We wander why magazine - PERU by Shaleen Heinzl

NO.3

WE WANDER WHY

PERU

MEET THE PEOPLE

EXPLORE THE COUNTRY

COOK TRADITIONAL PERUVIAN FOOD

A short escape after Uni, a couple on their sabbatical and deciding against a long worldtrip | p. 7

Follow the footsteps of the Incas | p. 15

It´s time for some world class cuisine and a new signature cocktail | p. 21

WELCOME TO WE WANDER WHY A travel magazine that allows you to easily transport yourself to the countries of South and Central America. Simply. From your sofa.

I READ, I TRAVEL, I BECOME.

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EDITOR´S NOTE Entering Peru was not nearly as pleasant as traveling the rest of the country. Due to a plague of crickets (a combination of locust and cackling louse - can there be a worse combination?) the nightly border crossing became a border experience, one of the negative kind. Once that was done, however, the trip turned out to be very pleasant. One where people tell you beforehand about these places that you “have to go and see”. This is the moment when we usually become skeptical. Yes, many people go there, but isn´t this maybe a good indication not to go? This is certainly not true for the famous Machu Picchu. A place world famous and not always easy to get tickets for (read the column if you want to know more). But, as it turns out, a world heritage that is certainly not overrated. So let us tell you: You have to go and see it, if you can! Of course, Peru has many more beautiful places to offer besides Machu Picchu. So join us - from your sofa, bed or even subway seat - in exploring a country so rich in culture, cuisine and landscape that you will certainly be - as us - amazed in an instant. Welcome to Peru!

Shaleen & Phil

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PHILIP SCHIELE

SHALEEN HEINZL Editor & Writer Most likely due to a strong "Gilmore Girls" influence when I was younger, I wanted to become a journalist for a long time. In the end, I never did and therefore decided to fulfill myself this dream now with creating a magazine series that accompanies our South and Central America trip. With all the interviews, stories and recipes you can find in the magazine, I aim to capture the essence of each country we visit. Happy reading! PERU | 03

Photo & Podcast Mastermind Due to my parents prioritizing that we are doing one great trip each year as a family, I became quite curious about the world around us and addicted to traveling. I always take the camera that I got on my 18th birthday and try to capture the atmosphere of the places I visit. New addition to my luggage is a microphone for recording podcasts about cultural curiosities we come across on our travels. Hope it takes your ears on the trip with us!

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Table of contents 07

THE TRAVELERS Meet someone who left his old life behind and started completely fresh and someone who went on a very personal journey

THE COUNTRY Discover the diversity and marketing power of this rather small Latin American country

THE FOOD Winter is coming! And so are warm dishes and drinks that warm you from the inside.

THE COLUMN When you want to play it safe and everything turns out as a mess

THE PODCAST This time we look into clothing and money. Both reveal a lot about the countrie´s culture.

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THE TRAVELERS WE MET INCREDIBLE PEOPLE WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH ECUADOR WHO SHARED THEIR STORY WITH US

Rosie & Luise

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Gudrun & Klaus

Sol & Murillo

JOBS FILL YOUR POCKETS, BUT ADVENTURE FILLS YOUR SOUL

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Rosie & Luise from England on the road since April 2023 Travel Budget: 6k€ each for four months

What made you two go on this trip? R: I told myself all through uni don’t worry once this is done you can go travel. I remember it was my birthday in January when I decided I want to go to South America. L: For me it was also exactly the right time. I didn’t want to get into what I’m going to do after uni while studying, but I rather wanted the space to really figure it out. At home it got a bit to your head. And Rosie and I didn’t plan it together, we just randomly found out that the other person had the same plan so we decided to do it together.

What´s the essence of Peru for you and what role does culture play here? L: For me it’s just really high and positive energy from the people. In Cusco especially everyone was so proud of Inka culture and food and their country which is really adding to the energy: friendly and PERU | 09

proud. People say you can’t detach Inca, colonial and nowadays people. It’s all connected. R: It’s certainly one of the most friendly people. Yeah especially in Cusco which is such a touristic place they are so excited about their city. People would randomly tell you about flowers. Everyone felt so happy. And it was also quite safe. People would always refer back to their ancestors. Also Outfits sometimes indicate their marital status, like the colors in the hat. It was so great to see how even people younger than us are still inheriting these traditions.

You traveled together before. Did you learn anything new about your friendship on this trip? R: We went to different Unis so we’d only meet during the holidays. If it would be the wrong person it would be so intense to travel Peru, but it never felt intense. So decision making is actually working well. We are not really closer because we were so close before, but what we know now is that we’ll move in together for our first jobs. Also one more great thing is I’m the bottom and Rosie’s the top bunk type which is really great (laughing). L: I feel we’re on the same page with a lot of things which makes it easy. Typically we find that we anyway want to do the same

thing. Compared to before we’re just so relaxed. We’re really on the same page about food which helps so much as you can share everything.

Do you have a favourite Peru moment? R: We were actually discussing this today haha. We both agreed that third day of the Inca trail is one of the top 5 days of the whole trip. It was a chill hike day, the group was very friendly with each other. L: Everything felt right. The views, the weather, the people.

Was there anything in your luggage that you either found super useful or wished you left it at home? L: I wish we aligned a bit more between each other, as we for example both brought a first aid kid. I’m actually glad I brought paper back books. You can swap them in every hostel anyway. So I also brought my kindle but I never even touched it. R: I think I brought so many sporty clothes but I feel they were too many. But then on the other hand I didn’t bring enough pants haha. And when we packed my mum gave me long johns, and I was telling her really mum I don’t need these, but they came in so handy when we were in Bolivia!!

Do you have a book you particularly liked reading here? L: Actually we share them which is so nice. We both got blown away by „One Day“ by David Nicholls. It’s about a romance but really more about people’s life. You feel like you really know the people, very relatable. Sad ending though, to warn you

Any tips you can share for friends traveling together? R: Plan a bit before you go, so you have clarity of what the other person has in mind for the trip. We pre-booked only the Inca trail so had only one date to stick to which was great. Also, don’t stress if someone is I’ll, don’t push them. L: Oh definitely! You can easily forget that you can be sick on a trip and you will get sick very likely. Also, I´d say, allow each other the flexibility to do what they really want to do.

"I've always wanted to make the world a more colorful place"

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Gudrun & Klaus from Germany on the road since July Travel Budget: not a daily one

You are on a Sabbatical. Is work something you have in the back of your mind?

This is not your first long trip. What keeps drawing you away from home?

K: We had a lot of work to do beforehand. And now we have to trust that the others have everything under control. You don't leave the house behind without preparation either. G: I agree, the months before leaving were very exhausting. But we have people who open our mail, the neighborhood kids do the garden and earn something extra that way, at work I did an extensive handover. It's all a matter of organization. But now our heads are free and we can fully enjoy traveling.

K: First of all, it's a very basic curiosity about the world. We always need time to refuel and gather energy for everyday life. G: Absolutely. In addition, traveling helps us above all to gain a new perspective on our everyday lives and to master them with fresh vigor and to enjoy our routines and live at home even more. You quickly realize when you're traveling how beautiful everyday life back home can be, because not every travel day is wonderful (laughs).

How would you describe the essence of Peru? G: Intense and impressive because it is so scenically diverse. The Peruvians are also extremely friendly, benevolent and relaxed. PERU | 11

guides.

Also, I I have always dreamed of traveling to South America. Ever since I was 6 years old and my aunt and uncle brought me a poncho and a pan flute from their trip to South America. K: Compared to the prejudices and warnings that we had to hear from all sides at home, I was super positively surprised and felt very comfortable. We had read and seen a lot but in the end everything was even more intense and better. The only annoying thing were the sometimes somewhat intrusive tour guides.

What advice would you give to people your age who don't really dare to go traveling? K: You could spend the summer vacations here and feel your way around. I would definitely recommend to speak good English and at best a little Spanish. It is also good to have some travel experience. What do I need every day, what do I do when I am sick? It is also important to stay open for new things. This is not Europe, you have to want to experience South America. It is important to know that even without a travel group you are not alone. You always meet like-minded people and travelers who give you a certain security.

G: Especially at our age, you should take your time and really travel through the country at your leisure, especially at high altitudes. Google translator can also be very helpful, so always get a sim card. It is important to be digital. With booking.com and co you are best served here. I would also advise not to compare yourself and to make your trip self-determined. It is important to know your own limits and make it your own journey. The world is full of great things, you could always do more. But that is not the point. One more important thing to remember is that you can always fly back home, cancel the trip or change destinations.

How do you create regular feelgood moments while traveling? G: We really take our time, consciously leave things out. That's why we can really fully enjoy everything we decide to do. And for us, that also includes indulging ourselves now and then, even if it's just with an overpriced jar of Nutella.

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Sol & Murillo from Brazil on the road for 3 weeks Travel Budget: not specified

How would you describe Peru? Murillo: We only went to Cusco and did the Salkantay trek. Talking about the city though, it's an amazing combination of ancestors and cultural heritage and also you learn so much about the colonization history through the churches in all the plazas. The mood of the city is so international with all the hostels and travelers. When it comes to landscape I have never seen a trek where landscape changes so quickly every day: from altitude and rough mountains until you are in the rainforest surrounded by trees. It was truly amazing as we had a taste of everything in just four days. Sol: I agree, Cusco was a city that was a mixture of a lot of culture. I felt that Peruvians here really value their culture, which is different from Brazil. Being in this city was one of the best moments of the trip for me, everyone needs to go to Cusco one day. PERU | 13

The trek was one of the most beautiful, crazy and challenging experiences. Mainly because you have the opportunity to discover landscapes that change every day; also because you can learn about ancient culture. One of my favourites was I being in the rainforest. It was incredible because I felt at home, all this abundance of life and fertility, it is a sacred place where everything grows and everything is astonishing.

Do you have something in your backpack that you are super glad you brought for the 5-day hike or something you forgot? Murillo: I definitely forgot to bring gloves. I had a great pair in Cusco and left it there because I thought I wouldn´t need it. But you definitely need gloves for the Salkantay trek. Sol: I really appreciated my shoes! We bought new hiking shoes, invested in good ones and they really made such a big difference. Also, I am so glad I brought all my period equipment. I am currently menstruating in the middle of the trekking but there is nothing for me to worry about, which is great. Murillo: One thing we really forgot is to bring enough medication. Even for a short trip it's important to bring antibiotics, anti inflammatories and anything for food poisoning (unfortunately).

On shorter trips the itinery is typically fully pre-planned. How do you deal with changes? Murillo: On the first day we arrived in Bolivia they told us we cannot go to Peru due to political protests. So this was the first change. But as we fell sick right away, so it actually worked out fine (laughing). Sol: For me the biggest problem in the beginning was to wake up so early every day. I was not used to that. And the sickness was the most difficult thing for me. Also, on my birthday we cycled Death Road and for me the experience was way too extreme. I needed many days to recover my body after that, so we were forced to slow down. But we will re-visit Peru as we missed some places there. Murillo: In the end, no matter how well you prepare your trip, there will always be a moment where you might need to deviate from your itinerary. It is an integral part of the journey.

Do you have any tips for couples on travelling together? Sol: I think it is important to keep in conversation to resolve any problem. Sometimes I also need a moment to myself to just breathe and recharge. In routine, everyone has their moment, their time. I am a person who, at times, needs time alone, without talking so much (laughs), just breathing, quietly. We women have our moments (laughs), we are cyclical. Murillo on the other hand needs so much more action than I do. For the trip to be enjoyable for both, you need this empathy with the other's moment. The journey is together but sometimes we have different desires. Murillo: I fully agree. At home, we aren't exposed to some situations that cause disagreements between a couple on a trip. Here, we spend 100% of the time together, and you have to be prepared to be patient, manage it, and respect the

other person's moment. I think it's important to talk a lot to resolve each issue, and I think it's important to respect the rhythm of the other person. If we both understand that we are different, we can find a balance.

A couple of years ago, you had the intention to go on a world trip, but now you consciously decided against it. Why? Sol: I always wanted to travel the world. So when we met and Murillo told me about his plans to do the same, I was like, oh wow, even better to do it with you. Murillo: So far the plan... We thought about travelling maybe for one or two years. And then, well, the Pandemic happened. We already had our plane tickets ready for March and it got canceled due to Corona. After living with my parents for some time we rented an apartment for one year, but still we were absolutely sure to embark on the longer trip. We didn´t want our routines to prevent our big adventure. During the pandemic, I started to work (we needed money to survive) and Sol started Uni and we actually both really love what we do. We are so happy with our careers right now. And for now, this three weeks trip showed us that maybe we rather do these small trips because honestly, we started missing home after two weeks already.

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The Country

Peru DON`T TAKE EVERYTHING FOR GRANTED One of the great treasures to be found in traveling to a country far away from home is stilling the hunger of your eyes for novelty. Novelty that comes with different forms, types and colours of landscape. But this novelty can also be spotted in a rather normal environment and from there give you an unexpected insight of the ways the country you travel in works. For example, If you walk down the streets outside the historic center in a city such as Cusco and look carefully to your left, right, and up, you will discover many houses that have front paint, but the sides reveal the

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natural sandstone that colours the city a dominant reddish-brown. When scarcity is present, you learn to make the most of what you have. The simple reason Peruvians only paint the front of their houses is that the neighbour could always add another floor and the exterior paint on the side walls would be wasted. And with that, the first piece of wisdom we can learn from the Peruvians regarding resources: think long-term. If you shift your gaze from the outside in you will notice, especially after sunset, that something else is missing here: pre-installed heaters. To escape the cold, it is still a common practice to equip

the beds with a tower of alpaca wool blankets, under the weight of which one can easily get into extra respiratory distress (since the city is located at the proud height of 3,400m above sea level and the air pressure decreases it is more difficult for the body to absorb oxygen). Nevertheless, the Peruvians use what they have precisely and wisely. A DIFFERENT CAPITAL But Peru's landscape is not only built in altitude. On the coast of the country you will find a desert strip where you can do activities such as sand boarding, sand buggy and bodega tours to suit all tastes. And if you are not into hiking, this is a wonderful region to spend some time sipping on some Pisco which is mainly produced around the city of Ica and functions as the main ingredient for the country's signature cocktail Pisco Sour (see recipe on page 28). In addition, the dessert is a wonderful way for your eyes to get accustomed to fifty shades of brown which you will also be able to witness in the whole country with half-painted or unpainted brick stone houses.

That color code, however, does not apply to the country's capital. Lima, the only capital in Latin America that’s located at the sea instead of the mountains, offers advantages in two ways: you get double the amount of oxygen in your blood compared to let’s say Quito or La Paz which are located in the high Andes and you can go surfing. I shall warn you though, if your mind is now painting a picture of a Caribbean paradise you are well advised to take a big brush and paint over your image with a pigeon tone gray. That's why Peruvians like to call the place lovingly and sarcastically panza de burro, donkey belly, as it’s gray all year long. Before heading to Peru's capital we were advised that it’s a place you only need to stay for one night. We therefore expected to find a city not only loud and dirty but also lacking a good vibe. Lima however managed to leave these

negative expectations unfulfilled. It's a vibrant, modern and diverse city with an international food scene so relevant that here in Lima for the first time ever, a latin American restaurant got voted top of the world (The place is called Central). And if you are hesitant to spend a big amount of money for fine dining, another more affordable adventure to embark on is taking one of the many public buses. All of them come with a driver and another even more important person: someone who’s screaming from inside the bus where it’s going, sometimes dangerously hanging out of the door, connected to the vehicle only by the handle of a holding bar. In itself, however, a small irony because the direction and destination of the bus is always clearly marked on the outside. The experience is then further enriched by funky Latin music and the

sight of gigantic religious murals being placed on vacant spaces in the buses. ANCIENT CULTURE, MODERN AGRICULTURE With a landscape as diverse as Peru´s it makes it one of the few countries that has almost every microclimate in the world, allowing it to be extremely fertile for agriculture. If it weren't for this rugged, sharp-edged obstacle called the Andes which initially made only 6% of the country's land usable for agriculture. How come then that Peru offers the richest diversity of potatoes in the world today? At this point we once again encounter the ingenuity of the Inca, who invented the agricultural terraces to counter this problem. While today these usually prove to be great and impressive photo backgrounds for tourists, back then they were an invention that one could easily call a scientific advancement. The Incas

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were able to create different solar radiation and wind conditions at each terrace level and were thus able to grow products at altitudes that could never grow there under other circumstances. I don't know about you, but isn't that a bit of a mindblow? So there's a tribe living at extreme altitudes, in extreme weather conditions, and yet they manage to feed a huge population and take over a vast swathe of land in no time at all. And because they knew that they had to cover a lot of ground to expand their empire, every village along the way had installed guest houses, so the travelers could eat and sleep. The ancient birthplace of hostels so to say.

To understand the true nature of Peruvian hospitality you can take a look at Arequipa, the white city whose structures were built mainly of volcanic Sillar stone. Arequipa is a former traveler and merchant stop and its name is simply translated to “yes you can stay”. And people had a good reason to stay: Its a place where the sky is painted bright blue basically every day of the year and the warmth of the sun makes you feel just content. And the only reason the place is the size it is today and still many foreigners get drawn to live in when moving to Peru is because of the hospitality of the indigenous who lived here first. We also experienced this warmth and openness from the locals who would engage with you in everyday situations. Waiting for the bus and asking you where you are from, smiling at you from afar, making you feel less like a stranger, which by the looks, you definitely are.

A STRONG CONNECTION TO MOTHER EARTH Once you dig a bit deeper, you will quickly realize that the Incan´s connectedness to nature manifests itself in much more than agricultural genius. Every August they celebrate nature and all it provides. With these celebrations come various ceremonies through which people thank pachamama, mother earth, for all they received from her. It is a giving back moment; giving back to nature which has given you so many treasures during the year. This is when people embark into the mountains, walking, collecting stones in various sizes along the way until they reach the top where they conduct their gratitude ceremony. A custom started by the Incas that is still very important to almost every Peruvian today. There are different forms of the ceremony, but it always involves dried coca leaves, the Andean answer to altitude sickness. In some modernized and more extreme variants the practice can also involve beer or other spirits, as “mother nature loves alcohol” they say. There is a lot to learn from ancient cultures and the Inca culture is a wonderful teacher about how we can reconnect with pachamama. Whilst most of us tend to drown in their daily hustles,

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we almost forgot how it feels like to just be a quiet observer of mother nature. How she shapes, creates and develops the world around us. “In a world like ours, a culture like the Inka could never evolve”, one of our guides told us. “Take for example their houses. They were kept quite simple, because the Inca spend all their day outside”, he said, pointing to the vast Andean mountains around us. “Today, as we’re at home so much we put an extraordinarily high effort into house equipment” So whilst we are mastering the specialization on the inside mainly through modern technology, the Incan´s specialized on how to utilize the outside world without any modern technology at all. The golden age of the Inca was only a short 200 years long. Between 1400 - 1600

they managed to occupy a stretch of land in the Andes that spanned over 5000 kilometres from north to south. They chose to settle in a landscape characterized by difficulties: high altitude with low oxygen levels, rugged mountains that offer little agricultural land, extreme temperatures and high solar exposure. The Inca have learned to live despite these very conditions in harmony with the Andes; to use them to their advantage. In a time far before Wikipedia and virtually without access to literature, they had to rely on their sense of observation to develop an understanding of how nature works. And that task takes time. Time that we often choose to spend on other things, like scrolling through social media or heading out to the next shopping haul. This made me think if the lack of technology and the constant access to information at any time of

the day can be considered a rich advantage? A circumstance that forces you to connect with the outside world to gain knowledge and appreciate mother earth and nature, which today we all too often take for granted. Because when you sit quietly in nature and allow yourself to marvel at its beauties with attention, at some point you can't help but start thinking about how we can find a better way to move in it, with it in a sustainable way. After all, the trees, mountains, rocks and meadows that surround us were here before us. We decided to intervene in the picture and rearrange the components. Did you ever ask yourself how light and shadow fall on the same spot, depending on the day and season? How does the wind behave in the place where I want to grow my food? What is the nature of the soil on which I want to PERU | 18

build my house? Where can I find a cool, dark place to store food for a long time? These are all questions that can't be answered in a hurry, they require "fully engaging with the environment." So the true question is, how can we start to incorporate these magical observations (even at a smaller scale) into our everyday lives today? Maybe one way to start is by being more present and aware about nature. „Remember”, our guide on a multi-day-hike told us, “you are here today and back home faster than you think. So enjoy your day, enjoy being here, look at how nature shaped the world you see right around you today. It might change or vanish faster than you think”. ON THE EDGE TO SUPERSTITION And while many of the approaches in the Inca faith are incredibly impressive and still highly relevant today, there are also parts where they take their thinking a bit too far. Take for example chinca, the god of hail and thunder (the Inkas actually believed also every mountain to be a god). When chinca killed a person by a lightning strike, it was understood as an offering that will result in future blessings for the people. If the person survived the lightning strike, it was considered a sign of holiness. He or she therefore PERU | 19

was appointed to be a shaman. We encountered another example on the rather extreme end of the scale when visiting Arequipa. In a museum called Santuarios Andinos that you can only visit with a guided tour, you will be advised right at the beginning that it is not permitted to take any pictures or videos. For good reason. In this must visit museum you will meet Juanita, a frozen 12 year old Inca girl who was sacrificed to the gods in the 1450s. Her corpse was discovered on top of Ampato Mountain in 1995 and so well preserved due to the cold in which it was buried that one could even draw specific conclusions about her last meal. However, this find was not an isolated case. Rather, it was a widespread, sacred custom in which a child, appointed right after he or she was born, knowing that her short life was destined to become a holy sacrifice for the gods.

In a big ceremony on top of the mountain the child was drugged and sent off to the spiritual world, accompanied by gifts such as little bronze llamas, coca leaves, a great last meal in their stomach and miniature kitchen equipment which should be used in the “other world”. A custom - performed every 47 years or when there were natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, drought or floods in the empire - so bizarre, yet carefully considered and whose continuation, thanks to a change in philosophy, was not carried on like coca leaf ceremonies. These extreme examples aside, I can't help but wonder what we can take from this body of thought for our western spirituality. Looking at nature from a more integrated, humble perspective and sharing sorrows, fears and problems with a shaman or nature god - may it be the wind or the mountains - instead of

always turning to your own inner wisdom and higher self appears to be a less self centric approach to salvation. MEANS OF COMMUNICATION Whilst Peruvians and the tourism sector is taking a great pride in the Inca Culture, there is one part of it that strongly formed the culture but is endangered today: Quechua, the language spoken by South American indigenous people of the central Andes. Although the language got recognized as the second official language in 1975 Peru, the presence and importance of language is more and more on the decline. This is partially, because Quechua is mainly a spoken language, there is almost no written content of it available. The ways of communication were strongly determined by symbolism. When you look at the fabrics they used, all of them are based on geometrical forms. And they all have meanings, they tell a story. Can represent for example a specific mountain that is close to where a fabric is produced. It’s basically a whole language, a symbolic one. And this language is a major historical proof for the Inca culture itself. In addition, the language is linked to a “being stuck in the past”-mindset that Peru would prefer to escape from.

Probably the most important reason for Quechua becoming more and more unpopular is the strong power of Spanish. Without it, it is almost impossible to participate in the economy. So instead of people being urged to learn Quechua, many indigenous are urged to learn Spanish. There is a slight shift happening today, as more and more people realize that losing Quechua equals losing part of their indigenous culture, which is why many try to push the language more to the forefront, offering classes in school, hosting book fairs or radio shows in Quechua, just to name a few. We were lucky enough to witness quite some people speaking the language though, and all of them did so with an extra breeze of pride. When the Spaniards reached Peru, the balance of power was still different.

So it was up to them to find a way to talk to the indigenous peoples, to convince them of their Catholic views on the world. Since no linguistic agreement had yet been reached, the Spaniards used figurative language. In the churches, which they built so incredibly numerous - often on top of Inca temples - and decorated with large paintings inside, guinea pigs were suddenly found on the plates of the holy communion table. Numerous Inca symbols were incorporated into the decorations on the outer walls. A rather creative way to communicate but one that still reminds you today that to reach consensus you have to learn to speak the other person's language, may it only be on a symbolic level. PERU | 20

The Food LET´S TALK FUSION

kitchen In Europe Fusion cuisine is a trend. In Peru, its a long lived reality and rooted in the countries diverse history. The world class food you will find in Peru combines the influence of four continents: Africa, Asia, Europe and - of course - Latin America. If that isn´t a high-score! But Peru has one more of these to offer: In 2023 Restaurant Central was the first ever South American eatery to earn the title of The World’s Best Restaurant! Also, with over 1,000 types of potatos Peru offers the greatest variety worldwide. That makes the potato in plenty varieties the most famous side in the whole country. Other ancient staple foods include corn, legumes and quinoa. The latter one is often found in form of Quinoa Soup. So when the Spanish conquered Peru, they brought new culinary techniques and ingredients,

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such as olives, grapes, dairy products, beef, chicken, and rice. On the other hand, they took the potatoes back to Europe which makes them the world´s most famous Inka contribution. Although Africans came to Peru as slaves they are responsible for tow famous dishes of today: Anticucho (beef heart skewers) and Taku Taku (a mix of rice and beans that is fried and served with steak or eggs).

A unique national soda But there is also a famous soda story to tell. Peru is the first and only country where Coca Cola was not able to conquer the market that easily. Why? Because the Peruvians were faster and had already introduced Inka cola which can be purchased in any place, no matter how small. A neon yellow soda whose flavor is mainly determined by the Andean plant lemon verbena. It can also taste like a too sweet bubble gum, but this is a foreigner describing the flavor. The success of the drink is mainly due to the countries pride and connection with the Inca culture The celebrity Chef Hajime Kasuga even goes as far a saying that “Inka Cola runs through the veins of Peruvian babies”

Chifa One of the most famous fusion cuisine is Chinese-Peruvian which is served in restaurants all over the country in so-called Chifas. The restaurants started popping up in the 1920s in Lima, after Chinese immigrants were incentivised to come to Peru as farm or mine workers. The Chinese brought ingredients like Soy Sauce and Ginger and established one of the most famous dishes of Peru today: Lomo Saltado - the jumping beef, as it was prepared in a Wok. It ´ s a stir fry served with fries and rice.

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Rocoto Relleno

Main dish INGREDIENTS 8 LARGE RED ROCOTO PEPPERS 12 CUPS WATER 3 TEASPOONS SALT 3 TABLESPOONS SUGAR 3 MEDIUM CLOVES 3 BAY LEAVES

FOR THE FILLING 200 G. (VEGGIE) GROUND BEEF 1 ONION, 1 CLOVE GARLIC 1 TEASPOON CUMIN POWDER 1 TEASPOON PAPRIKA 50 G. GROUND PEANUTS 1/4 CUP BLACK OLIVES SEEDED 50 G. RAISIN 1 MEDIUM BOILED EGG 4 SLICES FRESH CHEESE SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

FOR THE SOUCE 1 MEDIUM EGG 1/2 CUP UNSWEETENED CONDENSE MILK SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE PERU | 23

Step-by-step 1. Wear a pair of gloves and goggles – fresh rocoto peppers are very spicy. Place the peppers, one by one, on the cutting board, and with a sharp knife, remove the top of the pepper and the seeds and veins. Rinse under running water and set aside. 2. Put four cups of water in a medium saucepan on high heat. When it starts to boil, add a tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoon of salt, the clove and bay leafs, and a tablespoon of vinegar. Place the rocotos in the pot, cook for three minutes. Turn off the stove, drain the water, and drain. Repeat this procedure two more times to reduce the spiciness level. 3. Preheat the oven to 150°C 4. In a pan add three tablespoons of oil, when it is very hot, add the finely chopped onion and crushed garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion turns transparent. 5. Then add the ground beef, stirring little by little until the meat loses its deep pink color. Add the cumin, paprika, raisins, and ground peanuts. Stir and turn off the stove. 6. Arrange the rocotos inside a baking tray, and with the help of a spoon fill half the pepper with meat stew. Add olive and a piece of hard-boiled egg. Complete the filling with meat. Press with the spoon so that there is no air or spaces without filling inside the pepper. Finally, cover with a piece of fresh cheese, and close with its “lid”. 7. In a bowl, beat the egg with the milk and a pinch of salt. Pour this mixture over the rocotos. And take them to the oven. Cook them for 10 to 15 minutes. 8. Serve with your choice of potatoes. Either mashed or - more Peruvian option - potato gratin.

SERVING

TIME

65 MINS

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Suspiro Limeño

Dessert

INGREDIENTS 1 CAN SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK 1 CAN UNSWEETENED CONDENSED MILK 2 EGG YOLKS 1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT

FOR THE MERINGUE 2 EGG WHITES 1/2 TEASPOON GROUND CINNAMON 1/2 CUP SUGAR 2 TABLESPOONS PORT WINE

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Step-by-step 1. Place the egg yolks in a small bowl. 2. Place the evaporated and sweetened condensed milks into a large, shallow pan. Boil over low heat for 10 minutes. 3. Turn off the heat and take ¼ cup of the mixture; with one hand whisk the egg yolks constantly, with the other hand pour in the ¼ cup of manjar mixture, a little bit at a time. 4. Pour the manjar/egg yolk mixture into the manjar in the pan and add the vanilla extract. Mix well and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. 5. Transfer to individual cups, filling only half way. 6. In a small pan, over low heat, boil sugar and Port for 3 minutes. Set aside. 7. Add egg whites to a clean bowl. 8. Whip egg whites with an electric mixer until fluffy. 9. With the mixer still on, pour in the Port syrup slowly. Beat until thick and glossy. 10. Fill a piping bag with the meringue and pipe over the manjar. 11. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon

SERVING

TIME

45 MINS

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Pisco Sour

cocktail

INGREDIENTS 9 CL PISCO 4 SUGAR SYRUP 6 CL FRESHLY PRESSED (KEY) LIME JUICE 1 EGGWHITE 2 TO 3 DASHES ANGOSTURA BITTERS ICE CUBES

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Step-by-step 1. Gather the ingredients. 2. Add the pisco, sugar syrup, lime juice, and egg white to a cocktail shaker. 3. Add ice to fill, and shake vigorously. Alternatively, you can use a blender if you don't have a shaker. 4. Strain (really really important for this drink!) into an old-fashioned glass or sour glass. 5. Sprinkle the bitters on top of the foam.

Serve immediately and enjoy.

SERVING

TIME

5-10 MINS

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Column

holiday season Although Instagram might lead you to believe otherwise, there are always fuck-up moments on a long trip. The moments where you pray that you don´t die, when you are in rage against yourself (or your travel partner) or simply ready to cry or laugh out loud. Read one of these stories every month here.

There is one thing that I really love to do the most, especially at night: sleep. Involuntarily, this habit had to be changed in Peru to: hiking. To be able to marvel at all the beautiful sunrises (have people ever heard of sunsets?), or to arrive at camp in time for the night (a clear indication that the hiking stage is too long). But apparently most people are absolutely fine with that. When hiking with a group, whether you are fine with it or not is irrelevant, you simply have no choice. Our night time excursions were taken to a new level when we reached the touristy but cute town of Aguas Calientes, or "Machu Picchu Town". For in this sacred place, all travelers who find advance booking too German have one last chance to snag tickets to what is arguably one of the most famous attractions in PERU | 29

the world: Machu Picchu. 1,000 tickets, hot off the press, every morning. And usually it's no big deal to get your hands on one of these coveted pieces of paper. Normally. The story takes a very different turn in the last two weeks of July. That's our free - you're welcome - advice to anyone traveling to Peru during this time who, like us, doesn't do explicit holiday research before departure. The last two weeks of July are important travel weeks, especially for Peruvians. After all, Peru became an independent country on July 28, 1821. However, if you decide to travel to Machu Picchu in the period without pre-booked tickets, your day could go something like this: The alarm clock rings at 3am. Briefly boil water to down an instant coffee to somehow get

get into a vertical position. As soon as you leave your accommodation, you meet the first queue of people. These are people who have been standing here since 3 o'clock. So you get in line relatively far back. At 4 o'clock, the action picks up: All the people from the line are cited to the marketplace by the local police. And there's a good reason for that. Now all the people who - important additional information - had already registered with a copy of their ID at the police station the day before are sorted into groups of no more than 40 people. On a first come first serve basis, group 1 to group 25. So, depending on when you were at the station the day before, you will eventually hear a policeman calling your name out loud and trying to pronounce it halfway correctly if you are

Column European. So, pay attention and listen carefully! Now you may queue up again, but this time at your predetermined place in the queue! It is now 6:30 o'clock, meanwhile the sun has risen (before you have frozen your butt off for two hours) and the real waiting begins. Yes, right. This is also the time when the first guests WITH tickets already enter the gates to Machu Picchu. If you are in group 21, as we are, what happens now is that you wait for about another 3.5 hours. During this time you can get a good coffee and breakfast, because the stores in town are now open. You can also make new friends, after all you spend a lot of time with the other people waiting behind and in front of you. Another way to pass the time would be to

give free rein to all your negatively pent-up emotions. You can cry, scowl, and curse in your own language. Anything your heart desires. At about 9 o'clock it gets exciting again. Behind you, a large Peruvian family was waiting in line, and all of a sudden they disappeared. Don't they want to go to the Inca site after all? What happened? Don't worry, this is another opportunity to get angry, because this family bribed a policeman in the time you were sipping your well-deserved cappuccino and is already busy taking selfies in front of the most famous Inca site in the world. A privilege that is not granted to you as a gringo.

meters away from the entrance to the ticket office. In front of you is a flat screen that shows you the decreasing number of tickets still available every second. But no, you don't give up now. You firmly believe that you can still get a ticket for Circuit 1 or 2. At 10:45 a.m. you feel more royal than ever before, holding the ticket for 1 p.m. in your hand. Now only 12€ for a bus ticket or 1,000 steps on foot separate you from the site. A ray of hope at the end. At the top you will be overwhelmed. This place, for whose entrance ticket you have queued longer than for the new release of a Harry Potter volume, is worth every minute of waiting.

At 10:30 a.m., things get really serious: your ticket is within reach, you are only a few

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The Podcast

EPISODE #8: Why did the Incas choose to live in such high altitudes? In Peru we go in touch with the Inca culture and were blown away by their intelligence and creative problem solving skills. However most of their cities were built in 3-4 thousand meter altitude which made breathing quite difficult for us and meant a lot of other problems for them in terms of food, shelter and construction. So in this episode we wander why the Incas actively choose to live in such high altitudes.

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OH THE PLACES YOU´LL GO

NO.3

WE WANDER WHY