LookFlowers!

Life has been cruising by in the city of Miraflores (literal translation – Lookflowers, hence the witty title).  Here’s a bit more info about atypical Peruvian life to keep you occupied during the lull.

Living on the 18^th floor certainly has its perks.  The view is great, you’re away from a lot of the street noise, and there’s a nice breeze that comes in.  It seems wonderful until the power goes out.  And the power goes out rather frequently (it’s out right now as I’m typing this).  The best part is that the power usually goes out for around 6 hours!  And did I mention the plumbing doesn’t work either??  Yep, so if you want to enter or exit the apartment while the power is off, you have to brave 18 flights of stairs, and you can’t use the bathroom at that time either, unless you choose to venture across town in search of a golden opportunity elsewhere.

I know I mentioned food before in previous post, but WOW is it good here.  I had some of the best sushi I’ve ever had the other night (and yes, constant reader, you know I’ve been to Japan).  If you’ve ever had sushi with me then you know I’m all about the fancy rolls, and they certainly have them here.  There’s this fruit I’ve become fond of down here also.  I think they call it “granadilla”, but I just call it weird fruit.  It’s related to the maracuya (passion fruit), but it’s got these weird tentacle-looking things on the inside

Fiesta Casino!  My home away from home away from home.  Just a short ten minute walk from the apartment, it’s hard to find an excuse NOT to go.  You can usually find a blackjack table where the minimum bet is just over $2, making it a more economical casino than most I’ve found in Vegas.  Some nights I’m up, some nights I’m down, but it’s all about the fun of the game.  Overall I’m a little up, but I’ve had fun and gambled responsibly (if there is such a thing), so I’m a happy camper.

During our time here we’ve been fortunate enough to visit many local companies as well as the American Embassy.  For each of these days we have to dress in business attire (suit, tie, you get the picture).  In my attempt at adding my own flair, I’ve taken up using unconventional knots on my ties, including the infinity, the cape, and the eldridge (which I’ve posted below for your viewing pleasure, although I’m not sure how well you’ll be able to notice the difference in the low-res photo).

And I’m still searching for that tonic…