My first ceviche

This weekend is basically my first bit of free-time that I have had in 10 days! Friday night after the training a bunch of PC volunteers went to dinner at Indigo, a restaurant near the training center in Chalcacayo. We shared a couple beers, appetizers, and arroz con pollo (chicken and rice)! We had a great time just hanging out.

Restaurant where we had dinner

PC volunteers at Indigo

Saturday morning I went for a run with Jamie, another volunteer that lives in my neighborhood 3 de Octubre. Afterwards my host mom and brother took me to the market in Chosica and they gave me a list of fruits and vegetables that we needed and had me try and find them in the market. There was all kinds of vegetables, fruit, fish, meat, and goods in the market. I definitely saw some parts of animals that I have not seen before, I am not sure why people here like eating chicken feet so much.

Potatoes at the Chosica market

My host mom buying fish for our ceviche

Weird animal innards

Check out the tricky marketing on the price of the fruits, everything appears to be $1...

When we got home we cooked ceviche! Ceviche is one of the most popular foods in Peru, and is made up of fish, onions, celery, garlic, lime juice, mangoes, and other fruit. It took three of us over an hour to make the ceviche, but it tasted amazing! I have never juiced so many limes by hand before, that alone took about 20 minutes. Then we were also cooking soup, potatoes, and rice at the same time.

Cooking ceviche in the kitchen

My first ceviche!

My host niece eating watermelon (she is 2 yrs old)

Saturday night was a celebration in 3 de Octubre for a special saint. They set up a stage on the soccer field and had a band with 12 saxophone players and singers from 8-12pm! A bunch of volunteers from other neighborhoods came to the fiesta as well, and we all tried to learn Peruvian dancing. It was a lot of fun.