getting Settled In

For those of you who know me well, a two month adventure like the one I am just beginning is about planning in general and dealing with the details once we get going. So my first day in Peru was about the details and settling in.

After a wonderful night's sleep that never once required me to pull a comforter to my chin or shiver as a burst of cold air hit my body when taking the covers off, we had a slow start to the day.  We relaxed and had breakfast. Amybeth had to go to her cafe (Marbella Café). Julie and I ran errands. My primary errand was to get a local phone service.  

<Warning: The yellow paragraphs relate a horror story of cell phone incompetence.  Jump down to the non-highlighted paragraphs to continue uninterrupted.>

Julie had found a special for tourists with Entel. I brought my old iPhone 5 with me. So this was supposed to be easy. Needless to say as with any mobile phone service provider there were limitations.  The tourist offer was only for 15 days which I could have renewed every two weeks but it would have almost cost a flight to the US.  Finally just picked up a pay-as-you-go chip for less than $3.  

The first complication I discovered was when my phone proved to be still blocked by Sprint even though I paid for it to be unlocked 3 years ago. Luckily Julie knew where to take me to get it unblocked. YAY! Service! but no.

The second complication was that my phone had sat in a drawer for two years and had not been updated. OMG! I forgot how slow an iPhone 5 can be. I needed a more recent iOS to download the App to add money to my pay-as-you-go phone. It took almost 8 hours for the phone to update the operating system from 8.1 to 10.2.1.  I downloaded the Entel App and WOO HOO! Service! but no.

The third complication was that the app would only accept Visa for payment but would not accept my Visa. UGH! So the next step was to go to a Pharmacy or Store to get them to add money to my phone. It was too late to do it last evening.  So, this morning I went to the cafe with Amybeth, and found a Pharmacy that could add money to my phone.  YES! Service! I now have a working Peruvian phone number.  

I also wanted to pick up a fan for the my bedroom.  There is no air conditioning, and some air moving around the room is perfect for this type of weather.  Julie had her errands to run as well including changing money, going to an architect's office, and meeting with a notario. After the initial set of errands, Julie and I went for lunch.  We went to Alfresco, a restaurant serving delicious ceviches and tiraditos. (Ceviches and tiraditos are very similar both being fish/seafood cut thin or small and served in a citrus/acidic sauce to "cook" the fish though ceviches have an abundance of onion in their sauce.)  We started out with a delicious grilled octopus (pulpo - pictured below). We each had tiradito Julie's with a more traditional citrus base and mine with a spicy ají pepper sauce. Both were served with a "camote glaseado" (a candied sweet potato that tasted like a delicious candy" and "choclo" (a large kernel white corn).  

After doing another set of errands including freeing my phone from the bonds of its former US carrier, Julie had to meet with a notario.  I went to relax and have a "pancake" or crepe at a place Julie has raved about since my first visit to Lima, Palachinke.  I ordered a pancake with Nutella, strawberries, and vanilla ice cream. I was expecting something the size of a 45 record. What I got was a crepe the of standard beer tray, slathered in nutella, covered in some of the reddest strawberries I have ever seen, and topped with three huge scoops of ice cream. The mesero (waiter) proceeded to fold the crepe and its delectable contents like a burrito. It was like two of Chipotle burritos.  When I took my first bite I was delighted by the wonderful smooth texture of the crepe and the coolness of the ice cream with the always enchanting chocolate hazelnut flavor of nutella and a burst of tangy sweetness from the strawberries. There was no way I would be able to finish the whole thing.  Julie arrived about when I was halfway done. Being on a gluten free diet, she could not help me. Alas I had to leave about a third of it on the plate.  

Almost to bursting we completed our errands including getting my fan and some necessary grocery shopping. Once we got home I worked to get my phone going and Julie napped. When Amybeth got we had a nice relaxing evening cooking, talking, and catching up.

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As I am writing this, I am thinking about how I can best keep up the journal without the excruciating detail I seem to have started with these first couple of posts.  I will think about how to keep these shorter.  Suggestions are welcome.  

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