Whalesharks and Tacos

18th February. Birthday Tacos in La Paz.

After swimming with whale sharks for Jen's Birthday, which was truly spectacular, we went into town for some tacos. I went for one familiar item (Pastor) to ensure some satisfaction in case my other wildcard items didn't pay off. Pastor is, I believe,  of Persian descent- flavours and techniques (I.e. kebab on the grill) of the middle east, brought by the Spanish as they invaded. It's a spice blend, primarily of dried chillies and cumin, cooked in vinegar and then it marinades meat of any kind, usually pork as it's well suited. If done in the pan instead, it's known as Adobada.

My other orders were things I forgot to note the name of, so I'll need to revisit. Basically, one was carne asada (grilled beef) topped with chorizo. The other, I have no idea. I deliberately didn't ask as I am trying to be more adventurous. I'll need to ask again next time. The carne asada/chorizo combo was pretty damn good. The other thing, which I think was maybe offal, didn't quite capture my heart.

Jen was on Baja style fish tacos with the batter. Very nice indeed. Susie went for grilled fish crispy rolled tacos. Patrick was carne asada all the way. It's hard to know how many to order as they vary in size from place to place and price isn't always a gauge of quantity. At about $1.50 a pop in a more expensive place like this, when 3 fill you, you can't complain. Lunch for 3 of us  including cocktails, came in at around $25. 

The other advantage is being able to have variety and a quantity to suit how hungry you are as you can just order as you go. It's a fantastic way to eat, and always leaves open the possibility of a nibble elsewhere...Read more