Breathless in Cuzco

Righto folks, time for another Dave entry. Ecuador is behind us, in fact now the majority of the trip is behind us and today, after we booked our monster whistle stop tour of southern Peru, we had a chance to reflect that this trip will be the last of the "big ones". We only have a couple of days in Chile, then about five in New Zealand before landing in Sydney.

I´ve been having a hard time on some days with the constant change, always moving from one place to the next without ever really getting close enough to where we were for it to feel familar. In another life I probably was a Yorkshireman - I know what I like and I like what I know.

Still as the South American adventure moves past the half way point I know that when I look back I´ll miss the chaos, dust, eggs and beans, beans and eggs, more dust and kind of "in your faceness" that has charaterised our trip.

Right now we´re trying to acclimatise to the altitude in Cuzco which I´m reliably (nothing here is reliable) informed is about 3500m above sea level. Which could mean anything from 12m to 500000m depending on who you asked.

It must be high because we´re both a bit short of breath and T´s got a headache. We looked like a couple of pensioners climbing the slight hill to the town square yesterday afternoon. Today is better and I think our time in the Ecuadorean Andes has helped a bit. Also curiously, despite what the guide book said, beer made me feel much better. (As an aside I´ve learned to do the opposite of whatever the guidebook recommends as it has been wrong about most things!) I was only going to have the one Cuzquena but then the flying scot Muzza came on the TV just as I was about to leave the bar and began thrashing Taylor Dent in the US Open Tennis and that was that. My sore head today would be unfairly pinned on altitude.

Incidentally thanks for all the feedback comments, we are reading them all and when we´re a little low or missing home they are great to review. So keep em coming.

Now, I´m rambling so let´s move onto something else.

Last night I was browsing a menu at dinner and came across the entry called "Cuy" or Guinea Pig. Should I or shouldn´t I? I just couldn´t decide. I mean god, how will clients feel when they find out I´ve eaten a cousin of little pookie? But there is always the "when in Rome" philosophy and I do eat cow, sheep and pig- so why not?

So, to add an element of interactivity to the blog (and abdicate responsibility for the decision to others) I texted a totally random number of folks in my address book the following question:

Should, or should I not try the local delicacy "Cuy" for dinner tonight?

The replies came back as follows. I´ll simply leave initials next to them but you know who you are.

"Hell yes, revenge is a dish best served roast." AP

"A dilemma indeed! Welfare is my thing, can you get ´freedom food´guinea? If so tuck in and try toforget the cute whistle!" BS

"Yay. Got to give it a go. If we weren´t supposed to eat them, they wouldn´t be made of meat..." MG

"Definitely, tastes like chicken?" JPH-B

"Definitely try it. Just say you thought it was chicken!" SRB

Just a sample (and as you can see a totally random selection), but an overwhelming majority (90%) of you heartless folks out there said Yay. With one tiny objection from a vege (Not T) which doesn´t really count. So that´s that. "Chicken" for dinner it is. Wonder what wine is appropriate? An Argentinean Malbec? Or perhaps a Chilean Cab Sab. Oh decisions.

Photos to follow. I feel like I´m in a bush tucker trial.

Next blog from me will be my Hagglers Guide. I think I´ll do a little review of the people we´ve met as well because they´ve all been a lot of fun.

See you after Guinea-gate.

Nix.

PS For the record the International Mankini Challenge is wrong, if a "little" amusing. I would like to distance myself from it and am accepting no responsibility for the homepage link and would strongly advise you all not to click as it´s horrific.