The Condo is not air conditioned. That's not a problem, weather-wise, but it means that the windows stay open, and the street noise comes in. And in downtown Miraflores, there's plenty of street noise in the morning.
We wake up at around 8, wish each other a good morning, go to the bathrooms, and meet back in bed. Where last night was fast and frantic, this morning was much slower. I let Carla take the lead, and we had a nice, long, slow session. I **think** that Carla got off (or she has great muscle control). I decided to start my leche management program, so I saved myself for later. I have a big day planned, and I would hate for some lucky girl to miss out!
Carla finally leaves and I spend a little time waking up and checking email, etc. I finally get out of the house at about 11:00. Yesterday, I loaded 30 Soles on my new Claro cell phone and got 30 bonus (they said). Today, I tried to call someone, and the phone told me that I didn't have credit to call them. I checked my balance, and it still showed 57 Soles, so now I'm confused.
I go to the phone store and tell my tale of woe in bad Spanish. The girl tells me (in good and fast Spanish) that yes, I have 57 Soles credit, but I can only call other Claro customers and land-line phones. But, if I go give a guy at the computer another 10 Soles, he would do some magic that allowed me to make a call to someone with a different cell company. Magically, it worked. Another incident where the language barrier still exists as a barrier.
When all that's settled, I go play slot machines and - incredibly - I wind up winning 75 Soles. And just in time for lunch. I head to Tanta.
Tanta
Pancho Fierro 117, San Idisro
(in front of the Olivar Hotel)
421-9708
(There are two other locations in Surco and Miraflores)
Saying that Tanta is a deli is an understatement in the same way that you would casually mention that Shaikra knows how to dance. The place is yet another restaurant from the genius of Chef Gaston, owner of Astrid y Gaston and La Mar. Every item on the menu sounded better than the one before it. You don't believe me, go and see for yourself (here's a link to the English version: http://www.aracari.com/aracariperu/cuisine/images/tanta/carta_ingles_tanta.pdf). I had three items from the Dollar (3 Sol) Menu: Tortilla and Ham, Trout & Pepper and Crab & Shrimp. Each was a very small portion on a piece of bread.
My next course was Scallops Parmesan. This is a big hit all over Peru, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why. You've got scallops, you've got cheese - just add heat. Anyway, I figured that if anyone would make them right, it would be these guys. They were very good, but not outstanding. I followed that up with a Rocotito. That's a hot pepper stuffed with beef and prawns over a bed of potatoes with some cheese bubbling, just to add to the excitement. It was very good. Maybe a little to picante for my tastes, but very good.
I passed on desserts (they looked great) and ordered a Roxie (beef, pesto, tomato and mozzarella) sandwich to go. I'm sure it will come in handy later tonight. Lunch (with the sandwich) came to 71 Soles, so I was still up 4 Soles on the day.
The ride from Miraflores should run you around 6 or 7 soles. If I understand the addresses correctly, the branch in Miraflores is about a 10-15 minute walk from the Parque Central/Pizza Alley area.
I headed back to the apartment. I had a friend coming over, and we had plans for the late afternoon and early evening.
My friend shows up, right on time, and we pick up ComputerGuy, another gringo who's in town (we met on a local board) and head over to the Emporio Spa.
Emporio Spa
Av. Alemeda Las Cedros Mz. G7-Lt. 6
Los Cedros de Villa, Chorillos
254-9475
Monday-Saturday 11:00 am -11:30 pm; Sunday 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
I have absolutely no idea where this place is - my local friend drove. I couldn't find it on a dare. But it might be worth finding a cab driver who can call and get you there.
This is a fairly new and very well-kept banos turcos. It has all the regular trappings: Wet and Dry Saunas, Jacuzzi, Swimming Pool, barber service, bar, etc. Supposedly, there's not enough traffic to support a kitchen, but they will order food out for you if you ask. The difference (for me) seemed to be that the people who worked there went out of their way to be friendly. The front desk people and towel boys were smiling and helpful, and the massage girls all hang out in the General Population area, chatting away with each other and the customers.
As they came downstairs, each of the girls stopped by to introduce themselves to us. I originally thought that it was because my friend was a regular customer, but he claimed that it was because we were there. I don't think that they see too many foreigners this far off the beaten path, so we were an event.
After steaming, sauna-ing and showering, I was resting on one of the lounges when Nicole sat next to me. She's 24, not thin, but not fat, with a pretty face and a very impressive rack that was all pushed up in front. We talked for a good 15 minutes before she started any sales pitch on me. I let her work a while before I agreed to go upstairs with her.
The massage area at Emporio Spa is very impressive. The rooms are large and clean. The management here seems to care about upkeep. We get into the massage, and Nicole does a very good job on the areas that I asked her to pay attention to. That out of the way, she gave me a big kiss and confirmed that I wanted 'servicio'.
This led to the always ugly discussion of price. My friend had warned me that the prices were a little higher there, and that he paid 180 Soles on a regular basis (other places average 120-150 Soles). When Nicole asked for 250, I laughed and told her that my amigo pays 180. I made her work me some more, and we settled on 200 Soles ($62.50).
It was money well spent. Nicole was as cute out of her clothes as she was in them, and she was up there, performance wise. Plenty of kissing was on the menu, as well as some nice oral and sex in many positions. I guess we took a while, because my other two friends went up after me, and they were both downstairs when I returned.
We hung around for a little while longer, and when we were getting dressed, I realized that I had my camera in my locker. I ran and found Nicole, and she agreed to let me snap off a couple of shots of her. The photos do not do her justice - I think that she's prettier than these pictures indicate:
Photos: Nicole 06 07
The total bill came to $90.63. That included the girl, the house's cut on the massage, admission, and two pitchers of lemonade. Would I return to Emporio? Maybe. The facilities are good, the girls are friendly, and the service was top-notch. Maybe not, though. It's far away, and not really near anywhere else that I might go. But I can definitely recommend the place.
My local friend had to get home to his family, so he dropped us off back in Miraflores, and ComputerGuy and I headed off to Jose Antonio in San Isidro for dinner.
This was my second visit, and it proved that the first time wasn't a fluke. I had a seafood soup appetizer, and then both of us had the Argentinean Steak for our main dishes. We passed on coffee and dessert because we were full.
The check for the two of us (2 appetizers, 2 main dishes, 4 sodas, cover charge, tax and tip) totaled a whopping $56. Pretty damn impressive. Jose Antonio stays on the list for next trip!
Our final stop of the night was the Marriott casino, where I managed to win $30 playing $2 blackjack, effectively paying for my dinner.
All in all, an excellent day.