Rising from the Sri Lankan jungle stands the citadel of Sigiriya.  An immense rock of volcanic origin, Sigiriya was transformed into the magnificent palace of Kassapa, a king whose story will blow your mind.  Think Macbeth meets Othello with a dash of a Poe short story. You're going to enjoy this one.
 
By a tremendous bit of serendipity (which is useful, given that the word "serendipity" comes from the Arabic word for Sri Lanka), my daughter's two best friends are of Sri Lankan descent, and one of their mothers joined me for an in-person interview about visiting the magnificent citadel, other sites in Sri Lanka and of course, all the great things to eat, including kiribath, a coconut milk rice dish that serves as the official first meal of every new year.
 
Sources: 
Bullis, Douglas and Wendy Hutton. The Food of Sri Lanka: Authentic Recipe from the Isle of Gems.
 
Culavamsa, translated by Wilhelm Geiger
 
Lonely Planet Sri Lanka
 
Rough Guide to Sri Lanka
 
Wanasundera, Nanda Pethiyagoda and Jo-Ann Spelling. Sri Lanka.
 
Music by Niranjala Sarojini
 

The best lunch I’ve ever eaten was ceviche in Lima.  Hands down. 

Traditional Peruvian ceviche is amazingly simple.  Seafood, lime juice, red onion, and chile.  That’s it.  Plus sweet potato and corn on the side.

As I said in the episode, you probably won’t be able to make the real thing, because your seafood, as fresh as it might be, won’t be as fresh as the seafood in Lima. Fed by the Humboldt Current, caught that morning, and served for lunch because dinner would be too late: that’s Limeño ceviche.

But if you do have good seafood available, this will get you pretty darn close!

Some notes:

• If you have one, use a mandoline for the red onion to get it as thin as possible. 
• Feel free to substitute scallops or shrimp or octopus or really any seafood, diced in the same size, for the fish, or mix them.
• If you can get Peruvian aji amarillo (yellow pepper), use that, but this jalapeño will do. 
• If you can find giant-kerneled Peruvian corn, that would be ideal, but whatever you have will do.
• The fish needs to be as fresh as possible. Buy from a reputable fishmonger. If you cannot prepare and eat immediately, keep the fish on ice in the refrigerator to maintain as much freshness as possible. 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

STEPS

• In separate pots, boil the corn and sweet potato until tender.  When cool, peel sweet potato. Slice corn into 2 inch (5 cm) segments, slice potato into 1 inch (2.5 cm) segments.
• Combine fish, onion, lime juice, cilantro, and chiles in a bowl, mixing gently with your hands. Use gloves, if you’re worried about the acid and chile.  Season with salt and pepper.
• Let sit for 15-20 minutes.
• Serve.

Recipe adapted from https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/07/classic-peruvian-style-fish-ceviche-recipe.html

Etched in the rocky plains of the southern Peruvian coast, the Nazca Lines fascinate visitors and archaeologists. While we still don't know why the Nazca people created lines, shapes and figures that could only be seen from the air, we have some hypotheses. We also know: not aliens.

Max Serjeant from the Latin American History podcast talks about how civilization came to ancient Peru, how the Nazca and their predecessors tamed the desert, and why archaeologists think the Nazca created their geoglyphs.

Tracy DeLuca, an avid traveller who recently flew over the lines, tells about her experience, both the amazing views and the stomach-churning turns.

We also talk about Lima, one of my favorite cities, with its colonial architecture and incredible food scene, featuring ceviche, some of the best food on earth. So grab a pisco sour and enjoy!

Sources:
Dubé, Ryan. Moon Guide to Peru

Hadingham, Evan. Lines to the Mountain Gods: Nazca and the Mysteries of Peru

Lonely Planet Peru

Masterson, Daniel. The History of Peru

Moseley, Michael E. The Incas and Their Ancestors