Steady there, Tom...steady...

As promised, I must mention the amazing ceviche experience first, although that is not the meat and potatoes of this post. As Lima is coastal, they are quite known for their seafood and, more specifically, their ceviche. For those of you who may not be familiar with ceviche, in short, it is seafood cooked without heat using the acid from citrus and served cold. So, per the recommendation of our host, we headed toward La Red in Miraflores for lunch. As it was Mother´s Day (which here is apparently even bigger than in the US), we were told to arrive early. Our waiter greeted us with a smile and immediately began with his recommendations. I love it already. Let´s face it...he knows the food much better than I do and he knows what is the freshest. He says, "Get three plates and share them between the three of you." (Sebastian was with us.) Dandy...I like a variety. Waiter, make it happen. He chose three things and what played out next was a three-part symphony of flavors that contrasted elegantly, piggy-backed off one another, and sang like a masterpiece. First course...grilled pulpo, or octopus, served over causas which I would describe as a seasoned potato cake type thing. It had the charred flavor of the grill matched to a splash of citrus and just a little bit of spice. Excellent. Second course...the cebiche mixt, a variety of ceviche style fish, squid, octopus, shrimp, and a couple shell fish served with shaved red onion and a little bit of red chili. Best ceviche I have ever had, hands down. Third course...relleno de camarones, a baked red chili stuffed with shrimp, a spicy red sauce, and served over potato and cheese. The bomb...enough said. I mean, this meal was on point, and delivered in perfect sequence...hot, cold, hot...a touch of spice, a little more spicy, and finally muy picante. All washed down with a cold Peruvian beer. Hungry? Yeah, I thought so. Somehow I managed a huge plate of chicharonnes (grilled pork with crispy fatty edges) with potato and rice two hours at an open market. What? It smelled incredible and tasted even better.

We departed our hostel in Miraflores at 3AM this morning (you heard me right) to catch our flight to Cusco and made it here by about 7 or so. The hostel is fantastic and we actually scored a private room for the same price as a dorm as a result of them shifting some people around that were in larger groups think. The first thing we are served is some Coca leaf tea to help prevent altitude sickness. After all, Cusco sits just a bit above 10,000 feet. Although we were tired from travelling, it didn´t seem to be affecting us too much other than being prematurely winded from rather short uphill walks in town. "This isn´t going to be as bad as we thought", I think to myself. Well, famous last words, folks. We are walking down a side street when we stumble across a three-course prix fixe lunch that includes a delicous white broth soup, a meat dish with rice and potatoes, a strange local dessert that tastes like a room-temperature gelatinous form of Inca Kola (no, not my favorite), and a beverage. All of this was 4 soles per person. That´s about $2.60...incredible. And we were the only tourists in there...this is the type of trip I was expecting. Ok, soup is in my stomach and I feel great. The meat plate arrives and looks delicious and...wait a minute...I feel a little funny. Is it hot in here? No? Then why am I sweating like a marathon runner? And man am I freezing. Uh oh, I hope there is a toilet in this place. I am not sure what I am going to need it for, but I think I am going to need it. In the corner? Good, they have one. Maybe I should head that direction...if I could walk. I think my peripheral vision is starting to go...and the sounds in the room are a little fuzzy now. Keep it together, Keller. This could get very embarrassing.

Long story short, I did not lose consciousness (and I did not need the toilet), but that, ladies and gentlement, is what mild high altitude sickness feels like, I do believe. I swear, I thought I was going to be face down in that delicious plate of food, kernels of corn up my nose and potatoes in my eyes. I recovered in time for dessert and I have been fine the rest of the day, but I hope that I do not face that again.