La Casa

This post is really just for people who really want to see our house in detail. It's a nice place and the photos make it look good. Up close, it's a little worn and we keep finding things that don't quite work right, and the downstairs is kind of dark. But all in all, it has good karma, is very functional, and has some great spaces. Considering what many people here call home, this house could be a lot worse and we would still be doing better than half the city.

	View from the back wall, the small unheated pool, the long covered patio, and bedroom windows upstairs. The embassy made us put in the stupid safety fence. The birds like this area.
	This will be a nice place to be when the weather warms up in a month or two. There is a banquet-sized table at the other end of the patio, so dining al fresco will be great.
Below are three shots from our sidewalk. In (1) you can see the kiosk for the watchman, in (2) you see the big dusty hill around which we go to get into central Lima. (3) is towards the north. The street is never this devoid of traffic though.
	There is a small courtyard for parking between the 10ft wall and the house. There's 3 garage doors in the wall, but we just have the one car.
	Left is the entry, below the (1) living room, and (2) dining room. In the living room you can see the ugly bars that the embassy forced upon us...hopefully those will be covered with curtains soon. And, yes, we intend to get a light fixture. The living room and the dining area are one room the length of the house, with a fireplace in the middle and big french doors out to the patio.
	The kitchen. Mariza will sit at the little table and eat while the rest of us eat in the dining room. This feels weird, and is something I would like to change so I don't have to feel quite so much the don of the hacienda, but attempting to change things plays out in unexpected ways when one is new to a culture. Not pictured is Mariza's small room and bath outside around the corner.
	By the way, here is a meal Mariza prepared. Lomo Saltado is a Peruvian sauté of beef and fried potatoes (basically french fries). Variations are many, but chicken is common, or noodles instead of the fries. Here she has served it with pea soup and rice and a salad. The salad features the unfailingly amazing avocado here, and the little yellow jungle fruit called aguaymanto (Cape Gooseberry). They taste like raspberry and kumquat, with the texture of a cherry tomato...and, indeed, they are relatives of the tomato.
	The den, with a little loft up on the second floor (not really visible).
	The landing upstairs, where I work (though it appears in this photo I am checking Facebook). Out the window to the left is the parking courtyard and the perimeter wall over which I see the street and the hills beyond. As I type, I have a visitor, the Vermillion Flycatcher (like a sparrow, but bright red). Usually it's the bright yellow version, the Social Flycatcher.
	Master BR
	Master Bath
	Carter's Room He likes the bars shut because then "even if a guy has a grappling hook, he can't get in". Note the Tintin painting is a scene from Temple of the Sun and the boat is called Pachacamac...and the story takes place in Peru. I painted this for Carter long before we knew we were coming here.
	Carter's Bath
	Guest Bath
	Guest Room It will be cozier by the time you get here.