Top 5

My friend Hank asked me, so what's your Top 5 meals from your trip?

I won't and indeed can't rank them from 1-5 but here are the 5 meals that stand out:

1. A cajita. Somewhere in La Habana, Cuba, my friends and I found a house, a window, actually, run by two ladies who sold cajitas, which are lunch in a box. You'd think, from tasting Cuban food elsewhere (like the US), that you'd be swept away by the origin. Think again. We had a really difficult time finding decent food. So it was such a breath of fresh air to find delicious food in Cuba and for no money at all. Cajitas are typically about 20-25 pesos national (not the Convertible, which is the tourist currency, which converts 1 Convertible = 24 National peso = USD$.095). We bought one box each, sat on the sidewalk, and ate our faces off. We got marinated steamed chicken with arroz moro (rice and beans all mixed together), some cabbage, and something that tasted to me like cassava - it probably was - just couldn't be sure under the dim street lights. Simple. Delicious. We went back and got some dulce (dessert) at the same window. That meal kept me from writing off Cuban food completely. I came really close. I had the worst meal also in Cuba. What can I say, it's a country of extremes.

2. Enchiladas and Wine, Austin, TX, at Tony and Carmen's house. On the 2nd and our last night in Austin, our hosts invited us to dine with them. This is one of those meals where it's not about the food or the wine (although they were both terrific: the enchiladas were fresh, and there's that bizarre/cool/incredible coincidence with the wine we purchased for the occasion). We made friends that night. That will always be a better reason to remember a meal.

3. Gringas al pastor, Queretaro, Mexico. My sweet hosts took me to downtown/Centro Queretaro to sightsee and then we stopped to pick up dinner at this taco stand (which has a cool nickname that I forgot already... more reason to write everything down!). These gringas are soft tacos, open faced, with roasted pork, cheese, onions, some pineapples, cilantro, salsa. It felt like I can eat 20 of them they are so tasty, but like my mom always said to me, your eyes are bigger than your stomach. We also got an amazing bean soup from there. Definitely a side of Mexican cuisine that I didn't get to experience while living in California.

4. Ceviche, Lima, Peru. Amidst a really frustrating day, my new friend Amy invited me to lunch at her favorite ceviche place in Lima. Being a sea-port Lima offers great fresh selections of seafood, but ceviche is the crown jewel. Raw white fish (sashimi-style) doused in lime juice, served and mixed with slices of onions. Usually it comes with steamed sweet potato and a side of corn - which is a bit different in Peru. The corn bits are 3x the size, whiter, and not as crunchy. Delicious, light, healthy. I was encouraged to drink chicha (chicha morada) which is another Peruvian specialty, a drink made with corn although tastes like a sweet berry of sorts. I've always liked Peruvian food (the meat/potatos/rice variety) but ceviche made me a huge fan.

5. Sandwich, Machu Picchu, Peru. I sat on a rock, looking down the valley from a corner in MP. It was a simple fresh sandwich: avocado, cheese, tomato, on a round sweet bun. But man. I was in Machu Picchu. Eating this $1 sandwich. With a new friend from Japan, whose birthday was that day. What a treat.

What other "Top 5" would you like to hear about? Make it doable. Not like Top 5 train rides (didn't take that many), or Top 5 moments (too big/broad), or Top 5 funniest tourist outfits (well, maybe I have this one). Ask away.