"Ice Cold" Presidentes

In the Dominican, when they say that the beer is "ice cold", they literally mean it... the beer is kept buried in ice and is served just above freezing temperatures. It's a great refreshment after spending an afternoon in the hot caribbean sun. 

Partying With the Locals in Guangzhou

In China, you will not find that many traditional bars or pubs (like you would find in the US or Europe). Yes, there are a few... but they are typically filled with westerners. This is because people in China generally do not drink alcohol casually. Therefore, there's no reason for them to go hang out at a pub. In my experience, drinking alcohol in China is a group activity... and people drink to get drunk or they prefer to not drink at all. There's not much of a middle ground. Also, when you do take a drink, you need to drink with another person (can't just take a sip of your beer by yourself)... and the drink increments are in the "two dollar" (half) or "four dollar" (full) range. This is why I recommend requesting beer at dinner (not much fun "chugging" wine). The only time you get away with a sip, is if you do a "cheers". There's also a protocol for pouring drinks (hold your cup with two hands if the pourer is your elder, don't pour your own glass)... and it's popular to play weird drinking games that the westerner usually loses.
This all might sound a little complicated, but don't worry... the outcome is always the same: You get drunk.

Anyways, in these photos, you see where some of the real locals go to hang out. I saw large groups dancing in the public square (like an outdoor dance club, but free), people lounging by riverside, street performers doing tricks, families having picnics, teenagers causing trouble... it was cool to check out (and I only got stared at a little bit). Do you think this would be more fun than hanging out at a bar?

Lounging Riverside in Guangzhou

Lounging on the riverside in Guangzhou and enjoying a cold Tsingtao "Gold" in the hot/humid climate. There are a few interesting comments I have about these photos.

Tsingtao beer is one of China's greatest exports. They have several different varieties... the most popular/plentiful/cheap is the green label. The green label is a standard pilsner beer and is similar to a Budweiser in flavor. It is brewed all over the country. If you're at a more fancy restaurant (or happen to be up North in Qingdao), you can get the gold label. The gold label is still brewed in Qingdao and uses mineral water from Laoshan Spring. This gives it a more unique flavor. I actually quite enjoy the gold label (if I can find it)... and as you can see from the photos, I was lucky on this particular evening.

Another interesting thing to note in these photos are the Christmas-looking lights in the background. There's a common joke I've heard from several Westerners living in Southern China related to these lights. If you walk around Guangzhou (at any time of the year), you will see what looks like Christmas lights all over the place: buildings, trees, restaurants, bridges, etc... and as you might know, China is good at copying things (technology, hand bags, shoes). The joke goes that a city planner for Guangzhou decided to travel to several western cities (just as his city was starting to explode with growth) to get a better understanding of how they were developed. This planner went to London, Paris, Munich, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco... and came back with many great ideas. However, he went during the month of December... hence the Christmas lights.

Peruvian Gold - "Beer O'Clock"

Every night around 6:o0PM, the guests at Chicama Resort would gather on the deck area for "Beer O'Clock". The second (or third) surf session will have just finished, the sun is about to set, everyone is in a good mood (but exhausted), and beers/stories start flowing. It was one of my favorite times of the day because you could relax and reflect on a day of surfing amazing waves with new friends. Also, you just happened to have an amazing view overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

These are a few sunset photos I took... I don't have anything else to say other than "ENJOY!" & "VISIT PERU!"

(recommend to click on the photos to view in full size)

Paraíso

Pilsner... La Cerveza de El Salvador

What's on Tap?

Stopping by the Beantown Pub for an afternoon drink.