The summer sun shines bright and warm while everyone is dressed in shorts, flip-flops, skirts, and tank tops.  Crowded beaches complete with colorful bikinis, fresh crisp and clean ceviche, ice cold beers, and ice cream.  School is out and so are the children endlessly roaming the streets like stray dogs.  Out come the plastic pine Christmas trees and their overshadowing counterpart the nacimiento (nativity scene).  Panettone sales skyrocket through the roof and diets are put on hold.  Sounds familiar right?  Probably not.  Christmas is almost here and while for most of you the description above probably does not fit with what you are currently experiencing (unless of course if you live in LA or Phoenix), that's because this is Christmas in Peru.

While I definitely miss what I consider to be the classic version of Christmas (snow, lights, Christmas songs, REAL Christmas trees, etc.) it is not my first time celebrating Christmas in Peru.  I do what I can to make the most of a favorite holiday and I have been looking forward to Christmas Eve since that is when it's celebrated here.  Dinner this year will take place at Zdenka's parents home in Breña, where the Christmas presents will also be opened after midnight.  Everything is just about ready for tomorrows upcoming festivities but the turkey was one of the few chores left to tend to. 

Turkey like in the US has become an integral part of the Christmas Eve dinner and is exclusively consumed during this holiday (how the custom of eating turkey was adopted by Peruvians is a mystery to me) and like many hard-working citizens in Lima whose employers are generous enough to gift turkeys lies the arduous task of collecting a turkey.  A voucher for a bird of certain weight is presented to the employee who must then undergo what can only be described as a gastly experience.

Zdenka received a voucher from her job and her father and I decided to go today to claim a turkey, it seemed simple enough but we would later discover how wrong we were.  Arriving to one of the many locations available by the poultry company San Fernando we were amazed yet not surprised by the long formed line of people awaiting their turn to get a turkey.  As we tried to find our way to the back of the line we were quickly diverted to a waiting bus where we were boarded and transported to an alternate location (first time in my life have I ever had to be ferried to my poultry).  The ride was short but the mass amounts of complaints generated during the trip could last a lifetime.  We got off at a large mall on Av. Colonial in Callao where we made our way to the underground parking lot near the loading docks.  Hundreds and hundreds of people waited in lines seperated by weight, the situation was so serious that the Red Cross had set up a first aid booth!  After waiting what felt like an eternity in line we finally received our turkey but not the weight we had wanted since there weren't any left. 

In retrospect it probably isn't as bad as I try to make it seem but it sure is something I am glad only has to happen once a year.

Well things have been a little slow around here mostly due to the holidays but to keep you entertained until I finish some the projects I have been working on please enjoy this hilarious song.

As most of you know the "political correctness" movement has really progressed over the last 10 years or so and while understandable in some respects it has also managed to get a little carried away.  Luckily here in Peru, political correctness hasn't quite taken off yet which isn't all that bad, although things like this tend to be commonly excepted.

So enjoy this favorite Christmas country song by Brad Paisley (yes I LIKE COUNTRY, big deal).

Well we are finally a few hours away from the Eve of Christmas and the house is in full motion as both mom and grandma continue to rush to finish the Christmas dinner.  Since our flight to Cuzco tomorrow is scheduled for 7am we have to be there at 5am, which means have to be awake at 3:30am, therefore this years Christmas dinner will take place at 5:30pm so we can all go to bed early.

In Peru the Christmas dinner includes either a turkey or lechon (which is a small pig), this is followed by sweet potatoes, salad, Panetone, and champagne.  In recognition of the good ole' U. S. of A., mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh strawberries w/ whipped cream, and noodle salad.  The house is strong with the aromas of a slow roasted turkey which make your mouth water!  I of course have not contributed to the upcoming banquet and instead have been hard at work putting together a list of all the hotels we can stay at in Cusco, as well as all the must see places to visit.  I am super excited especially because I have not been to Cusco and Machu Picchu since 2003.  It will be interesting to see just how much the city has changed since I last visited there.

According to the internet, through the months of December-April are Cuzco's rainy season.  This means I should expect cold temperatures and lots of RAIN.  The good thing is that it is also a time of low traffic for tourists to the ancient capital of the Incas, so there shouldn't be to many other tourists around.

As the sun begins to fall over the Pacific's horizon, we come closer to the beginning of the Christmas festivities.  In Peru, like in many other Latin American countries the people celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve instead of on Christmas day (morning) like most Americans do in the States.  Families gather around the table for their Christmas Eve dinner and toast with Champagne at 12am.  Once dinner is finished only then are gifts passed around and opened in a fashion similar to the United States.  At 12am most people will take to the streets and set off a wide variety of fireworks in celebration of the birth of Christ.  It is truly a wonderful and unique experience.  It is important to keep in mind that Christmas is celebrated in this fashion due largely to the fact that like Peru, most countries in Latin America are Catholic, which has a large influence over the population.

Update:  I just got done eating dinner and it was wonderful, the turkey was amazing and very flavorful.  It was like having Thanksgiving dinner in December.  Now I am off to go and pack because tomorrow is going to be a long day!