Rocoto Peppers are NOT Bell Peppers

The title of this post has a funny story behind it which I will get to later. I woke up early this morning to give myself plenty of time to get to the airport. Ubers have been pretty hit or miss and I didn’t want to risk it. Got to the airport and found one of the only places open to eat: a Guy Fieri burger joint. I slept for most of the plane ride, but woke up just as we were descending and got to see mountains out of the window.

Upon landing in Lima, I saw so many backpackers and fellow travelers. No doubt, the majority of them are here to do the 3-4 day backpacking trip to Machu Picchu. Unfortunately, I did not prep enough ahead of time for a permit and gear to do the hike, and will have to get to the Incan city by bus or train, but then again, more to try next time. One of first things I noticed on the ground was similar traffic jams as Bogota, but much less honking? Not sure why, but surly a relief. It also helped that the driver was blasting Chainsmokers the whole ride to the Airbnb. It is also funny that, although Uber recommends a route to efficiently get to a destination, these routes are only a suggestion here. Drivers know that traffic patters and random obstacles will require sudden turns onto side roads or random changes in direction to actually speed up the travel time.

The apartment I am staying in is on the 18th floor of a very modern building in the Barranco neighborhood of Lima. The apartment itself is hosted by Raul and his boyfriend Antonio. The space is beautifully decorated, smells like incense and oils, and is spotless. Raul requests that guests remove their shoes when inside the apartment as well (Just like Indian households – felt like home). The overall vibe is very tranquil and relaxing.

The kitchen is very well stocked and the patio was perfect to have some tea and read for a bit. The weather is also cold! And I am thrilled about it. Got to wear sweatpants again after what feels like forever. It is crazy that both Lima and Cartagena are both coastal cities, yet each has vastly different climates. Raul and Antonio gave me some recommendations for where to eat and also helped talk me through some future plans for Cusco and Machu Picchu.

I did a pretty decent-sized grocery run and cooked a large meal for dinner. This is where things took a bit of an unfavorable turn. I was prepping my normal veggies and chicken with some basic spices that they had. None of the spices I used, according to their labels at least, had any actual kick to them. So I found it kind of weird when my lips and nose were burning a bit. I tried washing my hands a bunch and for a second, I even thought it was the soap causing the irritation. I continued cooking and finally sat down to eat. I was a little upset and thoroughly confused when the food was actually pretty spicy (but not yet intolerable). I managed to eat most of it before biting into a piece of bell pepper. Immediately, a wave of spice overcame me and I started sweating. The best part was, at this moment, I thought that this piece of veggie must have just had a large amount of mysterious spicy seasoning on it. Finally, after taking another bite of a different “bell pepper,” I realized the extent of my stupidity. The peppers I was eating were indeed NOT bell peppers, but Rocoto peppers which actually are known to pack quite a punch after doing some research. You live and you learn. However, looking at the pic below, they do look quite similar.

Regardless of how the food turned out, the views were stunning as the city lights began to pop on. Additionally, most people know me as the organized clean-freak back home. But here, I even felt like I needed to be extra cautious of cleaning each spec or crumb just because of how tidy everything was. By all means though, I am not complaining. While I was cooking, another guest staying in the apartment came home from work and offered me some Pisco, which is a very sweet drink. Monica is from Colombia and is working here in Peru until December. The more I hung out with everyone, the more I saw that I had joined a small little family. Everyone laughed, made jokes, and I pretended to fully understand the punchlines. I definitely feel like the new guy, but everyone is very welcoming.

Apparently there is also a gym in the apartment building. When I heard this, I reflected on the times I hiked 2km to the run-down gym in Santa Marta and just smiled at the comparison. So much has happened these last few weeks, and each place has had its own unique value in both beauty and challenges.