New Food Groups and Odds and Ends
fish soup for breakfast in the Llanos
Surprisingly not bad. Then we had grilled fish for the second course...
corn and beans in Suro Antivo
We were eating the whole beans, everyone dipping out of the bowl with spoons. A bit later in the meal, we noticed that our host, the assistant mayor (the man in the hat in the next picture) was carefully peeling off the husks. I figure it was just good roughage!
food and friends...and no electricity in the best house in town
you'd be surprised at how this goes down
Ever had papaya juice? It looks so good! Like a nice glass of orange juice, to which it is a distant relative. Distant for sure. We've been trying to figure out a nice way to describe its consistency. Bruce suggests the juice equivalent of okra. Slimey. Notice the viscous coating on the glass after only one swallow.
And now for cuy (pronounced more or less "coo-ee")
cuy on the hoof in the corner of the kitchen
We saw them in Alto Peru in one of the homes we visited. It was explained that, no, they were not pets. They were food not requiring refrigeration.
Cuy are a delicacy in these here parts. Wandering around in a brief tourist moment in Cuzco today we spotted them on the menu of a local restaurant.
roasted or fried...lip smacking good!
Another restaurant had a "pick-by-the-picture" menu.
poor little guy!
I ordered the burger and fries.
Okay, so I pulled a fast one yesterday. We were eating breakfast at Don Pablo's house. He had hired a lady to come in and prepare our meal (which we then paid for.) Five of us ate for less than six dollars (Bruce: "It was overpriced.") I could tell it was "meat" with onions. What cut of meat I'm not sure but this I do know. About halfway through I just plain lost interest in trying to not offend anyone by not finishing.
it looks better than it tasted
So I pretended there were pictures and video that needed to be taken right then! Bruce figured out immediately what I was doing. But he didn't have a camera or a job that needed to be done right then...except to polish his plate.
That just about does it for food. Now for a quiz. What is out of place on this door?
You'll have to get closer.
Homer Simpson in Sicuani, Peru! Hmmm, maybe not so out of place...
Surprise, surprise. (How did someone even plug this in?)
Speaking of electricity as we have been on and off, I was surprised though fortunately not shocked to find this arrangement by my bedside table at the "Centro Vacational", the hotel we stayed at the other night. I was going to unplug the table lamp in order to hook up a battery charger when I thought to look where my fingers were going.
About half way there...
We did a touristy thing this morning before running to the airport. There is a big white statue of Jesus on a hill overlooking Cuzco. It's called "the White Christ." Interestingly enough, it was given to the people of Cuzco by the Palestinians in 1945. The plaque on the statue didn't elaborate on that.
Anyway, it's quite a climb! I asked Bruce at one point what the Spanish is for "hospital" in case I needed to get him help. He suggested that I could start doing CPR and someone else would probably see us and go get help. I told him that I don't know CPR. "What kind of traveling companion are you?" he asked.
On the way up we ran into Llama Lady. Tim and Donna, this one is for you. It cost me 2 soles (67 cents) so I hope you enjoy it. The llama was well behaved and didn't spit.
I declined to have my photo taken with the llama. I know llamas from staying with the Andersons. You want to keep your distance.
So we made it to the top and I'm sure it was worth it.
(Create your own caption)
This tells you something about Cuzco.
Right inside the baggage claim area at the Cuzco airport was the free oxygen lady. There really is less air here. But at least what air there is is free.
Inca Kola. A favorite drink from the past.
The Incas were once a mighty people, known for their advanced culture. Inca Kola is (reportedly) made from an ancient secret recipe although the kola the Incas drank lacked "gaseosas personal", an ingredient listed on today's version.
"See any chiggers under here?"
It's hard to believe that we were doing this a week and a half ago! It's becoming a blur. And there's still a week to go with a number of projects to visit and evaluate.
Steve gets himself tangled up in another fine mess.
For some reason Bruce finds this picture of me getting hooked on barbed wire amusing. It's that weird Vermont sense of humor. Other Vermont readers of this blog will probably be laughing, too, although people from other more sympathetic states may not be.
We've got matching Meal-a-Day caps thanks to Susie Lange. Thanks, Susie!
When you're reading this we'll be in La Paz, Bolivia, getting ready to visit a microhydro project, check out a Bruce Peru startup operation in Bolivia and see what we might do with Save the Children in the La Paz prison. Stay tuned! And please continue to remember Christadelphian Meal-a-Day Fund of the Americas in your prayers as we continue to seek God's direction and blessing in this work.
Que Dios les bendiga. "May God bless you!"
Bruce and Steve