Cuscotopia!

Ok, so...I lied.

Specifically, the bit where I claimed I was going to eat an Alpaca. Or...part of one.
All I ask is that, before you judge, you take a moment to view the photos at the bottom of this post.

But, before you do that, here's a little update, first:

This morning we had our second rehearsal with the entire group which, I'm sorry to say, didn't go quite as smoothly as yesterday. However, I attribute this to the fact that a 9am rehearsal on a Sunday morning isn't really anyone's idea of a good time. That is not to say the rehearsal was not without merit. We did 3 full run-throughs (ok, yes, there was quite a bit of stop-and-start-ing) but we managed to get through them. Between each run-through we played a number of games and at one point even had the boys break into 3 groups and tie human knots and then rewarded them with some good, old-fashioned, Werther's Originals.

After rehearsal Ryan and I went on a tour of Sillustani (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sillustani) a pre-Incan burial ground about 40 minutes outside the city of Puno. On the ride over I sat next to a girl from Rio --we both tried to speak to each other in Spanish before we both realized that the other spoke English. We agreed upon the fact that we liked this language a great deal more :) She was swell. We also met a guy from Sweden who could not stop telling us that he "LOOOVED" America. His favorite parts? Wal-Mart, Marshalls, and our hypocrisy. True story.

As for Sillustani, itself, twas beautiful. However, for anyone not native to these parts their heart starts racing after just a few minutes because of the altitude. But, it was easily overlooked. I was much too preoccupied by the little village children holding lambs, herds of Alpaca, baby pot-bellied pigs walking in the streets, cattle up to their necks in the lake, as well as ancient tombs and cliffs overlooking Lake Umayo to be concerned with such a minor thing as lack of oxygen.

On our way back to Puno we stopped at a homestead on the side of the road. Alpaca and llamas were grazing in front of the straw-roofed clay hut. The woman (complete in the traditional garb of long braids, colorful skirt, and alpaca fur sweater) graciously invited us into her home where we were able to eat some of her freshly made queso, warm up by her fire, and view her large collection of (soon to be slaughtered) guinea pigs.

Anyway, after some serious bonding with one of the baby Alpacas ("they're so fluffy I'm gonna diiiie!") I have now decided it would be out of the realm of possibility for me to consume one.

Okay, and now, what I'm sure you've all been waiting for:

 

:)

 

<3 

!



-sarah