Discover Peru
WITH ZIMMIN AROUND THE WORLD.
My Favorite and Most Surprising Beer Destinations
I would be lying if I said beer does not have any impact on my travels. Before I venture out to a new destination, I always check my Untappd app and do research on potential breweries and taprooms where I’ll be staying. I love finding places in town and trying local brews. When Jill and I travel, we are out all day on our feet walking 40,000 steps give or take. To break things up or at the end of the day we always find ourselves at a brewery and honestly it is usually a highlight of my day. There is something about the atmosphere of breweries/taprooms, the people there, and the excitement of trying new beers. Usually, if we walk by a local brewery we stop, it gives us a breather, chance to use the restroom and further plan the day, win-win for everybody!!! After visiting 32 countries and sampling beer from around the world, I found that beer styles and tastes are different from country to country, heck it’s different from state to state even town to town. There are some countries I go to mainly for the beer while other countries I might try a few brews just to log them into Untappd. On the other hand, some countries have completely blown me away with their beer scene. Let’s talk beer! I’ll rant on a bit of the little knowledge I have on beer and then share some of my favorite beer destinations! Beer has been brewed and enjoyed for thousands of years, there is even written history about it from the Ancient Egyptians (I wonder what their beer tasted like). Even before written records, archaeologists have found sites from Mesopotamia over 10,000 years old where they have found pieces of barley and bowls with fermented yeast and grains. Fast forward a bit and beer made its way all over Europe. As water was filthy during these periods, people resorted to drinking beer instead. Around the Middle Ages, beer became more then just a fermented drink. People began experimenting with this drink to offset the bitterness. They would add natural ingredients and spices to the brewing process to produce a more enjoyable drink. I read that around the 1100’s, monks would start adding hops to their recipes simply because it added a refreshing taste to the beer. Back then monasteries were the place to be if you enjoyed beer. Monks seemed to love brewing beer and almost every monastery had their own brewery. One historical beer event was when Germany established the Reinheitsgebot (Purity Law). In 1516, this law was created by the Duke of Bavaria, Wilhelm IV. In short, this law was created to ensure that only water, barley, and hops (yeast was unknown at the time), were used to brew beer. With the arrival of Europeans to the New World (The Americas), they to brought beer with them, and it has been loved all around the world to this day! Styles First things first, there are hundreds of styles of beer and it continues to grow as brewers are becoming more skilled, curious, and experimental. For now, I will stick to the more common styles that are widely found and enjoyed. For the most part, beers are generally lagers or ales and all beers will fall into one of these categories. Lager – The most popular style of beer with a light crisp taste. A lager is created using bottom fermenting yeasts at cooler temperatures. Some popular Lagers that everyone knows are of course Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, and Heineken. Ale – Ale’s are basically the opposite of a lager, they are made with top fermenting yeast at warmer temperatures. Popular styles of ale’s are IPA, Pale Ale’s, Stouts, and Belgian Quads. Pilsner – A type of lager, and named after Pilsen, a town in Czech Republic. Usually clear in beer terms with a thick head and the addition of hops. Pale Ale – Pale ales were first popular in the UK, when they used pale barley malts making a lighter colored beer. Today, a pale ale is an amber color with a fruity fresh taste. India Pale Ale (IPA) – One of my favorite styles, the IPA originated in the UK and is loaded with hops. In the late 1700’s ales were being shipped between the UK and India and adding more hops allowed the beer to survive the long voyage at sea. Today, IPA’s come in a variety of styles to include Double/Triple, West-Coast, and New England Style. Stout – We all know Guinness and it is a prime example of a stout. A stout is usually dark in color because of the roasted barley and dark malts and are known to have a smooth creamy taste. Belgian Double/Trippel/Quad – Another one of my favorites, these beers have a higher alcohol percentage and have a sweeter taste. These beers are Trappist ales, ales brewed by monks in Belgium for hundreds of years. Favorite and Most Surprising Beer destinations United States It’s a shame that the world still associates the USA with Budweiser and awful beer. This might have been the case 15 years ago, but in the last 10 years or so the craft beer scene has exploded! To be honest, most countries including most in Europe all have lagers that are similar to Budweiser and they love it, so no idea why they judge the beer in the US. This is no longer the case though and you can get an amazing beer in just about any town throughout the US. It’s hard to keep track of local breweries in cities because it seems every weekend a new one opens up. Normally, you can find breweries in industrial areas kind of tucked away which adds to the atmosphere. I feel when it comes to experimenting with flavors and trying new things, America is leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else. Every year a new style appears whether it be spicy beers, sours, hazy, etc. Some like the hazy style IPA’s I can definitely get behind and hope it sticks around. The USA is also home to many beer events but none is more popluar then the Great American Beer Festival that takes place in Denver, Colorado every year around the end of September and beginning of October. 3 days, 60,000 people, 4,000 beers, and 2,200 breweries. The concept is simple, walk in, grab a sample cup, and sip on as many beers as possible for 5 hours. It is a fantastic event and one of the best days of the year, something I always look forward to. The United States is home to many world famous breweries and here are some of my favorites I’ve been to. Boulevard Brewing Company – Kansas City, Missouri Stone Brewery – San Diego, California Ballast Point – San Diego, California New Belgium – Ft. Collins, Colorado Odell Brewing Company – Ft. Collins, Colorado Wicked Weed – Asheville, North Carolina Green Man Brewery – Asheville, North Carolina Tailgate Brewery – Nashville, Tennessee Germany I’ve been drinking German beer longer then any other place. Germany does not offer the variety that the US does, but what they have is done to perfection, they definitely focus of the quality of the beer. My favorite German beers are definitely a Heffeweizen, which is a wheat beer and a German Radler. A Radler meaning cyclist in German is a 50/50 mix of beer and lemonade and is incredibly refreshing. Another love of mine about German beer is the glassware. Each type of beer gets a specific type of glass and drinking beer out of a plastic cup is unheard of. The bier steins and Mass Krug are what Germany is most known for glass wise. The beer atmosphere in Germany cannot be beat. Most towns have small guest houses or restaurants with beautiful beer gardens sometimes overlooking giant cathedrals or castles. When I visit Germany, I spend most my time in Bavaria, here are some of my favorite Breweries. Kreuzberg Monastery – Bischofsheim an der Rhoen, Bavaria Schlenkerla – Bamber, Bavaria. Famous for their smoked beers. Hofbräuhaus – Munich, Bavaria Bayerische Lowenbrauerei – Passau, Bavaria Czech Republic I have been to the Czech Republic three times now. I don’t really know as much about their beer scene or culture like I do the US or Germany, but the times I’ve been here I ordered beers at restaurants and bars and liked what I drank. Their beers are similar to German Styles a lot of lagers and pilsners. I found the beer here to be very cheap, a few bucks for a pint if that. When going out to a restaurant in Prague and ordering a hardy dish, a good dark ale pairs very nicely with it. I found their beers pair nicely with food here more so then any other place. Cities like Prague are very medieval, so add that on to the whole experience. Drinking an ale or lager in the Old Town Square or overlooking Charles Bridge and Castle. One of my favorite meals here are the pop up food trucks in the Old Town Square. They have huge hunks of ham roasting over a fire, they cut a chunk off with some sauerkraut, order a beer and enjoy! There are some popular beers that have came from the Czech Republic. I would say Pilsner Urquell being the most famous. Pilsner Urquell is a brewery in the town of Pilsen that opened in 1842. According to sites, they were the first brewery in business to come up with a pale lager or pilsner. There is Budweiser Budvar, which I am still confused about since it is not related to the Budweiser we all know in the States. There have been legal battles over naming but when it comes down to it, they are two completely different breweries, brewing different beers with different backgrounds. Other beers from the Czech Republic that I enjoyed are Kozel Cerny/Dark, Primator Weizen, and the Master Altbier from Plzensky Prazdroj. Peru Peru, my most surprising beer destination. When I think of Central and South America, I think of light beers. You know, hot tropical locations, I need a refreshing light drink and not a dark stout or bitter. I stayed in Peru for about 2.5 weeks and spent about half that time in Lima, I had no idea they had a big craft beer scene. My first taste of craft beer here was in the historical center, I went to ChocoMuseo, a chocolate museum and they had beer in the freezer, a a Premium Triple from Cerverceria Nuevo Mundo, a Belgian Tripel, it was phenomenal. Right away, I knew I had to find the source (Nuevo Mundo). I did find a tap room from them near the Miraflores area and I ranked all their beers pretty high on my app. Wandering around Lima and Cusco as well, I found taprooms serving craft beer from all over Peru. I could go to a restaurant and order an IPA or Belgian, it was amazing. One of my favorite taprooms in all of Lima is called Mi Tercer Lugar Bar de Cervezas Artesanales. It seemed more like a cafe, serving cakes and pastries, but they also had a long list of craft beers to try and a cozy atmosphere. I came here twice just to relax after a long day and sample brews. Peru’s most popular beers are definitely, Cusquena from Union de Cervecerias Peru Backus y Johnston. Heck, you can even find Cusquena in the States. Cusquena is decent for a large Macro Brewery. I can’t wait to go back to Peru and explore their beer scene.
My Favorite Food From Around the World!
Food is a major contributing factor as to why I travel. Food is regional and differs from state to state, country to country. In my lifetime of travel, I’ve never really had a bad food experience abroad. Sure some cuisines I like more then others, but sampling food excites me no matter where I am. I’ve been to some surprising locations, like Lima, Peru that had some of the most flavorful and authentic dishes. Other places like Guatemala where the food was not as exciting, but still can’t go wrong with basic tortillas, beans, and a side of meat. Regardless of the location, I do my research prior to visiting a country so I don’t miss out of any of the must eats! I love food, and trying new things, so I want to share some of my favorite dishes from around the World. Burek – Bosnia & Herzegovina I’ve never heard of a Burek before my trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sure, I’ve had similar baked goods but the Burek might be my favorite savory pastry. A Burek is basically a flaky pastry filled with ingredients like meats, cheese, and/or vegetables. It is usually rolled up in a spiral or cooked in a large pan and cut into pieces for serving Jill and I took a day trip to Mostar, Bosnia from Split, Croatia and our tour guide stopped along the route and surprised us with a sampling of two types of Burek’s. One was filled with meat and the other with cheese, they were both phenomenal. This was our first encounter with Burek, so we instantly knew we had to find a bakery in Mostar that served fresh Burek. We did find Burek at a local bakery and it was ridiculously cheap, less then a dollar and oh so good! Cracked Conch – The Bahamas Conch, my favorite snail of the sea! They are found throughout the Caribbean, but the Bahamas in particular is known for them. In fact, many countries have Conch seasons, but not the Bahamas, you can eat them all year long. For being a Mollusk they are very cute and their shell is beautiful. There are many different recipes and styles to prepare the conch. You can have Conch Fritters as a snack, fresh conch salad, and cracked conch, which was my favorite. I ordered cracked conch at every restaurant I went to in both Nassau and Exuma. I know not very healthy, but oh so tasty! I mean conch is hard to come by in Kansas. Cracked Conch is a meal in itself where they take the conch meat and tenderize it, coat it in batter and fry it to perfection! In the end you get fried little conch pieces generally served with fries, beans, or some type of slaw. Most restaurants in the Bahamas have outdoor seating, so eating fresh seafood while starring at the waves in the picturesque setting of the Bahamas is Paradise! Döner Kebab – Germany Oh, the Döner Kebab. I literally have day dreams about it. It seems like such an easy creation, yet does not exist in the United States. It can be found in Europe, particularly Germany, on every street corner. The Döner Kebab is filling, flavorful, and just down right mouth watering. The closest thing to a Döner Kebab is a Gyros, but trust me, no comparison, the Döner is 100x better. The Döner is a German creation created my Turkish immigrants. It seems like many food creations start this way. You bring a traditional dish to a new area and realize everyone is on the go, so you wrap up the ingredients in a type of bread and Walla! you have a tasty meal on the go! So yes, the Döner was invented in Germany. So what is a Döner Kebab? The meat is layered and seasoned on a rotating spit, that way it gets evenly cooked. It is then shave off the spit and added to somewhat of a pita bread layered with cabbage, onion, tomato, and smothered in a white garlic sauce. Such a simple and quick meal and relatively cheap for the size of the kebab. The Döner Kebab dominates the late night and fast food industry in Europe, kind of like a fast food burger joint in the States. People, including myself crave these after a late night out, or after swimming, hiking, watching tv, you get the idea, I crave them 24/7. It’s weird, I love Döner so much, I have Döner stories, but that is a whole other topic! I absolutely love the Döner Kebab and lets be honest, I love most German Dishes. But I don’t want to make this post all about German food. Instead, if you want to learn more about popular German dishes or love them as much as I do then check out these 16 mouthwatering foods that are a must try. Fried Seafood – Lima, Peru and New Orleans, USA A mound of fried seafood on a plate might just be my favorite all time meal! I’ve had fried seafood in several states and countries but two places really stand out to me of having the best. The cities of New Orleans, LA and Lima, Peru. One city is in the northern hemisphere on the continent of North America while another cities lies in the southern hemisphere in South America. One thing they each have in common is their proximity to the ocean and fresh seafood. In New Orleans, you can order a mix of seafood and you will generally get crawdad tails, crab, and a variety of shrimp and fish. I am not entirely sure about the mariscos (seafood) platters in Lima, my best guess is a mixture of fish, shrimp, and clams. For sides in NOLA the seafood will usually come with slaw and fries. The mariscos platters I had came with yuca fries. Yuca is starchy like a potato, but it is a root and so delicious! The seafood platter in Lima is about a third of the cost as in the States. I paid anywhere from $7 to $12 for a gigantic portion along with a pisco sour! In the states you are looking anywhere from $15 to well over $30 for a platter of fried seafood. Price is not really an issue to me when it comes to seafood. Living in Kansas I am deprived from great/fresh seafood. Lomo Saltado – Lima, Peru Both Jill and I have never heard of Lomo Saltado and had no idea it was a staple in Peru even after doing research beforehand. After a day of traveling, we went to the nearest restaurant we could find near the Historic Center of Lima. The restaurant was named Tanta and we asked the waiter a recommendation and he referred us to Lomo Saltado. Lomo Saltado is pretty basic and some sort of dish is found throughout the world, but it was so good! The dishes we had were stir fried strips of steak mixed with onion, peppers, tomatoes usually served over rice or fries. The food in Lima is multi-cultural with a lot of Asian influences regarding rice and spices. Lomo Saltado comes in different varieties based on traditional Peruvian spices or Asian spices, or a mixture of the two. You get your veggies and protein all in one flavorful dish! Mofongo – Puerto Rico Mofongo is another dish we randomly stumbled upon while asking for local recommendations. We both love plantains in all variations. Mofongo is probably my favorite dish that consists of plantain. Basically, Mofongo is mashed plantain that is used as a base with a combination of chicken, pork, seafood, or any type of meat or anything you want really! I had mofongo at several restaurants and it is served in various forms whether it be as a side dish or crusted on the inside of a soup bowl, which happened to be my favorite. Poutine – Montreal, Canada Poutine is the weirdest name for a food item. I read that the names origin is not exactly known but possibly derived from the English word for pudding. What is poutine exactly? Well, it’s definitely not the healthiest dish. Canadians need a hearty meal to get through the brutal winters. Poutine is a Canadian dish that consists of french fries smothered in gravy and topped with cheese curds. I like the squeaky-ness of the curds, they have a fun texture! Poutine to me sounds like a great hangover cure. In fact restaurants in Canada don’t just have poutine listed on the menu as an appetizer. You can find restaurants that specialize in different variations of poutine. My first dish in Montreal was poutine served with pulled pork! They must have had at least 15 other combinations of poutine available. I wish poutine was more popular in the states, maybe it is in the northern US, but not where live. Schweinhaxe – Germany Picture a caveman with a huge hunk of meat and the bone is protruding out. That is the image I see when I think of a Schweinhaxe. These are a delicacy in Germany, at least in Bavaria and can be found on most menus. Beware! Come Hungry! The Schweinhaxe is basically a ham hock or pork knuckle where the meat is left on the bone. The Bavarian style is super crispy and slightly salted on the outside and beyond tender on the inside, usually served with gravy and knödels (knödels are dumplings typically made from flour, bread, or potatoes). The meat is so tender and flavorful it just falls off the bone. Schweinhaxe is one of my favorite cuts of meat served at restaurants especially when paired with a dark German bier! Torta, Mexico City Mexico City is a food mecca with everything imaginable. I would say traditional Mexican food is far different then Tex-Mex, I mean Burritos aren’t even widely served throughout Mexico. Tacos with a hard shell loaded with lettuce, onions and cheese don’t exist in Mexico, weird right? A traditional taco in Mexico consists of a smaller corn tortilla, with just meat and pico de gallo or something similiar. But I am not here to talk tacos or other dishes. My favorite food in Mexico City was the torta! In fact, we had a torta for the first time on our last night, it was so good we went to another restaurant to try one. While walking around Mexico City, we noticed a lot of restaurants with a spit out front with meat, similar to the Döner Kebab. The spit had a pineapple, onion, or orange on top allowing the juices to run down the meat, this is known as Al Pastor deriving from Lebanese immigrants. I was honestly surprised I walked by so many and didn’t stop to try until the last day. As I sat down at a restaurant, I wanted to try something new, I had a torta with al pastor. To me, a torta reminds me of a combination of a taco and sandwich, basically you have the taco fillings between two buns. The bread was fluffy and the fillings were phenomenal. Our tortas consisted of al pastor, beans, guacamole, and a variety of veggies. Now I know, next time I am in Mexico, I will live off of Street Tacos and Torta’s! Zapiekanka – Krakow, Poland Zapiekanka, or as I call it a Polish Baguette. Is a popular street/fast food item in Poland. I only spent a day in Krakow, but saw these all over the place. I don’t really know much about Zapiekanka or its origins but they make for a great quick bite to eat while on the go. Basically the Polish baguette is a baguette or some type of bread, with sauce, toppings and melted cheese. The toppings vary as you can decorate your own, I had one with mushrooms and prosciutto, such a delight! I love the zapiekanka so much, I make them at home all the
Caught in the Middle of the 2016 Peruvian Presidential Elections
May 31, 2016 May 31, 2016 – 11 days before the Peruvian Presidential Election. Myself and tens of thousands of Peruvians marched the streets of Lima to protest against one of the candidates! We marched, chanted, raised our voices!!! Actually, I did none of that! But I was there and somehow ended up in the action. I honestly had no clue what was going on, or what the protests were about, I didn’t even know Peru was days away from an election! The Lowdown Nearing the final days of the election, the candidates were narrowed down to two individuals, Keiko Fujimori and Pablo Kuczynski. Apparently, the Peruvians were not to fond of Keiko Fujimori given her dark family past. Her dad was a former President of Peru for ten years from 1990 to 2000, he is currently serving time for corruption and murder, among other things. Most people in Peru feel that Keiko walks in the foot steps of her father and would have a negative impact on an already struggling country. With the final election days away, Keiko took a slight lead and it was becoming a reality that she might lead the country of Peru. This lead did not sit well with the majority of Peruvians, as they felt Pablo would be the rightful leader, and because of this, protests broke out all over Peru on May 31, 2016. How did a Traveler from Kansas end up in the middle of this? Jill and I spent a solid week in the Capital city of Lima, Peru. One afternoon, I decided to explore the city by myself for an hour just to go at my own pace and take pictures. I started at the Historic Center of Lima and walked to another square known as the Plaza San Martin. Lost in my own world, I stumbled behind a line of horses and saw a large police presence in the area. Typically, you would see small groups of police all over Lima. Serious police, with helmets, body armor, and shields. I really did not think anything of it, until I reached the front of the horses and saw thousands of people gathered here. Right away, I put my camera down. I really wanted to take photos of the police and everything going on, but I did not want to offend anyone. Being the only white male with a large camera in a crowd of thousands, I must have been easy to spot. Within a minute, I heard a voice, “Pst! You speak English?” I turned, and said “Hello, yes I do, what is going on here!” He was a Peruvian photojournalist covering the event. We are still friends to this day. He gave me the lowdown on what the protest was all about, and why the Peruvians were so passionate about this election in particular. Because of this very moment, I followed him around for a solid hour taking photos of law enforcement, the military, politicians, etc.. I had no fear and felt completely safe. I was in the middle of the chaos, I had to watch out for tanks, stop to let lines of military personnel pass me, I even talked in Spanish/English to a few policeman that were standing on the sides. To this date, this event is one of my most memorable travel experiences. [envira-gallery id=”1737″] I wanted to stay longer, I really did! But, I told Jill I would meet her at 6:00 pm for dinner at La Tanta. If you ever go to Lima, La Tanta is at the Historic Center, and is a fabulous restaurant with some of the best Lomo Saltado around! I was still full of adrenaline, and told Jill what just happened and if we scarf down our wonderful meals, we can get back out there! She was more hesitant, but did follow me to Plaza San Martin after dinner. Excited to get back, we arrived to an empty plaza! “I swear, it was all right here!” She rolled her eyes at me not believing me that just an hour ago there were thousands of people standing right here! I kind of gave up and we just walked around, we did see a little protest going on near a roundabout, but nothing exciting. We walked back toward Plaza San Martin, and saw a few policemen on horses, then we saw more police, those tanks were back, and we stood there wondering what was coming our way. All of a sudden, we saw a line of police with their shields, behind them was every person I saw at the plaza marching down the street. We saw tens of thousands of people walk by us chanting “Keiko No Va!” In amazement, having never seen anything like this, we stood there for a half hour as the crowds walked by us. As the crowd dwindled, we decided it was a good time to leave. I feel I was a part of history that day, it will remain in my memories! The outcome The protests were peaceful, there was no violence or anything, we felt safe the whole time. Keiko did not become the President of Peru as Pedro Pablo Kuczynski beat her by a slim percentage, like 51% to 49%. He was sworn into office on July 28 of 2016 and actually resigned two years later. His Vice President Martin Vizcarra is the current President of Peru!
Salkantay Trek To Machu Picchu
Trekking to Machu Picchu should be on everyone’s “bucket list”! This Ancient Inca City sits high on a mountaintop in the Andes Mountains roughly 50 miles (80 KM) from the city of Cuzco. Machu Picchu is listed as one of the “7 wonders of the new world,” and has been a popular tourist attraction since its discovery. Because of its remote location getting to Machu Picchu does take some planning and effort. Once visitors arrive in the historic city of Cuzco there are several ways to reach Machu Picchu. For those that are limited on time and mobility, there is a 3.5 hour train ride to Aguas Calientes. Aguas Calientes is the closest town to Machu Picchu where people usually arrive from Cuzco. If you are up for an adventure and want an authentic experience while seeing more of Peru then I recommend doing one of the several treks offered by Salkantay Trekking. There are at least three routes I am aware of, the Traditional Inca Trek, Salkantay Trek, and the Lares Trek. Jill and I decided on the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu for several reasons. First, this trek is far less crowded then the more popular Inca Trail hike. Secondly, the Salkantay Trek is full of nature, from glacial lakes to dense jungle. Although we decided on the Salkantay Trek, you can’t go wrong with any of the treks offered. In fact, we would love to go back to Peru and do the Inca Trail, just because! Below are a few details on each trek mentioned above, Salkantay Trek, Inca Trail, and the Lares Trek. Inca Trial – This is the most popular route to Machu Picchu and is generally a 4-day excursion, 3 day Trek (26 miles) and 1 day at Machu Picchu. If you are a decent hiker and acclimated to the altitude, this is considered an easier hike. Beware, this trail is closed for maintenance for the entire month of February. Salkantay Trek – This is the trek we decided to do. Day two is the toughest day, you hike up to 15,000 ft. around Salkantay Mountain which has an elevation of 20,500 ft. This trek was 5 days in total, 4 days trekking and one day at Machu Picchu. While trekking this trail, visitors walk through a lot of diverse landscapes from towering mountains to rain forest. Lares Trek – Our guide mentioned, the Lares Trek is a great alternative to the other two hikes and great if you want to see local culture. There is a 3 and 5 day option for this trek. Salkantay Trekking Company We booked our tour online, months prior to our trek with Salkantay Trekking. Salkantay Trekking is a local company based in Cusco, they offer several various day trips and multi-day treks. The price was about $450 for 5 days, which seems ridiculously cheap. Included in the price was breakfast, lunch dinner, and even snacks. The crew at Salkantay Trekking even boiled water daily for us to use as drinking water and or hot coca tea in the morning. Lodging varied on a day to day basis. The first night was incredible, we stayed in glass igloos. The remaining nights we stayed in spacious tents with the exception of the last night, we stayed in a small hotel in Aguas Calientes. The price also included entrance fees to Machu Picchu and the train ride back to Cuzco from Ollantaytambo. The night before the trek we met at the Salkantay Trekking office. We met our guides and members then went over a briefing on what to expect and prepare for. The guides were amazing, accommodating, and knowledgeable. I highly recommend Salkantay Trekking, but there are several other Machu Picchu Tour Operators that are worth looking into that offer other treks and package tours. Preparing and how to pack! Preparing for a 5 day trek seemed daunting at first, but after our briefing with Salkantay Trekking, everything seemed to be much easier then originally expected. They provided duffel bags for us. These were large bags the size of a large backpack used to store clothes and toiletry items. The bags provided were loaded up on mules and horses to be carried up the trails. The bags made it to the campsites before we arrived. Specifically for this trek, I bought a Deuter backpack, 55L. To be honest, I felt bad for the horses and wanted to carry my own stuff, not to mention I enjoyed the extra challenge of hauling my own gear. But for normal people, a day backpack is all that is needed. Something big enough to carry a few extra layers, water, snacks, and camera equipment. The climates changed drastically during the trek, so pack for warm days/cold nights, sunny/rainy days. Be prepared for all climates, but do pack light, especially if you are not used to high elevations. Salkantay Trek to Machu Pichu Seeing Machu Picchu has always been high on both our travel lists. The day was finally here, not to see the famous Inca site, but to trek there, and we had four tough yet rewarding days ahead of us. Day 1 We left Cuzco for Mollepata (the start of the trek). The drive through the Andes was spectacular, bumpy, and a tad scary at times! The driver handled the roads well and got us all to the beginning of the Salkantay Trek without any issues. Thankfully there were guides as there were no trail markers or signs where we began the trek. The first day was a short 7.5 mile hike to our first campground. Hiking was easy, small gradual inclines surrounded by mountain peaks and forests. Once we arrived at the campground, we noticed that the tent site was no ordinary site, we were surprised and excited to see glass igloos laid out in a row facing Salkantay Mountain. Each igloo housed two twin beds and a night stand in the middle with a 180° view looking through the glass. I believe, they are wanting to convert all their campgrounds with these igloos. Below are photos of our sleeping arrangements at Sky Camp. After getting settled in and resting for an hour or so, we hiked to a nearby glacial lake, Humantay Lake. This glacial and snow melt fed lake is only a mile hike. But the hike was almost the most difficult throughout the entire trek as the incline of the trail was very steep and the weather dropped. Although a strenuous mile, the views were worth every minute of it. Humantay Peak towers behind the turquoise colored lake. The lake was freezing and some people (mainly a group of Brits and one German gal) were crazy enough to jump in the freezing glacial water! Hiking up to the lake was adventurous enough, we skipped the whole jumping in the lake part! After a few hours, we gathered inside for dinner and a briefing on the next day. We went back to our igloo to snuggle inside our warm sleeping bags, gazing at the star lit Andean sky dreaming about seeing the famous Salkantay Mountain the following morning. Day 2 The second day of the trek was said to be the most strenuous. Our guides were not lying not lying. This stretch was 14 miles around Salkantay Pass at elevations around 15,000 ft. After a few hours into the trek, our crew reached the highest point along the trail. We took a much needed break at this point and I was mesmerized by the beauty of Salkantay Mountain and the surrounding peaks. Our guide (Roy) gave us a great history lesson about the Inca people doing the same trek and their mythology. While listening, we saw a small avalanche in the background (another first). Side note, listen to your body, if day one was rough the second day is much more difficult. The trekking company gave people the option to ride horses up the pass, Jill did and is glad she did. You do have to pay but it was cheap. Don’t worry the horses get a very nice long break after the trek. They do not take them downhill while strapped with gear and they rest for several weeks afterwards. After resting for an hour or so, we continued on, hiking downward and immediately the landscape changed from towering jagged peaks to lush rainforest. The trail here was dusty, so we became very dirty by the end of the day, thankfully there were showers at the second campground. The sleeping accommodations were not as luxurious as day 1, but we had a normal tent surrounded by a straw hut. Each morning, the guides would wake us up with cocoa tea and give us a half hour to get things ready before meeting for breakfast. Day 3 This day was pretty relaxed after day two. We hiked just over 11 miles, through more rainforest. This day we actually did a few activities. We hiked to a small village and had lunch at a coffee plantation. We learned and even got to be involved in picking of the coffee beans, grinding, and drinking the coffee. For lunch we had Cuy (Guinea Pig) with chicken and vegetables. You can read more about our Cuy experience in my post on some of the strange foods we’ve eaten around the world. Cuy had a distinct gamey flavor but was satisfying after a long hike, especially when paired with an ice cold Cusquena (Peruvian Beer). Toward the end of the day, the group split up for different activities. A few people went ziplining, the other option was to go straight to a hot spring. Since we did not shower for a few days and were feeling sore from hiking, we went directly to the Cocalmayo Hot Springs. I’ve never felt so relaxed and clean, I think we spent 4 hours here just wading in the water, it was magical! After a relaxing soak at Cocalmayo Hot Springs, it was time to head to the next campground. Day 4 One day closer to the main event! Our destination was Aguas Calientes, we had another another 11 mile hike ahead of us. This day was pretty standard. A lot of up and down hiking with stunning views and a few suspension bridges. We stopped at one Inca ruin for a breather before following the train tracks into town. Aguas Calientes was bigger then expected. It has to be I guess hosting millions of tourists. Aguas Calientes is lined with restaurants and shops. We stayed at a hostel with an actual bed and shower. Day 5 The entire 5 day trek will forever be one of my best memories. Day 5, was the main event and we were all so excited to wake up and begin our journey to the ancient Inca site of Machu Picchu. Sure, you can take a train and bus to Machu Picchu from Cuzco, but it just didn’t seem satisfying enough. Why not push yourself as the Incans did and enjoy the journey to this spectacular site. The day started early. I believe the site opens at 6:00 am, most the buses and tourists arrive later though, around 8:00 am. There is an alternative though and it involves hiking. YES! more HIKING! At 4:00 am, you can start hiking up a near vertical incline for an hour to reach the entrance. One of the benefits about this, is you get to stand in line at the entrance prior to opening and can be one of the lucky first visitors of the day to visit the park. Our guide gave us an overview and tour for about an hour and then let us explore. Honestly, you need a lot of time to explore Machu Picchu. At first, the ruins were not visible as the fog was so dense. But slowly, as the fog cleared the city began to appear. Be prepared to walk a lot! We had the option to hike Huayna Picchu, which is
Interesting Food Around the World that We’ve Tried
Exploring a cultures culinary traditions has become one of the motivating factors and reasons we travel. Plain and simple, it is fun to try authentic, new, and down-right weird food. I always say, I am willing to try everything at least once! Living by that rule, the two of us have become adventurous when it comes to local cuisine. What may seem bizarre in our culture can be a daily diet in others. I mean here in the United States we eat beef right? While the cow is sacred in some states in India. Did you know that over 80% of the world’s population eats insects, yet the sound of that disgusts most Westerners. Lets face it, they are rich in protein, low in fat, and there is an abundance of them. ** This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links or widgets throughout the page, whether it be Viator, Booking.com, Agoda, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support! Interesting Food Around the World that We’ve Tried I grew up watching Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and have always shared a fascination with foods from around the world no matter how weird, interesting, or unique the food is. I believe you should try everything once. How else are you going to know if it’s a good dish or not! I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the taste of some of the more bizarre foods I’ve tried and have disliked some foods that are standard to so many people. I say it is all part of the experience, and it is fun to say, “I’ve tried that!” Here are some of the most interesting food dishes I’ve had throughout my travels. Asia Cambodia Tarantula: Siem Reap Eating tarantula in Cambodia is a well known and definitely an adventurous dish to try for any traveler. During the Khmer Rouge, when food was scarce, people had to eat what they could to survive and that included tarantulas. Since then, it has kind of stuck around as a delicacy and fun thing for tourists to try, including myself! I found a place that sold tarantula and brought it back to my hotel room, hence the fancy plate! I ate the tarantula starting with the legs as they were the least threatening looking spider part. I then worked my way to the body. Overall, taste wise, it was not great! Tasted a bit like dry cardboard even with the chili lime seasoning. But hey, Tarantula is an excellent source of protein and mierals. Japan Natto Natto is a Japanese dish that consists of fermented soy beans. This is definitely an interesting dish that I’ve had twice, once as an appetizer over rice with a raw egg and the second time at a sushi go round where it was wrapped in seaweed. Honestly, I think I would rather eat Hákarl again then eat Natto. Natto has a distinctive smell and a slimy gooey texture. It is definitely an acquired taste, people here love it! It just wasn’t for me. The benefit of Natto is that it is very healthy to eat, it is said to help against strokes and is great for people on diets and helps manage stress, so that is a plus, it just isn’t for me! Irabu (Sea Snake) Soup: Okinawa Irabu (Sea Snake) soup, probably the most nerve-racking food I’ve had in my life. I’m seen so many sea snakes while diving and snorkeling around Okinawa, I’d never think I’d actually eat one! In a way, I felt bad eating Irabu soup, I’ve grown quite fond of these snakes. Yes, they are deadly. Yes, they can be terrifying to swim with. But at the same time, they are peaceful to watch as they glide through the water. I love watching them swim up to get air and see their tiny heads pop out of the water. At the same time, I love trying local cuisine. Irabu Soup is found in restaurants around Okinawa and it is a local delicacy, especially on Kudaka Island. I found a restaurant on the island that specializes in Irabu Soup, so I had to try it for myself. On Kudaka Island, the sea snakes are caught bare-handed. Keep in mind, these are highly venomous snakes and are deadly. But they are shy and gentle creatures unless harmed. Once caught the snakes are killed, boiled and then smoked before being turned into soup. The soup generally consists of broth, pork, konbu (which is a type of kelp), and a piece of snake. I placed my order, once finished the waiter called me up to pick up my soup. I double checked with him that Irabu was in fact safe to eat. He assured me it was safe. Not only is Irabu safe to eat but it is full of nutrients, protein, and vitamins. The soup was fantastic! I ate the snake, skin and all and it tasted nothing like chicken! It had its own distinct taste, it was a bit chewy but had a nice flavor. If given the opportunity to try Irabu soup again, I would eat it without question. Torisashi (Raw Chicken): Okinawa Usually, I’d never recommend eating raw poultry of any kind. But if I were to eat raw chicken, it would be in Japan, and I did. The dish is called Torisashi and it is thinly sliced raw chicken. It’s basically chicken sashimi and it is often served in Izakaya’s in the Japanese Prefectures of Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Okinawa. I’ve tried Torisashi in Okinawa at several different Izakaya’s and honestly, I like the flavor and texture. Some Izakaya’s will slightly sear the outside, the inside is pink and slightly chewy. Yagi Sashi (Raw Goat): Okinawa Yagi Sashi is the Okinawan word for the raw goat dish that can be found throughout the island of Okinawa. In Okinawa, many Izakaya’s and specialty restaurants serve Yagi Sashi. It’s usually served chilled and thinly sliced with ginger and soy sauce on the side. The raw goat has a gamey feel to it and a very distinct taste. I really enjoy the flavor and texture of it. Philippines Balut: Cebu I’ve been wanting to try Balut for a while now and in July of 2024, I took a trip to Cebu, The Philippines and finally got a chance to try it. Balut is a fertilized duck egg. The embryo of the duck develops for several days usually between 14 and 21 days. Most people are put off by the look of the egg once opened. It’s not your typical hard boiled egg that is white on the outside and yellow on the inside. No, instead, Balut is layered, there is a juice you suck out first, followed by a hardened white piece, yolk, and the unlucky duckling. I found a street vendor selling Balut on the side near Carbon Market. I cracked the egg, sucked out the juices and began to disassemble the egg, biting off one layer at a time. I’ll be honest, it was not easy on the eye, looking down at what I was eating, but taste wise, Balut was actually good and I really enjoyed it! It tasted just like a hard boiled egg with a little more texture to it. I would definitely eat Balut again. South Korea Beondegi: Busan Next stop while trying interesting food around the world is Busan, South Korea. While in Busan, we visited the Haedong Yonggung Temple right outside the city. The temple lies along the coast and is considered to be one of the most well known in all of South Korea. To our surprise, there was a small food market right before the entrance to the temple. Several vendors had huge steaming pans full of something we’ve never seen before. Turns out, these pans were full to the top of a popular snack item known as Beondegi, otherwise known as Silkworm pupae. You get a cup full of them, at a cheap price! In the images below you can see what Jill’s reaction was to eating Beondegi. I found the flavor to be a little nutty and very juicy, almost to juicy. Unfortunately, a cup was a little much, so we decided to share our Beondegi with the local wildlife! Taiwan Stinky Tofu You know how some cities have that bad city smell once in a while? You’ll walk around and smell sewage here and there. In Taiwan you’ll sense that same smell here and there and turn the corner and it’s just someone cooking Stinky Tofu. Stinky Tofu lives up to its name. The smell can be horrid! Rest assured, stinky tofu tastes better then it smells. Locals in Taiwan, love it. You’ll find stinky tofu in restaurants, at night markets, and from people selling it at a food stall. Stinky tofu comes in many different forms. I’ve personally tried it a few times, once as a block with onion and sweet sauce, the second time in Hualien where it was advertised as Stinky Tofu Fries. Trust me, no matter how you try it, it is going to be stinky. So, what makes stinky tofu, stinky? It’s all about the fermentation process! It’s soaked in a brine that is made from a mix of vegetables, meats, milk, and other ingredients. The tofu will ferment anywhere from a couple hours to several months. Europe Iceland Hákarl: Reykjavik Our next interesting food around the world takes us to Iceland. We’ve all heard of Hákarl (Fermented Shark). Based on stories and the media I’ve heard that Hákarl is potent and has a very unique flavor. After trying Hákarl I came to the conclusion that it was not as bad as I was expecting. Not that I’ve ever tasted smelly feet, but I kind of describe the flavor that way, mixed with a little ammonia, still not terrible tasting! It’s not found all over Iceland, but I did my research and saw that Kaffi Loki served it as an appetizer. You get a few cubes served in a small dish with an Icelandic Flag toothpick! Would I try it again? Sure! North America Mexico Ant Larvae, Crickets, and Maguey Worm at Mercado de San Juan: Mexico city Mercado de San Juan in Mexico City is paradise, that is if you are looking for unordinary food to try. This market is full of fresh meat, fish, and produce. I read about this market while researching and came here to explore the unique and interesting foods. There is a vendor here that even sold rare tiger and lion meat along with tarantulas and other creepy critters. You have to start somewhere, my plan was to start small and work my way up. I found a vendor selling a variety of insects that included grasshopper, crickets, and ant larvae. I wanted to try a few of each, there was a slight translation mix-up and I ended up with a mixed sack full. Thankfully there was a bar next to this vendor, I washed the bugs down with a local beer and even shared them with the bartender, he loved them. To be honest, the bugs were dry, salty, and not that great! On a side note, Mercado de San Juan had some other great restaurants and normal eats. We went to a small Italian vendor and ordered a delicious bocadillo. Scorpion: Mexico City At Mercado de San Juan, I wanted to try something I knew would be tough to come by in the states, so I was torn between trying a tarantula or a scorpion. Both choices were very intimidating, I opted for the scorpion. I thought to myself, “how the hell am I going to eat this thing!” For starters, remove the stinger not because it is poisonous, but because it is sharp and can get lodged in your throat! After a