Since the batteries on my camera died (DAMN IT!), I'm going to have to focus this post on some more Peruvian Cuisine.Dinner on my first night in Peru was at Pascuale, a popular new restaurant by some famous Chef that is attempting to create Peru's equivalent of fast food. Apparently, his way of doing this is by putting a variety of Peruvian dishes on french bread and calling them sandwiches.Even if the idea is a bit lazy the results are pretty tasty. I chose a Value Meal that included the Lomo Pascuale with Yuca Fritas and an Inca Kola.Inca Kola is the preferred soda of Peru. The only soda in the world that outsells Coca-Cola in any region of the world. Coca-cola realized that they couldn't beat Inca Kola in Peru so they did the next best thing: they bought the Inca Kola company. You can immediately notice that the portion of soda that comes with the meal is mighty small...I'd guess 8-10 oz (way less than a can).Yuca comes from the same family as the potato but is a bit longer and stringier in texture. It's a bit heavy...but it's consistency makes it a far more substantive finger food than the "french fry".The main course, the Lomo Pascuale consists of thinly sliced steak with some cheese, chimi churri sauce, lettuce, tomato, and avocado. It doesn't really taste "Peruvian"...but it's a darn good sandwich. I GUESS it's supposed to be Lomo on bread but Lomo is steak and pretty much every country makes steak, right?

What I learned today: Incas were really crafty with big rocks. Incas were really crafty with gold. Indigenous looking Peruvian women love being photographed…until they realize you’re not going to tip them. Condors are huge. High altitude’s a bitch on your body. Breathing pure oxygen from a tank makes you look cool.

Part of my family's culture is food. There's not too much to do in Lima, but there's plenty of good food to eat! We had our first home cooked almuerzo (lunch) since our arrival. It was a 3 course meal of causa rellena, aji de gallina, and fruit.Causa rellena is made of mashed potatoes, canned tuna, mayonnaise, eggs, and avocado. It's usually an appetizer that's served cold.Aji de gallina literally translates to "Chili Peppers of Hen". It uses a special type of chili pepper that is hard to find outside of Peru. The dish is an interesting mix of shredded hen (this one was actually made of chicken), ground walnuts, the famous peppers, mixed in a tomato (I think they use tomatoes...) based stew.The fruit in Peru is amazing. Mangoes are sweet and creamy. Oranges are juicy. About the only thing I didn't LOVE (but still liked) are the bananas which were a bit too starchy for my tastes (but looked super neat with it's pink pigment).Two of the fruits that I've never come across in the United States are: granadilla and tuna. Granadilla literally translates to "little grenade". It has a hard orange shell exterior which you crack open like an egg to reveal a mucus like center. It has a very sweet, smooth, and slightly citrus flavor. Tuna is very sweet and refreshing...kind of like a large kiwi without the tart.I've got to watch out. All this yummy food's going to make me gain weight!Bye Los Angeles.Causa Rellena & Aji De GallinaFrutas!Tuna & GranadillaEating Granadilla...

I'm leaving for Peru. I'll be there for the next week to celebrate my cousin's wedding and spend a little time traveling with my girlfriend. It's been 8 years since I was last there, so there'll be plenty of catching up to do with the family!If I have readily available internet access, I'll do my best to keep the blog updated. If not, Jerry will do his best to take the reigns of both blogs.Wish me a safe plane flight! :-)

Mista Hippo of the Get Down Crew hooked me and Bruce Banner up with some Press Box tickets at the UCLA Vs. ASU Football game. Great game, even if UCLA lost. It was super nice watching the game amongst the UCLA Elite (Mista Hippo). The best part of the Press Box was the free food. Next time I'll be sure to not put so many onions in the chili!