Cow heart, baby!

So after recovering from the smoke inhalation resulting from the cab ride from Lima, we decided to head out for some dinner with newfound friends from the hostel (Austrian and Dutch). It all started with a walk and an ultimate destination of a cafe (Cafe Cafe, I believe it was aptly called) that overlooked the Pacific Ocean (about a 40 minute walk from the hostel). Sebastian (our Austrian friend) and I stopped to pick up a local beer (Cristal...no, not the kind from the 50 cent video) for the walk. What, you expected me to walk more than 10 minutes on vacation without a drink? Please. Somewhere along the way, we decided that that was too far to walk for dinner and veered down a pedestrian street. If any of my NY readers have ever walked down the street in the East Village called Little India by some (I think it is 6th b/t 1st and 2nd), then you know how all the restaurant hosts basically try to kidnap you into their restaurant with bribes of free wine. Well, this street was one of those...times ten. I was pretty sure one of the hosts was going to slap a black cloth hood over my head and drag me in. We were finally swayed by an offer of free beer with dinner (hey, the one in my hand from the walk was almost empty!) , and we sat and ordered...and continued to sit...and sat some more. This place was clearly not known for its rapid service, but it wasn´t too long before the plate transporting two skewers of freshly grilled cow heart landed in front of me. Apparently it is a pretty popular dish here, and as soon as Pedro and Christian, the owners of our hostel, told me about it, I went running. I had to have it. Was it great? Honestly, no, but it was good...and as you might guess, lean as can be. I mean, the flavor was pleasant, but it was not the most tender piece of meat I have ever eaten. Then again, if you are expecting the muscle that is charged with the task of supplying a 1000 pound beast with its most vital fluid, you would be mistaken. Would I order it again? Probably not. Would I recommend you try it for the sake of saying that you too have have dined on bovine cardio-kebab? Absolutely. And did it make me strong like bull? Damn right.