Hats in Peru

[alanfgag]

I echo the raves and the thanks!

 

[scooter]

Hey Blackthorn, you are quite the traveling dude! Thanks for sharing the fantastic pics.

 

[mikespens]

Refreshing to see cultures not caught in the progress trap.

 

[seabass]

Refreshing to see cultures not caught in the progress trap.

Mike , My POP left & never returned after he retired to Peru,,,,& he is not from there, Now I understand why.......
Blackthorn, what a wonderful trip you had Great of you to share & all of your worldy ventures, just amazing the places you go ....
Thank you !

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Those are some wonderful pictures. It appears the people there have some really bright colored attire and all seemed very friendly in the pictures you took. You probably make all of us wish we could have made the trip! So how was the food there? I had to ask as I am a "chow hound"!

 

[Blackthorn]

Thanks for all the kind words, my friends, much appreciated! I do love to travel.

 

[Blackthorn]

Those are some wonderful pictures. It appears the people there have some really bright colored attire and all seemed very friendly in the pictures you took. You probably make all of us wish we could have made the trip! So how was the food there? I had to ask as I am a "chow hound"!

The food was excellent, for the most part. The big thing there is alpaca steaks, and they were fantastic. They also had some vegetables I had never seen before, and again they were great. The really big thing to eat there, and I'm not making this up, as Dave Barry says, is guinea pig. All the main restaurants carry it. I usually try any new foods wherever I go, but a guinea pig cost twice as much as an alpaca steak, so I just couldn't justify spending the money. The guide who took my wife and me thru Machu Piccu also said they love eating chinchillas, which surprised me, since I never saw them on any menu.

 

[LoveMyHats2]

I was first given a "taste" of variety of foods in different countries while in the U.S. Navy. Some places do have food items that we here in the US would never guess or think of eating! It is great to see your pictures, I have not been to Peru yet. Thanks so much for sharing your travels!

 

[leo]

Blackthorn, thanks for the great photos.

I was in Peru last month and can say that it is one of the most hat-wearing countries in the world (work takes me to all continents except Antarctica). While hatless Lima could be mistaken for Bogota or Mexico City, fedoras and such are common in the rural and tourist areas. In Cuzco, residents of Indian heritage wear hats of unique color and style of the hat that can identify the neighborhoods in which they live.

LMH2, Alpaca meat is good. Guinea pig, not so much. Coastal Peru is famous for its ceviche (and Pisco sours, of course). Lima has several world-class restaurants. Chef Gaston even opened a gourmet burger place in October ;-) Actually, it is quite good. I certainly enjoyed the fresh seafood and South American wines.

Here are some photos to supplement Blackthorn's excellent representation of the fascinating hat scene in Peru.

In Cuzco:

Field worker with an Optimo-like straw (low quality pic - shot at a distance from a moving train):

In the Plaza de Armas in Cuzco:

Umbrellas? Lampshades? Works for them. Wouldn't work for me ;-)

In Cuzco:

Selling to tourists at the Cuzco airport. Not made in Peru, I suspect ;-)

A tour guide at Machu Pichu. Hey, I have a hat like that!

Sorry, I couldn't help it, but this tourist trio would look comical just about anywhere. They crisscrossed the Plaza de Armas in Cuzco rapidly and repeatedly, shooting as they moved in file. I don't know where they got the leather sombreros but they certainly were outfitted to trek the outback. The irony is that I made the photo from the balcony of the Starbucks!

At the Sacsayhuaman ruins:

 

[Blackthorn]

Great pics, Leo!

 

[hatophile]

Great pics, Leo!

Agreed!

 

[RBH]

In the Hiram Bingham museum there were some pics

This photo is just too cool!

 

[Blackthorn]

I knew I was forgetting something. Here are a few more pics, don't know how I missed them before.

One of the few men I saw wearing fedoras:

and now back to the women:

This lady was selling my wife some belts:

Ok, *now* I'm done.

 

[Lotsahats]

Wide, flat brim; round, simple bash; wide, tapered crown--that's an amazing hat!

 

[Blackthorn]

Wide, flat brim; round, simple bash; wide, tapered crown--that's an amazing hat!

Yeah, I'd have bought one if I could have found where they were sold.

 

[Blackthorn]

This photo is just too cool!

Yeah, I felt the same way, Rusty!

 

[danofarlington]

My go-to vintage hat is a Borsalino Dalessandria. It's great. On the sweatband is embossedd the guy's name, marked "Lima." The seller was in Peru. So I am getting the impression that Peru is a major hat place, even apart from Indian hat-wearing.

 

[leo]

Good pics, Blackthorn. I probably took more photos of all the great old Volkswagen Beetles than anything.

The fedoras there seem to have a great combination of urban style and rugged outdoors practicality. I bet I could find a great one there but I spent my free "shopping" time looking for Charangos in music shops in Lima instead of tracking down hat stores. I will correct that on my next trip there ;-)