Arriving in Peru that morning was surreal.  I'm glad I followed my own gut feeling of separating my clothes and my hubby's between our two backpacks so that if one goes missing, we''ll still be okay.  I'm quoting a passage I have written in my travel journal.

13th September 2008

"We arrived at Lima airport with Yohann and my father-in-law to find out that my luggage was missing. We took a cab to get to the town centre. It was an adventurous trip so note that we never pre-booked any of our accommodation. We checked in at Hotel Espana after walking with our backpacks for three blocks from the main square. That same morning, after a nice shower and a nice breakfast, we explored the cold streets of Peru's Capital and took in the breathtaking Spanish Colonial Architecture."

I'm quoting a post I've written on my old multiply site  while we were in an internet cafe in Peru addressed to  friends and family : 

Sept. 16, 2008 9:52 PM

"These past few days have been a blur.  On the way to New York, we found out that there´s a civil unrest in Bolivia.  All American airline flights were cancelled and my father in law coming from Paris changed his destination. We were fortunate to have gotten seats in the same flight he´s in headed for Lima.  Had a brief stopover in Miami where we grabbed some drinks along Ocean Drive in South Beach.  My luggage was lost somewhere between Miami and New York when we got to Lima where we spent two days.  Now we´re in Nazca, Peru having arrived only yesterday after an 8 hour bus trip.  Now we´re waiting for another bus trip down south for another 10 hours.  We´ll check if all is clear and we´ll cross the border of Bolivia by land instead, as we really want to see Salar El Uyuni.  Catch up with you soon...."

I would like to start this week with a great recipe of the popular Peruvian cuisine that is surely a must-try:

Ingredients:

1/2 kg  (1 lb) Beef tenderloin (Stroganoff cut)
1/2 kg (1 lb) Potatoes, peeled and cut into strips
2 Red onions cut length wise 
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 big tomatoes, seeded, cut into strips
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup of cilantro
1 sweet red pepper cut into strips
Extra Virgin Olive oil for frying
Salt & pepper
Optional:  Aji amarillo, deseeded and sliced into strips

Summer is upon us.  Busy week triggers the need to escape for a vacay.  We haven't booked anything yet for this summer.  Life feels on hold for us at the moment.  Things are quite uncertain so we haven't planned any trip.  I was hoping to go home instead, but June-September is usually a very rainy season to go back to my homeland, Philippines.  If we were to do so, we would like to take a glimpse of at least one white sand island with clear waters on a bright sunny day.

I'm itching to go away and it's a great idea to do so during the hottest months in Dubai from June- September. Yes, there are great beach fronts here.  The water is clear and the sand is soft, pebble free underwater.  It's a shame, we rarely go to the beach on weekends.  We are confined in the comfort of air conditioning watching movie marathons during lazy Fridays. 

The upside during these months in Dubai are low hotel rates and special packages for the family, for couples, for a girls weekend  or boys adventure desert trips.  For the shopaholics, there is the Dubai Summer Surprises  from the 22nd of June to 31st of July 2011.  Best shopping deals, lots of events, concerts, international shows and lots of promotions during the summer festival.

For those, who are staying behind and who are like me, undecided.  What about we throw a vacation- themed weekend party?  It doesn't need to be a big event.  It could be a quiet dinner with closest friends, or an afternoon with the family.  Just to try something different

1. Choose a country you would like to go to this summer.
2. Check out the recipes  of that country's traditional cuisine for your party's menu and treats.
3. Decorate!  Pick out elements and create DIY banners, table pieces and name cards inspired by the country theme to set the mood.
4. Perfectly set the tone with a matching music.  E.g.  Play Andrea Bocelli for a Tuscany backyard dinner party
5. Imagine the scent of that setting and try to capture the aroma with scented candles.  For example, if you're having a South of France theme afternoon coffee party,  lavender!
6. Try creating trivia games about the touristic sites or any game related to learning the foreign language.

While we're at it...I think this is soo cute! French cafe theme

  

Wishing you all a fabulous Friday!

  

After reading road maps for days, the trip to Bruges was a refreshing drive around Flanders from Lille to the Northern tip of the Belgian border with a brief breakfast stopover at Terneuzen, Netherlands. There was no need for a GPS. A good ol' map was enough to meander our way to the canal capital of Belgium, the lovely Bruges.