guinea pigs, better pets than dinner

true to our word, we had cuy al horno last night. that would be a whole guinea pig, roasted in the oven. it was presented to us on a plate in a state of suspended animation, body intact, mouth open, teeth visible (dramatically clenching a red pepper), four legs outstretched in terror, and deep fried to a delicious degree. it was horrible and fascinating to look at. our waiter encouraged us to photograph it, so we did. (photo to come soon). he promptly removed it from the table after the photography session, and took it back to the kitchen to remove it's head and feet, and divide it in two for a more manageable dining experience. upon it's return, we devoured the small amount of meat we could find in the hindquarters. you might imagine it's not a terribly meaty beast, and you'd be right. while turning the mid section of the animal over to find more meat, we made a disturbing discovery that effectively ended the cuy dining adventure. the guinea pig retained most of it's vital organs. at first, david, the eternal optimist, assured me, the eternal pessimist, that what we found in the body cavity was no doubt delicious meat stuffing. we believed that theory until the liver fell out of david's pig, and the heart rolled out of mine. we discovered important cultural differences in the dressing of dinner meat. it can be a barrier, but the meat really is quite palatable.

it came with a side of cooked maize of the cusco gigante variety. casey, it was delicious, but thoroughly cooked and would be of no use to you. we came close. so close.

right now we are in cusco in an internet cafe off the main plaza. as we entered, a growing crowd of adults (approximately 300) we marching, carrying signs, and chanting outside. then the policia showed up in riot gear. we're looking forward to participating in the development of this exciting party outside.

it's off to lima this afternoon, and california the next day. muy pronto, indeed.