Mmmmmm...cow heart

My first week is coming to a close here in Puno. I had a very relaxing Saturday with a trip to the local street market and shopping downtown. In the evening, I went out for dinner with three house-guests from Mexico, the US, and Japan. It was a very fun evening...though we struggled with the poor Japanese girl. She hardly speaks English and even less Spanish. She's been in Peru for two months studying the behavior of alpaca in accordance to what type of vegetation they eat. Yea...she gets a lot of interesting looks from the locals.

I enjoy the balance of my housing situation. On one hand, I am treated like a member of the family. The kids invite me out for meals and weekend parties. Jeny and I often sit and chat over breakfast. She has introduced me to typical cuisine. For example, this morning I had a very soupy rendition of oatmeal mixed with orange juice. It was very good...and I normally HATE oatmeal! On the other hand, I get to meet a lot of interesting tourists that stay for a day or two. After they go out on a daily excursion to the ruins or lake Titicaca, I can accompany them downtown for a meal or a drink. I am definitely not lonely, and that has been a nice change from the first week in Lima.

Today was also quite fun. Juan invited me to a bbq at his house. It was a bit different than the asados I am used to with my argentine friends. There was SO much food! Meat and veggies and salads and drinks and bread! My two favorite dishes were the salad made of apple, celery, and mayo and the best meat....cow heart. I know you're all thinking "GOO!" (or maybe just Wiggins hehehe) Seriously, seriously, it was fabulous! I arrived at around 12, the food was served between 2-3, and afterwards we played a typical family game called "sapo" or frog. I left around 5pm completely stuffed. The funny thing is, though, that I didn't eat that much. Since I have arrived in Puno a week ago, I haven't been able to eat a lot of food at once. At the high altitude, digestion takes a bit longer. But I'm not worried...I think the cow heart will hold me over for the night! :)