Day 7- We Rested

Day 7- We rested

It was great to sleep in until 9:30, and I finally feel caught up on sleep – this means we should probably start going out and losing some again. I showered and grabbed breakfast with everyone. It is weird to feel stuffed after breakfast because I am just not used to it. We knew that we would be heading out to Maury’s grandparents house before too long, but it turns out we had tons of time to spare, even after everyone showered and got ready. I used the extra time to catch up on journaling, call Allison briefly and just lounge around – a refreshing morning.

We headed to the gpa’s house in our shorts and flipflops, but everyone thought we were crazy because it was “cold”. Apparently 68 degrees is a tad on the cold side, but I found the weather perfect, though I wouldn’t have minded some sun as well. The gparents’ house is nice, and apparently it is like 40 years old. We saw baby pictures of Mauricio yesterday that were actually taken in the house. The house was really nice, very open and well-furnished, and they made us feel at home instantly. We also got to meet Maury’s uncle, who actually lives in a apartment on the property (which is quite large for Peru, maybe 3-4 acres).

Mauricio’s uncle gave us a couple beers (cusquenas, limited edition… yuuup), and then he and Maury went to make us a couple Pisco Sours to follow it up. I swear we have had something to drink every day, even though we have only actively sought it out two or three times (well, and talking about it spurred my desire, so I just went and grabbed a Pilsen actually). While they were making our Pisco Sours we talked with Mafud’s girlfriend, Sara and hung out with the family in their nice living room. The adjacent entertainment room was furnished with a 42” flatscreen TV, and I knew Mafud was jealous, because he needs it for all his video games. The TV was extra remarkable because their previous two had been stolen; however, their brand new security system gave them enough faith to keep this investment safe.

We talked and visited for around an hour, before we headed out to lunch. We were told that it was rotisserie style chicken, and, personally, I didn’t give it a second thought. I apologize for the following rant, but life-changing moments must make their way into a journal, no matter how interesting or disinteresting they may be. The smell of the chicken was incredible, and there were around 35 chickens rotating around a bricked fire. We sat down and opened the menus to try to decide what we wanted, but apparently we were all going to order the same thing. I was sort of disheartened for two reasons: one was that I wouldn’t be able to pick what I wanted; two, was that it meant his grandparents were probably paying for us. Whatever tiny bit of dismay I may have had was quickly assuaged…

The first thing they waiter brought out was fried plantains, beef heart and this weird corn stuff which I actually didn’t try. I am pretty sure I have never had beef heart before, but it was absolutely incredible in taste, texture and appearance. Only a few minutes later, they brought out the next round of salad and fries. The salad didn’t look too appealing to me because it consisted of carrots, green beans and beats, but I tried a little bit and it was just fine. The fries were great, though, and I knew I was going to be in trouble because there would simply not be enough room in my stomach for the amount of food I was going to want to eat. The ketchup they had was super sweet, and I wasn’t a fan; however, there was enough Ahi for me to douse everything, so I was more than content. They brought out plates of chicken, and my worries about stomach room were confirmed because each person got a whole rotisserie chicken as well. The succulent, well-seasoned chicken fell apart in my mouth. I was in heaven, and so was everyone else. The meal took over an hour and a half, but I would have been happy to stay there all day. Needless to say, the meal definitely takes its place in my top 5 food experiences of all time.

After dinner we had a couple of errands to run which consisted of family visits. We drove to his great grandmother’s house (aka his bisabuela). We could actually understand her fairly well, and I was glad she seemed to like us pretty well. The highlight of the experience was that Austin reminded her of her nephew, Cookie. Haha. It is as bad as it sounds, because, apparently, Cookie is a little overweight, and Bisa called Austin un gordito. Poor guy, we all felt awful, but she is just one of those old people that say what they want to no matter what. We had a good laugh there, and then we briefly visited his uncle which lived directly below Bisa.

After these visits, we went to visit Maury’s Godmother, Ursula who is Roxanna’s 9-years younger sister. She was super nice, and so is their apartment actually. She married the chief of police, and they are saving up for a new house which will probably be really nice given their respective statuses (she has an upper position at a fancy store here in Lima). She offered us some Johnnie Walker, which people here have a weird obsession for. Honestly, I have never seen it so heavily marketed or purchased, and I wonder of this is just a Peru thing. Ursula was super, super nice, and she spoke good English which was nice. She has actually spent around 15 years in the states between Cali and New York. She also made us some coffee, Billarica, which is the best I have ever had, and I want to try to buy some before I leave.

We were planning on going to a movie, so we had to leave and make a hasty run for the movies. We bought our tickets for Robin Hood, and we were only a few minutes late. The movie was ok, although it felt like a giant trailer for more Robin Hood movies to come. It was also funny, because the movie played in English, but there were Spanish subtitles… t makes sense, and it isn’t that funny, but it was just different for me. We actually had a few problems because we went to the wrong theatre because we didn’t understand the people that worked there, but we figured it out in the end.

After the movie we went to a place called San Antonio which is one of Mauri’s favorite places for good reason. We were there for at least 2 hours, because we ate, talked and Jokes with mauricio’s parents who met us there after the movie. I got a milkshake san Antonio which is about the most chocolate that I can handle all at once, but it was absolutely delicious. I also had an meat empanada, though I was still pretty full from our massive lunch. It was really fun, and I feel like we connect really well with the entire family. Ricardo made a joke about how Roxanna snores from her mouth and down below, meaning she has some gas issues, and it was really funny. I don’t think she appreciated it, but the entire table was in tears. The small dinner thing is kind of weird, and I don’t think I can ever get used to it completely, but my rhythm is adjusting here. It was a great, undwinding experience, and I hope we get to go back for breakfast some time.

We all planned on going to sleep pretty soon after we got home even though we could afford to sleep in again. I called Allison and talked to her for a good while… I need to talk to my family, chase, nick and others but I never seem to find the time. Hopefully, I will be able to make some more calls tomorrow. Roxanna heard about the snoring problems that I have to deal with, and, so, she gave me some of her earplugs because apparently the snoring is genetic. I hope they will fulfill their duty.