Chance meetings
For dinner tonight we decided to visit El Guacho´s, highly recommended for meat, meat and yet more meat. And we weren’t disappointed!! Instead of menu descriptions accompanied by pictures adjacent to them, a whole tray of cuts were brought out for us to choose from. “JTB” would have been suitably impressed!
While we enjoying our meal the couple next to us asked if they could borrow our guidebooks, and once we’d finsihed eating we got talking to them.
Jose and Fernande are Argentinians (who work in Ecuador), and had driven south to Argentina to visit their families over the christmas period. Now they were on their way back, but had never intended to be in Arequipa at all. A series of highway blockades and demonstrations had barred their way to Cusco today, and so they’d eventually diverted to Arequipa for the night.
The asked us to tell them about our travels, and despite the health warning we gave them about growing old before we’d finish, they said go for it and so we did. They also shared a passion for wine, and before long we were numerous bottles down and the only ones left in the whole restuarant. The waiters weren’t looking too pleased, but so what??
Not quite yet satiated, we moved on to a little ´late bar´with a lovely terrace overlooking the city and all to ourselves. Yet more drinks, conversation about pretty much anything under the sun (yes, it was getting late by now and this little euphemism means “we can’t remember….”), and then it was time to go our separate ways after a lovely evening sharing life experiences and thoughts.
To both of you, thank you, and we wish you the very best for the future. Who knows, maybe one day the knot will be tied!
Tags: Peruvian tales
mihai