India and Peru

Indian chica didn’t think in a million years while setting up the title for her blogs, that she would discover a little bit of India in Peru! I always carry India in my heart wherever I go and maybe a part of me always looks for that connection but this is the first time I knew there was a deeper connection and must have gone hundred times in my head “oooh that’s just like how it is India”.

My first day in Peru and in central Lima, I hear loud thumping Bollywood music. I did think at that point that I just might be hallucinating because I am a big Bollywood junkie. But turns out there was an Indian clothes/music/accessories store right there and right then I knew that Peru and I would be best friends for life. I walk a few blocks down and next to the new Twilight release – Breaking Dawn, I saw the poster for ‘Mi Nombre Es Khan’ or ‘My Name is Khan’ – a Bollywood blockbuster which actually released in 2010. The larger than life Shah Rukh Kan and Kajol (actors of the movie) poster, were staring at me in my face and I am sure my soul came out of my body that split second and did a little summersault!!

As I went from place to place, I could not completely put a finger on what really made me reminisce India so much..maybe it was the smaller things....

Banana chips sold loose in Lima..tasted EXACTLY like the ones in India

 

Indian buffet in the middle of Cuzco..yumm!

 Or it could be the bigger things like the hardworking people, the varying landscapes, the flavorful food, the fact that there is so much history and folklore or the fact that the Incans worshipped the sun and the moon and the whole of Machu Picchu was built by the Incans and was so simiar to Vastu ( Hindu architecture based on the premise of the laws of nature and its affect in our homes). 



Ancient terraces of Machu Picchu





Ancient Temples of India

 But most of all it reminded me of the India I left behind in early 2000s, Peru seems right at the helm of an economic boom…construction sites everywhere especially in Lima. Lima the ‘City of the Kings’, has such a striking resemblance to the city I grew up in and carry in my heart everywhere I go –Bombay or Mumbai. Lima is a bustling city where tall, modern buildings  in places like Miraflores co-exist with the humble neighborhoods. Lima, like Mumbai is by the sea..Lima now a gastronomical capital of South America had little bakeries and eateries everywhere and beautiful restaurants that serve the best cuisine.

A funny comparison is that, Lima has a park by the Pacific Ocean called ‘Love Park’ (actually all of Peru is a love park ;) and oddly enough Mumbai has a similar park with a similar setting called ‘Bandstand’ by the Arabian sea meant mainly for couples. Any Bombayite worth their weight in gold who's reading this, will know exactly what I am talking about.

LIMA

MUMBAI

 

And as I was flew out of Lima, I felt a tug in my heart similar to one I feel when I leave my Mumbai and said a similar prayer for the country and the people! And then said to myself ‘Asta la vista baby and I’ll be back”..yup borderline corny but hey  ‘Corn’ happens to be the staple diet of the Peruvians :)...on that note stay tuned for the next blog on 'The Foods of Peru'!

Beautiful People of Peru!

Dora(the explorer) from Uros islands.Hola amiga!

There are people who come and go in your life, but few have a lasting impression and make your heart smile everytime you think about them. That’s what the people of Peru mean to me..in my 10 days of being dumbfounded by the beautiful sights or eating gluttonously, my experience with the Peruvians or Peruanos is the one which is the most memorable. And that’s the reason my first in the series of blogs on Peru, I would like to dedicate it to the Beautiful People of Peru!



Peru with its amalgamation of different influences which date back over 5000 years, the Incan civilization is the one most known to the outside world. But Peru has had a plethora of pre-Columbian cultures preceding even the Incas by centuries & over time has had influences from European, Asian, African cultures. Maybe thats what makes the present day Peruvians some of the most fascinating, hardworking, warm and honest people that I have ever met.
 

A short video clip where the locals from Uros Floating islands on Lake Titicaca sing 'My Bonnie lies over the ocean' in English (in the video), Quechua and Amartany..and it also sumarizes my sentiments on the people.

Without being too verbose, this is just going to be a picture story and hopefully the eyes and the smile speak to you through the pictures as much as it did to me while I was there.



The Shoestring man swirls with the colors, Arequipa





Brother & Sister strike up a conversation on Taquile Island







Chocolates being sold loose on the streets of Cusco..the Chocolate & the toothy smile- both priceless!

Tia (aunt) catching a snooze in Cusco

Jugo (juice). Ingredients: Freshest fruits + a spoonfull of love & served with the prettiest smiles!

Hardworking & a happy bunch of people who take joy in the simple things

Children off to school on their Boat ride.. I saw an incredible thirst for knowledge amongst the kids.

A localite taking a call out of nowhere up in the Andes...my favorite moment & a true sign of a booming economy...and Amen to that!


And they all lived Happily Ever After!

An Introduction

My mom: So what do you want to be when you grow up? Me: I want to travel the world!! Cut to me now.. all grown up & still holding on to this childhood dream of mine and trying to conquer the world, one country at a time!

I launched this blog with much fanfare amongst my friends before my recent trip to Peru! I was confident I could be one of those cool bloggers, blogging as I travel the country..but turns out I wasn’t as cool because I was too busy having THE adventure of a lifetime!!! and although this is a post-Peru blog, couldn’t help but blog about it and try to fit in some of my experiences into a series of blogs.

So why Peru? People asked me this question before and continue to do so..and I would go errr..too much to tell at times and sometimes I was just short of words. My trip to Peru was one year in the making…it started off as wanting to see Machu Picchu (a wonder of the world), the fascinating story of the Incans, Anthony Bourdain’s take on Peru in ‘No Reservations’, an ancient culture like India’s and also somewhere deep inside me I knew I could do this trip as a solo traveler and would do me some good both emotionally and physically to take on this journey.
I went through an adventure/ tour group - Karikuy and Julio C Tello the founder of Karikuy, customized it to perfection so I could go off the beaten path, take on adventures, travel Peru through road for most parts and my trip would ultimately culminate into the Inca trail (short) and Machu Picchu.

Armed with the biggest spirit, a flutter in the heart, a year’s worth of research and books in my backpack, I embarked on a journey of a lifetime to Peru.

Trust me, no amount of prep or reading or googling or manic workouts (to be fit enough for the Inca trail :) was to prepare this Indian Chica for a mentally stimulating and physically challenging experience in the Land of the Incas ..and all this with - Nooooooooooo Reservations!