Pucusana is a tiny seacoast hamlet about 70 kilometers south of Lima with some 10,000 inhabitants. It hosts the primary Mercado Pescador that supplies fresh seafood to Lima and the surrounding area. Pucusana's natural harbor is icy cold and crystal clear. One can see sea lions swimming under the boats hoping to catch a free breakfast! It is also nestled away from the winter tempests of the Pacific Ocean.
Take a break and go with me to Pucusana, Peru!
The view driving south on the tolled Pan American Highway...
I could drive all the way to Chile on this road if I wanted to...
Hmmmm? Anybody want to make that drive with me?
There is a steep drive down thru the poverty stricken hamlet to the harbor...
We parked at the new Parque de Armas and walked a short block to see this!
Just an FYI...I worked all day to get this video to load on my blog. After many tries, I thought I would upload it to YouTube. That was a first for me, but lo and behold....it worked! See video below...
Vickie's Video of Pucusana Harbor on YouTube
The harbor is full of small fishing scows that belong to net fishermen. But the deep water fishing fleet, which bring in the tuna, shark, dorado, corvina, congrio, chita, swordfish, etc..., harbor here as well.
I made lots of Pucusana harbor photos for painting canvasses later...
First thing on the agenda was to see the fish market! During the fishing high season up to a thousand artisan fishermen land their catch on the small pier. A huge crowd of local fish workers await their arrival every day and prepare fish for waiting refrigerating trucks that provide the capital with fresh seafood.
The market is always guarded. Sometimes they bring in cold water tuna (Atun) which is worth a lot of money on the local Japanese sushi market.
"Stick them up! Now...give me your biggest tuna!"
Most of those tuna weight hundreds of pounds...so nobody without a forklift can move them...
There is a large population of Japenese in Lima. In fact, one of the latest presidents was Fujimora. It is disconcerting to hear Japanese speaking rapid, fluent spanish in the elevators at work....Lima is blend of many cultures. I will post on that soon!
See the Dorado...nice catch.
In the market that day they had brought in a massive swordfish. I did not get a picture of it, but this link will show you its size...without the sawblade.
Here is a pile of headless Blue Sharks caught that day. They sell this to the cebicherias which use it to make the famous Peruvian Ceviche.
Some of them are very large...
Once can't transport mariscos without dry ice! Boat loads of it!
Some of the locals get first choice on the left overs....
This "gaviota" is brave as she pecks around looking for a few delicious fish gizzards... She is the only seagull I saw that day...very strange.
To slice and dice fish all day long, one must have a sharp knife. Who sharpens knives? The man with the antique grinding wheel...just like the one my father has!
This is a tool that can always be used without electricity...
Click here to see more sites of the fish market in action...
Pucusana Fish Business
The painting of the frontwall of the market from the harbor shows the marine species that inhabit the sea of Pucusana. All fishermen are watched over by Saint Peter, the Saint for the fishermen. Marisol thought St. Peter looked a little like our famous Captain Krunch....
Tending the nets...
The coastal cliffs offer a great number of beautiful diving sites...
From Pucusana one can take advanced diving trips to their Isla de Galapagos (see map below) and other unique places where there are cities of Moray Eel and special currents that bring unusual sea life that stop over for a few days or months before disappearing again. I am including this link and diving map for my brother and my folks that are avid Gulf of Mexico divers... I sound like a tour guide...ugh....
http://www.qoyllur-tours.com/dolphin/pucusana_spots.php
Map of Pucusana...
You can see by the map below the waters off the coast of Peru are from the Humboldt current that swirls around the lower section of the southern hemisphere. Bring your heavy duty wet suit...
After touring the fish market, Jennifer arranged for us to take a tour of the harbor and outer banks.
Please allow me to introduce Fortunato Espinoza, who is a 30 year fishing veteran...better know by the locals as El Pescador! He still carries his bait with him...see the tiny murmuy (sand crabs) in the boat...
Push off swabbie!
And we are off and away with the "Old Man and his Sea"...powered by a small, pull start, diesel, putt putt engine...
I am used to smelling salty air near the sea. It is strange there is no overpowering smell nor sounds of seagulls calling near fishing trawlers...all is so quiet...and calm except for the break in the mountain wall that separates the harbor from the sea...
After seeing this up close, I reached over the side of the skow to touch the water. I wanted to see how cold it really was....just in case! BRRRR.....
Now for the harbor sites!
Lighthouse and radio towers facing out to sea...
Hermano Pescador was the bravest fisherman of Pucusana. The people dedicated this bust to him because he survived many years on the sea...saving many from certain death.
The tanker house...now unoccupied... What else would they do with a shipwreck that came through the wall?
The island home of a former Peruvian president...
Other interesting homes on the harbor...there are those that HAVE and those that HAVE NOT...
Notice the homes and rocks that are not whitewashed with paint. They have their own form of whitewash....
Onward in search of sea lions!
In order to get the effect of our trip out to sea in the skow, please click on the link below... You will get an idea of what it was like that day and you will wonder about what all the people in the dinghy would do if it capsized. We had NO life vests in the boat...didn't notice THAT before leaving shore. Shame on me...won't do it again...
Just inside the harbor the crevasses begin.
We are headed to open sea around the point on the left...so far the water is relatively calm for a small craft...
This is the crevasse that marks the separation of the harbor and the sea.
and the swells begin!
We are now out of the harbor. The water is crystal clear. Each day they say dolphins come to the opening of the harbor to play and catch fish...but we didn't see any that day.
We begin to round the point...and water is swelling higher and higher... I am starting to get a LEETLE nervous...I don't like cold water and I sure don't like sharks. After seeing all those blue sharks at the market, my mind is now focused on looking down into the sea instead of searching for sea lions on the cliffs!
Here is a link to a video that shows how deadly the South American sharks are.... It was taken by Peruvian fishermen...
Sharks on my mind!
If you look close, you can see the whirlpool. Don't ask....
We pass the sucking whirlpool and look below...
Ususual birds to photograph. I found out later that the second one is an "Incan Tern." Both have bright red beaks...
I finally see a couple of sea lions sleeping high above the water where they warm themselves in the sun.
OK...TIME TO GO!!! TURN this skow around....whew...
All the girls were ready to go back. The sun was biting hot on the skin, but the air was cold. I have never experienced such extremes together like that before.
Going back to the harbor, El Pescador quietly grinned at the girls gripping fear of the sea. He took us close to the cliffs where there were there were many birds and red rock crabs to photograph.
El Pescadore would run his skow close to the roosts of thousands of Incan Terns and they would fly in mass, syncopated profusion. I regret not getting a photo of this as it was like a swarm of bees. I kept thinking about the droppings and wondering if I, the turista, would be peppered at the amusement of this wizened old fisherman.
Back ashore, we haggled with some street vendors...buying Peruvian T-Shirts (Poleras...polo shirts) and pescadoran incan lana (wool). I bought a set which consisted of a tightly woven fisherman sweater, pull over vest, fishing boot socks, hat, and pantalones...all in royal blue wool for $55 USD. I plan to hibernate in it this winter in Santiago when it gets really cold....
Here is the family of Incan vendors who asked to have their photo taken!
Water makes me hungry. Anyone ready for lunch? Ok...let's go find a restaurant. We will race each other in tuctuc's!
Almuerzo...finally. The owner of this lovely restaurant on the bay offered us fresh Chita for lunch, which is a typical Peruvian fish served pan fried. Her son offered us big red rock crabs, like the ones we had just seen sunning themselves on the cliffs near the water... We all chose chita...fresh off the boat.
Here is the menu and of course the initial appetizer of canchitas serrana, lovely, little, easy to eat, Peruvian corn nuts. Off the menu we ordered an appetizer of various Pucusana seafood delicacies...and of course...Cebiche.
While we waited for lunch to be prepared, Jennifer and Hans Quenaya decided what we would do next. Hans was our Lima taxi driver for the day. He works for Jennifer's family...a very quiet, kind, PATIENT, gentleman! I admire his ability to withstand the shopping crazies of four women from 6:30 am to 11:00 pm....
Ta da! The feast for twenty! First the appetizers...
I have fallen in love with Peruvian Ceviche. There is nothing like it... The fish is cooked in limon cevichera, served with slivers of red onion on top and a slice of the EVIL rocoto pepper. To the side you will see boiled choklo and a wedge of sweet potato that is prepared with a lemony salty sweet coating. Delicioso...
On this platter is a variety of clams, scallops, shrimp, octopus (pulpo = YUCK), oysters, and fried yucca...
The entree's....
Peruvians must have 100 kinds of potatoes...they are served at every meal in some form or fashion. I plan to dedicate a post specifically about the potatoes of Peru.
Fried Chita fresh from the sea....
Over lunch, we talked about how this fish looked like a fried pirahna...
Hans did not order the Chita. Instead, he ordered the standard soup of the day, Chupa de Camarones...which is a coconut milk/curry based soup with albondigas de camarones (Shrimp rice balls) and other seafood. And of course if you look close...choklo. Chupa means to "suck" or savor the flavor of the shrimp...
I will try this next time I go to Lima...or on a return trip to Pucusana.
Leftovers anyone? NOT....
And now...if I can stay awake...we are off to see Pachacamac! See you there...
For more sights and sounds of Pucusana, click on this YouTube video link that recaptures everything I shared... Look close and you will our restaurant owner and others we met in this video. Enjoy!
