Food and Culture

Downtown Piura

We decided to wait until next weekend to visit Mancora because Jessica was feeling sick and it was raining on Friday morning. Instead, we spent the weekend exploring the food and culture of Piura and interacting with people in the streets. As Jessica spent time recovering from her illness, Michael and I ran around taking pictures of the beautiful city. In this picture, people are enjoying the weather on a perfect afternoon in downtown Piura.

Mototaxis are a popular form of transportation in Piura. These vehicles are motorcycles that have been modified to seat three people. A mototaxi ride to anywhere in the city usually costs 1 sol, which is approximately 30 cents. The people can also choose to take taxis or motorcycles through the city.

We visited a family in Piura to celebrate a mother's birthday. I was touched by their willingness to let us join them in the celebration, and the peach cake was delicious!

We have been staying at Santisimo Sacramento, a Catholic church located in downtown Piura. Jessica and I do not share the Catholic faith, but we have been attending Mass each night to show our gratitude to Father Joe for letting us stay at the church and to share the experience with the people of Piura. Even though I have trouble understanding the Spanish, attending Mass has been very interesting, and even Michael is fascinated by the differences between Mass in Peru and in the United States.

A group of nursing students from Marquette University lived with us at Santisimo Sacramento during our first week in Piura. The students hosted a dinner for the church staff, and we were invited to join the celebration. The "authentic" meal included spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and chocolate chip cookies. We were also treated to an incredible performance involving more than thirty professional dancers!

Jessica, Michael and I ordered ice cappuccinos at a local cafe. As you can see by the look on Michael's face, we enjoyed each and every sip of the delicious drink and we plan on returning to the cafe before we leave Peru.

On Friday night, we joined a few families at a Chinese restuarant in Piura. The food was incredible, and the conversations were very entertaining.