Croissant amigos in Huaraz

I love croissants. I really do. I believe that they're god's gift to the world of pastry — via the French. And they're not so easy to find, either, down here in Peru. That's why when I saw a pasteleria here in Huaraz a few days ago, that was selling croissants, I eagerly bought some. And they were delicious. Yesterday, I returned to this treasure-trove supplier of wheat-filled goodness, only to discover that they were out of croissants. But I must be more memorable than I realise (what with my hairy beard and all, these days): because all that I did was walk past the croissant shop this evening, and the girls working inside called out: "¡Amigo — hoy dia, tenemos croissantes!" (lit: "Hey mate — today we have croissants!").

I gotta admit, the croissants here in Huaraz aren't the best I've ever eaten — in fact, there's a pasteleria in Cusco, just round the corner from Jorge's house (the shop's on Av. de la Cultura in Urb. Santa Monica), that does much better ones — but for s/0.40 each, I really can't complain. And hey, some croissants is better than no croissants. This is Huaraz, Peruvian highlands; not Paris, home of everything that is tasty.

Hmmm… slight size difference… Peruvians are short in general, but the young girls are little more than midgets.

When I came inside, the people working in the store (mainly girls, and a few young guys as well) insisted on giving me a free cup of coffee. I don't much like coffee, and I had a bus to catch in 1 hour's time: but I figured it would be horribly rude to decline. They also insisted on swapping e-mail addresses with me, and on getting some photos taken with me. Plus, the young girls were giggling insanely the whole time, as all young Peruvian girls seem to do around gringo guys. Reminds me of the incident with the tacos, a very similar occurrence that happened once upon a time in Mexico.

This one’s my favourite. Can I touch?