A Walk Around Arequipa, Peru

It has been a strange year. I have not done as much traveling as I have in the past, and when I had time off from my work, I would spend that time coming home to be their with my family during some rough times. I have had the opportunity to take short weekend trips but it has almost been a year since I have gone on a vacation that lasted for a week, but life has a way of shifting perspective, and I have been given the opportunity to go explore a different part of the world, Latin America, as I have made the move to Lima, Peru. As my first trip in this part of the world, I took a quick flight into the Andes to the second biggest city of Peru, Arequipa.

Arequipa is a colonial city that has been around since the sixteenth century. The old part of the city has some of the oldest buildings in the Americas, and it has the feeling of walking around the heart of a Spanish city. There are many impressive sights to go and see, but for my first day in the city, I decided it would be best to just wander around the older part of the city and see what it had to offer. It was fun looking at the facade of these buildings, and peeking my head into the various places where I could eventually learn more about what this city had to offer.

Of course, Arequipa being in Peru, one of the things that it boasts is the food that this country is known for. There are so many fusion restaurants to choose from and it is hard to pick just one. I found a udon place called Yama Wok for lunch that was the perfect start to what will be a bounty of great eating. It was a tiny place with only five seats available but the noodles were made fresh and they cooked the meal right in front of you. It wasn’t only a fun experience, but it was also delicious.

It gave me the energy I needed to explore more of the old city. No matter where I went, I kept roaming back to the center of the city where a beautiful plaza is. The garden in the center of this square is an inviting place where you can find a shady spot underneath a tree to enjoy some cheese ice-cream, play a card game, or just relax with a good book. It is where most of the people come to meet up with each other, and I have also witnessed moments where it explodes with life as parades walk through or people who have gotten married or received the first communion get the perfect picture to capture the moment.

And of course there are many a roof top bar where you can look out over the city and watch the sunset. They serve the great drinks that you come to expect from Peru such as good wine, or pisco sours, but they also have a surprising beer culture that they can boast about. We went to our favorite brew-pub, Sierra Andina which has great IPAs, stouts, and a really good porter.

Even though the day was not filled by learning about the culture from this part of the world, it was still a fun day of traveling again. It was the perfect way to ease into a great traveling experience, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of this week has to offer for me.

Until next time, enjoy getting out there and experiencing the world.

Modern Debate

There is a time when we should be silent
Because it is no longe about discourse;
Instead how certain issues make us vent,
And we hope to be the challenging force.
But that does not mean that all will agree,
And might see things in a different way.
They know that they should let the matter be,
And not to add with their discordant bray.
Yet you continue to blow your trumpet
Because you want to be the one who’s right,
But the thing about this you do not get
By blowing, you’ve already lost the fight.
The true purpose of having a debate
Is to find compromise to make us great.

Morning Coffee

It’s a quiet morning cup of coffee,
Paired with catching up conversation
About how a loved-one’s soul was set free
From the bounds of this earthly detention.
Our words hang in the air over the steam,
Avoiding any hint of causing pain
While inside we begging just to scream
About the suffering that still remains.
Instead we will talk about the weather,
Or the current condition of the state,
But this will not help the wounds get better,
Or give us cause to avoid our known fate.
I’ll just curl up around my cup of joe,
Leaving all these feelings no place to go.

All That You’ve Gotten

Who can know what memories we will find
As we go through the stuff in your closet,
All the treasures that you have left behind,
The ones you wished we would never forget.
We piled them up on the couches and chairs
So family could go through what you had
In the hope they could find fashion like theirs,
Thinking that their new homes would make you glad.
Not all items can find that special place,
So we will have to bag up all the rest
Because we are trying to make some space
For those left behind in this empty nest.
It is not that you will be forgotten
When we get rid of all that you’ve gotten.

A Dog’s New Home

What is this strange new world I landed in
Filled with happy people beneath the trees?
It is nothing like the place I have been,
A paradise with a salty air breeze.
I will walk down the street to take it in,
Finding new smells, on the way, as I go.
The rush of traffic has a controlled din,
And they’re happy even when they go slow.
I have plenty of space on this sidewalk
Where I don’t have to worry about cars,
Giving me extra time to sniff and stalk,
Society free from restricting bars.
I cannot believe this utopia,
A dog’s favorite cornucopia.

Patio Politics

The summer was made for a patio
Connected to a neighborhood tavern.
It is where the beer taps can freely flow,
And we can ignore how the world will burn.
The television only airs sports shows,
And we can cheer for our favorite team.
It does not matter how the final goes
Because it distracts us from the obscene.
The locals chatter about their long day
As they struggle to put it behind them,
But is is better than watching the fray
Of a nation singing its final hymn.
We can stand up and attempt to compete
Against the government in its defeat.

Return to My Childhood

There is a pink building in west Lakewood
That draws crowds from all over the nation.
The cuisine they serve is not very good,
And bills have gone through a price explosion.
But it is hard to resist the cliff diver
Performing to a Mariachi band.
The roaming gorilla is the driver
For the amount of fun to be on hand.
They will keep your margarita glass filled,
So you can explore Black Bart’s Cave.
The puppet show is just as it is billed,
And the illusionist is all the rave.
My lost childhood is ready to meet ya
In the world famous Casa Bonita.

The Move

I know crazy is about to happen,
And this is the reprieve before it does,
So I breathe deeply to take the calm in
Before we return to the way it was.
The hours starting at seventy-two
Will count slowly down until we arrive,
Washing away the day and the flight we flew,
Not to mention the long cross-country drive.
There will be arguments along the way;
Instead, we will remember the laughter,
For we will need that for a later day
When struggles are what we need to ‘counter.
It is something bigger than a road trip
Rather it’s our life going through a flip.

Summer Bar-b-q

As the sun hangs over the horizon,
And the swelter of the day fades away,
I look for comfort with meat on a bun,
And a beer with its glistening display.
I have put away all of my papers;
Their beckoning can wait another day,
The eternal workload never tapers,
And right now, it is time for me to play.
On this porch, I’ve gathered my closest friends
To help forget about the week-long fray;
Instead, to think about where the week ends,
And how within it, I would like to stay.
So let’s enjoy the simplest of meals
To engage in this time we get to steal.

Airport Reunion

The crowds continually flow out the gate
Into the city which they landed in.
I look at each new face to indicate
The memory of the one who has been
In my mind since the last time I saw her.
It takes a trip to the local airport
To initiate the loneliness cure
That my heart has recently had to court.
But the passengers keep passing me by
Not showing the face of the one I love,
So I scab the crowd until I descry
That she has returned from her flight above.
I am always amazed by this strange feat
When we find that moment when our eyes meet.