On our second day in Lima, J took us to Barranco, a neighbourhood just a bit further south of the centre than Miraflores. Bright colours of the old-style houses were familiar from parts of Miraflores - this was an area of high-end second homes in the 1920s. As Lima sprawled, this cliffside suburban 'holiday resort' was soon engulfed by the city, and so the rich moved elsewhere. Squatters replaced them and the area became known for poverty and dodgy drug deals - not somewhere you would spend a day wandering around in the sun. Recently though, Barranco has shaped up and become home to a bohemian artistic community. Thank goodness - it is beautiful. There is a strong sense of local community - grand old houses are graffitied with 'NO SE VENDE' (not for sale) in the hope that the blossom-filled streets won't be ruined by high-rise blocks, like so much of the rest of Lima.
After walking a while, we stopped for a cerveza at Juanito Bar - a typical old-style venue, apparently a pillar of Barranco among locals. We felt pretty smug being the only tourists there. Unfortunately no pictures of this one but I can remember it well - a narrow room with high ceiling, a bar on the right loaded with hams, pickles etc, and small tables with wooden booths where we sat on the left. Here we just enjoyed a Cusquena, and decided to move on to eat so we had a chance to see more.
The next stop was Casa Rana ('The Singing Frog) - Barranco's equivalent to a local sports bar. It was the World Cup, after all, so we picked a table opposite the big projector screen and watched some football. I would love to go back to Casa Rana. A family run local institution, it had such a great atmosphere, not in the slightest ruined by food which would be the case in any sports bar in this country I'm sure.
We were brought some 'Canchita' - sun-dried and roasted corn kernels, perfectly salty to go with a cold beer. We found these in many more places after this, and became addicted enough to carry some home for others to try. J had told us that a big lunch might not be a good idea as the evening meal would be big again (warned this time!) so Casa Rana was the perfect place, with its list of small tapas bites. We chose 'Conches a la chalaca', clams in a spoon with chalaca style sauce and lots of lime juice as usual. Two mouthfuls of this delicious mixture was all we needed for the rest of the afternoon, and once again I was so excited to have had such amazing food, this time hardly costing anything.
We were brought some 'Canchita' - sun-dried and roasted corn kernels, perfectly salty to go with a cold beer. We found these in many more places after this, and became addicted enough to carry some home for others to try. J had told us that a big lunch might not be a good idea as the evening meal would be big again (warned this time!) so Casa Rana was the perfect place, with its list of small tapas bites. We chose 'Conches a la chalaca', clams in a spoon with chalaca style sauce and lots of lime juice as usual. Two mouthfuls of this delicious mixture was all we needed for the rest of the afternoon, and once again I was so excited to have had such amazing food, this time hardly costing anything.
