Peru Day 3: C is for Chicha, Chinchero, and Chicharroneria!

Did I ever mention that the Missus believes She was an Inca Princess in a former life? I'm serious......She really believes that. How this woman raised under the Communist regime in PR China, who has spent over 15 years in SoCal could come up with this I'll never know....... The Missus will often choose the most inopportune times to mention this. Like when we were having dinner at Latin Chef with a Peruvian friend of Hers from work. She'll mention, "You know, I used to be an Inca Princess in a former life".....Peruvian friend nods okay, thinking She's kidding.....until He realizes, She's serious! Time to hide my head in my hands, and let out a deep sigh....... Imagined or otherwise, the Missus sure seemed to have a "bond" with the people we met in Cusco and the surrounding environs......Never was this more apparent than on the third day of our trip to Peru, when we toured the Sacred Valley on the Incas.

The view from Pisac:

C is for Chicha, or stopping for a drink in a Calca speakeasy:

Chicha de Jora that is......the beer like fermented corn drink, that is made in many homes in the Andes. The Missus and I immediately took to this yeasty-sour-frothy drink served at room temperature. We had just finished touring Pisac, and the bus pulled over in Calca for a lunch stop. The lunch was a buffet style offering that didn't look too promising. We had made a promise not to waste our time and appetites with tourist designed food. So we decided not to partake. We were told that there were no other options to eat for several miles, but we decided to take a walk down the road anyway. We found a small mercado(market) and had some Inca Cola, and decided that Inca Cola, and Coca leaves would probably hold us till dinner.

Walking back to the bus we noticed several houses with red plastic on a stick, standing like flags near various doorways:

The Missus was wondering what this was all about. After looking at the roof ornaments...in the place of the bulls for fertility, and other symbols, there was this:

I started saying, "hey, I think this place makes....", but the Missus was long gone through the doorway. In the little adobe shack, was a little old lady sitting on a stool, manning a bucket of water, and two barrels of "hootch". The Missus using Her ever improving "survival Spanish" had verified that Chicha de Jora was served here, and ordered a cup at 30 centavos (about 10 cents US).

Apparently we were VIPs, since we got a glass cup instead of the plastic cups being used by the really nice lady, and the older gentleman(you always need a lounge lizard)who seemed to have gotten an early start.... The glass had a quick dip in the yellow bucket(I'm guessing it was water)to rinse off, and she started pouring Chicha......

Here the Missus is telling the woman that we don't want a full cup since we still had a half day of hiking in front of us. Meanwhile the older gentleman told us "tener por favor un asiento y una bebida"...something like "please have a seat and drink".........

We found this tasty and frothy room-temperature beverage, that almost smells like sourdough starter to be quite refreshing. Oh, before you take a sip, there's one more thing you need to know about how Chicha is made. In order to start the fermentation process, the maize is moistened in the maker's mouth.....the digestive enzymes in saliva helps to break down the starches and start the fermentation process. In fact, it is thought that the modern name for this drink is based on the Spanish word "chichal", which means "to spit". There's no better way to understand the locals, than to "share spit" with them....or something like that!

We suffered no ill effects, and Chicha is pretty low in alcohol. While we were having our drink, the Lady polished off 2 whole glasses of the stuff....I hope she didn't drink up all of her profits!

So remember, "Red Means Go" get yourself some Chicha!

We spent the afternoon fueled on Coca leaves, Chicha, and Inca Cola........

C is for Chincero, where the Missus couldn't help but get into the act:

The city of Chinchero was the last stop for the day. At 12,350 feet Chinchero is 1300 feet higher than Cusco, and climbing up the steep stairs I could feel every foot......

Chinchero is known for their weavers and textiles, and we were treated to a demonstration....and some buying opportunities.

We were taken through the entire process from cleaning:

To the weaving....

One of the most interesting parts of the presentation was the portion on dyes, and how the Inca were able to extract such vibrant colors from items like the Cochineal insect.

Which produces a bright red color....and is also used as lip coloring!

The Missus was a bit distracted.......She had some other ideas floating through Her head.....

For some unknown reason, she was quite curious about the way these women carried their little ones. And ended up asking if She could carry this adorable little boy. At first, the young lady thought the Missus wanted to take a photo with her and the little one. Once the Missus explained Herself, you could practically read the puzzled look on her face...."why the heck does this stranger want to hold my baby?" But as we found throughout this region, the people really don't know how to say "no"...so they humored the Missus........who almost fell on Her face! She only took a few seconds to "cry uncle...."

Everyone, including the little one(the Missus must be more fun than a carnival ride...), had a good laugh...the Missus is still picking the  little pieces of potato this boy was eating out of Her hair! He was not as light as he looked......

Next, the Missus wanted to try Her hand at weaving.......

The young lady patiently tied the Missus down and gave Her a personal lesson. After over 10 minutes the Missus got one strand done.

Which led me to say, "lucky thing you're an Inca Princess and not a weaver....your life's work would be a wash cloth!"

I'm pretty sure that the Ham's Missus's antics have been preserved on perhaps 20 different cameras, as the others on the tour couldn't stop laughing.

C is for Chicharroneria:

This turned out to be a pretty long day. We were delayed on our return because the road to Cusco was closed, due to a "rally"......

We arrived in Cusco famished. During the previous day, while in the midst of picking up other members of our tour, I recall seeing, or was that smelling, a street full of Chicharronerias, places that specialize in deep fried pork and chicken. These shops fried up the meat right in the front doorway as a way of tempting you....I think it's pretty effective!

Dropped off at Plaza de Armas, we walked over to Avenida del Sol, but no Chicharroneria was to be found. The solution? Find a Police Officer. We found the police officers to be very helpful in Cusco. And the Missus asked one very nice officer about Chicharrones...at first he didn't quite understand. But wouldn't you know it, a couple of other guys gathered around, and after a short conference, the officer pointed up a side street, and made a left turn gesture, and if to emphasize the locations of the Chicharronerias, creating invisible "tick marks" he said, "chicharron, chicharron, chicharron.....chicharron, chicharron, chicharron." We got the point immediately, and headed up the side street, took a turn on a street called Pampas de Castillo, and wouldn't you know it, there it was, ""chicharron, chicharron, chicharron". Several Chicharronerias all lined up in a row. Unfortunately, most were closed.....but we found one open!

The Missus was in charge of conversation, but I was in charge of directions and food! I knew that the Missus would enjoy Caldo de Gallina estilo Cusco (Cusco style Hen soup):

Such a rich and hearty soup, the essence of chicken! There was some yucca, rice, and some Chunos(freeze dried potatoes) which had a grainy texture the Missus didn't care for. The Missus has also been indoctrinated to American Chicken. I had to explain to Her that the chicken in this soup was Hen......and after trying to explain to Her for weeks what the difference between Pollo and Gallina was, She understood. The chicken was chewy, but had some really good flavor. The Missus found the chicken much too tough for Her liking, but She loved the broth. It was the perfect remedy for a long day.

Of course, I got the Chicharrones:

I did realize that this was lunch's Chicharrones, refried....Chicharronerias are a lunchtime thing. Still, though a bit on the dry side, these chunks of deep fried pork had great flavor. I believe the meat was seasoned with salt, cumin, and lime. These went real well with the supplied Aji Salsa(verde)! The Missus enjoyed the Chancha...and fried potatoes were very tasty, nice and crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside.

This was, by far the best meal we had in a restaurant in Cusco so far. And along with a "grande" Inca Cola, the meal topped out at s/22, or a tad over $7 American! Sure beats a sandwich from Subway! One thing we did notice, was that our appetites were not as large, whether it was the coca or the altitude we weren't quite sure. El Mayor sure did benefit from our leftovers!

The Ruins at Pisac:

The ruins and wonderful terraces at Pisac were a sight to behold. I did find myself sucking wind like a lifetime 10 pack a day smoker climbing up and down the stairs. In fact, the Missus has a whole set of photos She calls, "my husband nearly having a heart attack in the Sacred Valley."

Though Diamox prevented me from the effects of altitude sickness, it didn't prevent me from getting out of breath quickly........

Ollantaytambo:

The ruins of the fortress at Ollantaytambo located above some steep terraces is also quite a sight. The city of Ollantaytambo has been occupied since the 13th century, which makes it the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the Americas.

Those were some major steep terraces....I felt like I needed one of those T-shirts that said, "I survived the terraces at Ollantaytambo, and all I got was this shirt!"

One more thing, it is pretty windy here....I was told that it is always blustery at Ollantaytambo.

Tomorrow we'll do Aguas Caliente and Macchu Picchu, than return to SoCal for a couple of days, so you don't get too bored....ok?

Gotta go!!!!

 

Comments

[ed (from Yuma)]

Not bored at all! Fascinating stuff. Beautiful pics. Thanks for sharing.

[Wandering Chopsticks]

Bored? This was WONDERFUL!!! The Missus is a riot! I loved the anecdotes. I enjoyed this so much because of those snippets. :)

[janfrederick]

Wow, this sure beats my 6th grade report on Peru. Speaking of which, even though I hated doing schoolwork, the project had me wanting to go there.

Guess I'll have to settle for Latin Chef for now. :)

[Carol]

I agree with Ed. I feel like I'm watching a special on the Travel Channel. I love it! I'm not much for group tours but I'd certainly take one if you and your Missus were part of the tour pack. I'd be one of those stalkers, I mean people, who say, "hey, let's follow them since they seem to know what they're doing." Really, Kirk, this is great. Thanks for taking so much time to share with us.

[Omar]

Hi Kirk,

Thanks for devoting vacation time to documenting the adventure for the rest of us.

Your account and excellent photos offer a well-crafted evaluation of a place my wife and I are considering visiting, from the perspective of people who travel the way we do.

Guide books and travel TV seldom offer the sort of details you've posted here, and your anecdotes put an authentic, "local" face on the places, people and food.

Please visit, write about and photograph Argentina, Libya, Palestine and Vietnam as soon as you get a chance. That'll be a big help to us, as my wife and I can't decide between them as we plan our next trip.

Best,
Omar

[howie]

Count me in with the definitely-not-bored! That's hilarious that the missus asked to carry the baby -- and that the mom let her do it! Probably wouldn't be able to get away with that in the US. :-)

[Kirk]

Hi Ed - We had more fun on this day, than almost any we can remember!

Hi WC - The Missus is quite a character......

Hi Jan - There's nothing like the real thing....though after eating our way through Peru, Latin Chef is not a bad choice!

Hi Carol - Thanks.....we had a blast!

Hi Omar - I'll go there if you're paying! ;o) LOL! BTW, you may get a few posts on one of the Countries requested next year......

Hi Howie - I'm glad you're enjoying these posts....you know what an irresistable force the Missus can be.

[nhbilly]

Wow, Inca King, king of food ;-)

I am so looking forward to traveling to Peru. Awesome adventure!

[Chubbypanda]

Inka Cola! Yeah! It's the real mellow yellow.

See? This is what happens when you let the Missus get into the chicha so early in the day. =b

Awesome article. Really awesome.

[yummieyummy]

AMAZING!!! Thanks for sharing.

[Captain Jack]

Great photos and compelling commentary Kirk. Thanks so much for sharing.

[mizducky]

Kirk--it's great experiencing Peru through your photos and text, and it's equally great witnessing the gusto with which you and the Missus throw yourselves into the adventure. The food ... the awesome valleys ... just fabulous. Rock on.

[Sandy]

Regarding the baby-carrying thing: it looks like something used in China, and perhaps that triggered something for the Missus. I don't know how commonly it's used nowadays, and it's probably used more in the villages. My mom gave me one when my daughter was an infant, but I couldn't get used to carrying the baby on my back.

Great posts about your trip! I look forward to the next installment.

[Kirk]

Hi Billy - I think you'll love Peru.

Hi CP - Thanks....we loved Cusco and the Sacred Valley.

Hi YY - I'm glad you enjoyed this post......it was so easy to write.

Hi CJ - As you can tell, we had a blast.

Hi Mizducky - You know the Missus, She'll always find a way.....

Hi Sandy - You have a great point, I never thought of that. Perhaps it was something visceral....

[Reid]

Kirk,

Looks like the missus had loads of fun. I hope you did too!

[Kirk]

Hi Reid - Once I caught my breath, I had a great time! ;o) That chicha made my day!

[Marko]

Hi,
Just a short 'correction'..chicha is usually made by chewing maize and spitting it back to the pot..there's your origin of the name..i hope you enjoyed it :))

[Eugene Head]

Wow, Pisac is majestic! Every view is just so breathtaking. The roof ornaments look interesting. It's great to know that these roof decors symbolize meaningful icons for the locals. Ahh, those Chicharrones are so tempting! ;)