good eating- finally

Finally, in the last days of my trip I discovered a good restaurant. Eating in this country has been very hit or miss...mostly miss. It became a running joke with Carmen and me. The food you order here is never what you expect. The Spanish names are unrecognizable and the translations are usually way off. One of our favorite translations was seen in a restaurant yesterday. "Children's Menu" in Spanish was translated to "Menu Childlike". Not quite. The servers are usually of no help as they seem as confused about the menu as you are. The translations are so bizarre that I can't even remember them after I've left the restaurant. Next meal I will bring a pen and paper to write some of them down.

Back to my favorite restaurant...yesterday Carmen and I went there for dinner and today I returned for lunch. I had creamed quinoa with cheese. Quinoa is common here, mostly used in soups. After the quinoa I had a 'Chupe de Camarones', a huge bowl of crayfish stew. It had was piled high with seafood, potatoes, corn, cheese and the most delicious broth. I wish I had brought my camera to take a picture. It was beautiful to look at.

I took my time and ate every last crayfish, despite feeling full about half way through. I just couldn't bear to waste one morsel. It was not only my favorite food I've had in these three weeks in Peru, but possibly the best soup I've ever had.

After retiring from eating I ordered a cappuccino and a side of amaretto, which I drank slowly and with relish. I felt slightly guilty knowing that Carmen was on the volcano eating dehydrated food and probably sore as heck from carrying her tent, food, clothes and water up a mountain. But she seemed truly excited about that journey, so I didn't dwell in the guilt.