So, I´m sure that most of you who know Sam know that he can get a bit, well, fussy, sometimes when he gets hungry. So, I didn´t want to push it when he said it was time for lunch and opted for a hole in the wall spot in a dodgy Peruvian only part of town. Being the adventurous sort who definitly embrace cultural immersion here, the ¨menu tipica¨was exciting, even if neither of us had any idea what we ordered. I was a little concerned, I´ll admit, by the look the twelve year-old waitress gave me when I ordered Zarza Mixta, but I can´t think of a plate that I have yet absolutely refused to try. When it came, I could not stop smiling, and light tears rolled down my cheeks, but I chose a good, fleshy (as fleshy as possible) veinless bite, chewed, swallowed, and thought with great concern, ¨How on earth am I going to eat this plate?¨ If you could not tell with certainty by looking at the photo, that is indeed a nipple on my fork in the foreground, and that photo was taken after I managed to eat all of the potatoes, carrots, lima beans (and my mama knows how I feel about lima beans), and the great majority of mammary morsels. It was the rubbery, veiny, fat-covered pieces and the nipples that I just couldn´t handle. And Sam tried (barely), but he couldn´t either. It was probably the greatest culinary adventure of my life, but at least I got the ice cream cone that I deserved afterwards.

Quick note about my school experience: while my comfort and range in speaking spanish has widened, I still have a good ways to go. I did have fun with my Dutch friends the first four hours, and an even more rewarding last two hours a day one on one with my teacher. My homestay also fell short of my expectations, but I would not have wanted to pass up the oppertunity to stay with a Peruvian family. Would I have learned, otherwise, that soup is eaten for both lunch and dinner, with an entree present only at lunch?

Sam I are spent an hour this morning sitting in Arequipa´s Plaza de Armas (our bus got into town at seven a.m., so we were a little pressed for things to do so early) making a list of cultural things that we have learned or find entertaining. More will be disclosed in blogs to come but for today I will leave youwith these two: one, a very popular flavor for soda, candy, ice cream and all things sweet is ¨morada.¨ It tastes like purple. Two, is the sign that Sam found on the bus´ bathroom door: ¨Solo urinario. No hace el dos.¨

Tomorrow when the map store opens, we´ll plan our next trek, hopefully into the heights of Arequipa´s neighborring volcanos, or towards the world´s deepest canyon. More to come...