Mixing it up at Mestizo

Oh how I’d been looking forward to visiting Mestizo on Hampstead Road, Euston. So many Mexican restaurants in London. And so few serve REAL Mexican food, and yes, that is said as one who has been to that gorgeous country and tasted its fine cuisine. 

What really led me here was my quest to find real mole in London. No, not guacamole, mole, a delicious sauce made with up to 80 ingredients including chocolate and chilli, and particularly scrummy when served with chicken! Many a time I’ve scoured an uninspiring menu in a London Mexican restaurant, asked whether they serve mole and been met with a gormless expression- “Do we serve whaat?” It seems most Mexican restaurants serve Tex Mex- nachos, tortillas, enchiladas, tacos, you’ve got the picture. I was disappointed on a recent trip to Wahaca where the food still fell into that category, but Mestizo serves up all that stuff and then the real thing too.

Backpacking in Chile- The Top 5 Highlights

Firstly, I must say, at the risk of sounding cheesy and predictable, that Chile is the most beautiful country I’ve ever visited. And that’s pretty much for one reason alone: The Andes. They’re enchanting, breathtaking, and pretty much omnipresent in Chile- just take a look at the map. The country is bordered by the Andes to the East forming a natural border with Argentina, legendary for its precarious mountain crosses, which claimed the lives of many Spanish conquistadores. If all goes to plan I’d like to return to South America to trek in the Andes and take in their beauty in Argentina and Peru also. The mountains have a spirit, echoed by the friendly people you meet all over Chile, and that sort of sentimental kindness is infectious- I’m surprised they haven’t tried to bag it! So, with the Andes as my absolute number 1 highlight, here are my real top 5 destinations I visited during my time backpacking in Chile, from Santiago to San Pedro de Atacama…

Stunning Andes