Humble, homely food on Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca’s islands are world famous for their peaceful beauty and well-preserved traditional agrarian cultures, which you can see up close by staying with families on the islands. A homestay here is a privileged glimpse at another way of life that you’re unlikely to forget.

Lonely Planet, Peru, 2010

Most people who visit the Lake Titicaca islands do so through an organised tour booked from one of the many travel agencies lining the streets of Puno. This usually includes a trip to the famous floating islands constructed of rotting reeds, Isla Taquile with their socially symbolic fluffy hats and Isla Amantani with their penchant for rousing traditional dancing and drunken revelry. Unfortunately, the islanders themselves benefit very little from such tours.

Tour agencies pay host families a set amount per visitor, which is negotiated with islanders separately by each agency. Nearly all of the cheapest agencies (and some of the expensive ones, too) pay little more than the cost visitors’ meals.

The Lonely Planet goes onto suggest various things you can do to ensure that the families get the most out of your stay, one of which is to consider visiting some of the communities on the peninsula around the lake which are less frequented by tourists but offer the same sort of activities and equally spectacular scenery. 

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First meal in Peru

I had been told not to expect much from Puno. My friend BB described it as “a sort of Costa del Sol for people who don’t have access to the sea”. The only reason most people visit Puno is get to the Lake Titicaca islands, myself included. I wasn’t expecting there to be much of interest to see, let alone eat.

Well I have been in Peru for 3 weeks now (I know I have been bad at keeping up like I said I would but there has been so much to see and do) and, surprising as it is, my first meal in Puno was among the top three. And all the more pleasant for being completely unexpected.

I was actually in search of another cevicheria written up in the Lonely Planet which it turned out had closed 3 years earlier (yes, mine is the latest edition!). So I asked for a recommendation and was pointed in the direction of El Erizo.

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Worst of Bolivia

I was quite surprised when I came to narrowing down the best and worst of Bolivia that I actually had more best ofs than worst ofs. This is partly because I am more lenient in the best of category – something has to be really bad to make it to the worst of list – but I think what it really highlights is that the food in Bolivia is not terrible, it is just not terribly exciting.

Many of the meals that didn’t make it to these two posts were perfectly pleasant, but incredibly plain; think unseasoned potatoes, boiled rice, undressed salads, flavourless meats. I have left out the bland and mediocre and narrowed the worst down to ten. Here goes…

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Best of Bolivia

Bolivia is hardly a gastronomic paradise.

I was there almost a month and towards the end, following upset bowels and a rather horrendous allergy, I have to admit to being a bad tourist – avoiding street food and seeking out Western fare.

Still, I had several good meals worth sharing but I reckon I can get through them quite quickly. I am now in Peru and still have much to say about Argentina so I thought I would whizz through Bolivia in two posts – best and worst of – try to keep up in Peru and then catch up on Argentina when I am back in the UK.

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Fine wines and fab entrees in Mendoza

I have to admit to having been a little dishonest.

In the last week or so I have received several emails from friends and family sharing their experiences of Iguazú falls  and asking me how I am enjoying Córdoba (very much, I would have thought that was obvious).

The internet connection is so slow here that each post I have written has taken at least 4 hours, at least 3 of those merely waiting for the photos to upload. As you might imagine this takes a significant chunk out of a day in a new place and as such I am rather behind; twelve towns and one border in fact.

Fortunately, several of these towns are forgettable which narrows down the catch up a little and I am now in Bolivia, where both the food and the internet connection are inferior to Argentina so I should have less to say while I am here. However, there are still several important meals in Argentina to tell you about and I shall do my best to do so rápidamente, as they say here.

Mendoza was perhaps the Argentine highlight. I say “perhaps” because the best restaurant I visited was in Salta (more on that down the track), but Mendoza had the best food overall. If you ever visit Mendoza I highly recommend getting hold of a free copy of Wine Republic magazine or having a look at their website which has great recommendations for places to eat and drink. Indeed every restaurant I ate in was listed in the edition I picked up and there were many more I would have liked to try given the time.

My first day in Mendoza was all blue skies and winter sun, warm enough to sit outside in a light sweater. Enticed by the promise of a leafy courtyard I went in search of Anna Bistro.

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