For once I got lucky. Thanks to President Biden’s administration suddenly donating two million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Peru, I received my second shot last month — on the 27th. The timing was auspicious. It was not just the eve of the much-hyped 200th anniversary of Peruvian independence, but also of the swearing-in of Pedro Castillo, the first campesino (peasant farmer) to become president of this complex, dazzling and exasperating South American nation.
The rise to power of the 51-year-old rural school teacher — and aficionado of the Cuban and Venezuelan dictatorships — has rattled big business and ordinary Peruvians alike. And so far those expecting chaos — and worse — from the Castillo administration have been proved right. Breaking his campaign promises to appoint a moderate, unifying cabinet, the new president named a prime minister who is under investigation for allegedly sympathising with the Shining Path, the Maoist terrorists who once drenched Peru in blood; many appointments have been linked to myriad forms of illegality.
Few nations have been hit worse by the Covid pandemic than Peru. It has the highest death rate from the virus per capita and, with a third wave expected next month, the last thing the country needs is disruption to its vaccination programme. Only 15 per cent of the population have been double-jabbed, although those in their early forties are now getting their first doses and the aim is to have the entire country fully protected by the end of the year.
After a short wait in the municipal sports stadium of Barranco — my scenic Lima neighbourhood full of 19th-century palaces overlooking the dark grey South Pacific — I got my shot, and the countdown began to what will be my first meal in an indoor restaurant in 18 months (there are no restrictions on the unvaccinated, but I’ve been cautious).
In Lima I am spoilt for choice, even though my local cevicheria and favourite cafés have — like so many other Peruvian small businesses in recent months — closed down as a result of Covid-19 and the government-imposed shutdown. But just a few blocks away there’s still Central and Maido — respectively the sixth and tenth best restaurants in the world, according to at least one leading gastronomic listing; the UK’s highest ranked — the Clove Club in London — comes in at No 27.
Advertisement
I have been able to enjoy Maido’s Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine in recent months — or at least the more accessibly priced takeaway version, ordered via an app and delivered by young Venezuelan refugees who cut through Lima’s horrendous traffic on mountain bikes.
Central, famed for its largely vegetarian tasting menu inspired by Peru’s striking topography, offering dishes defined by altitude, with ingredients from the bountiful waters of the Humboldt Current to the tuber-heavy plains 13,000ft above sea level, will be the perfect treat after so long either cooking for myself or eating out of a doggie bag.
Also high on my freedom list is hitting the road, with trips planned in the next couple of months to the Amazon and the Andes; Peru’s natural wildernesses are arguably its greatest treasures. Being locked up at home in Lima — so near yet so far from these majestic landscapes — has been a particular form of calvary.
Tourists are returning, albeit slowly, mostly from the US; Peru remains on the UK government’s red list. Even once the country moves past its status as a global coronavirus epicentre, the political turmoil will be off-putting for many would-be visitors.
For those who do make it here the obvious advantage is that tourist-trap destinations, including Machu Picchu, are experiencing light traffic. And there’s much more to Peru, from surfing on the 1,500-mile Pacific coast to exploring pre-Inca sites, such as the dazzling Kuelap mountaintop fortress in the northern cloud forests. I, for one, can’t wait to get back out there.
Advertisement
Follow Times Travel on Instagram and Twitter and sign up for our weekly Travel newsletter for all the latest articles, expert advice and inspiration for your next trip
