The day starts here at day break where the daily tortilla making begins. Thinking I would go in and help, I quickly found out I will not be making fresh tortillas at home! Essentially the only thing I was useful for was grinding corn...they are delicious if you don´t think about how they´re made...The kitchen here is similar to what we saw in Peru, maybe even more primitive here and certainly as dangerous to one´s health. It is incredible with all the smoke that these wonderful people are not sicker than they are...Perhaps this is the cause of Don Juan´s perpetual cough???? Poor man...I don´t think he has slept for days.
Today we are in for a big day.
For our big send off we were asked if we like fish...well of course we love fish! But sardines for breakfast??? DEfinitely stretching my comfort zone here and it is one of many times I am thankful for my wonderful hubby who kindly took pity on me and finished up my share when no one was looking...the eyes and heads crunching were getting to me...I did eat all my beans and rice though...
Off we set for a big day of visiting different folks in this hot mountain range...we had a few stops along the way and finally we ended up a family´s home way out in the middle of no where...seems strange since we´re in nowhere already, but there are houses around this place was the only one for quite a while.
When we arrive, the man of the house asked if we were in a hurry, we weren´t so not knowing what he meant we hunkered down for a rest. So hot and dry. Draining our water and no sign of anyone, Archie suggested we go fill up our bottles. We arrive at the water source for this family to find a naked boy hurriedly dressing when he spots us...he just finished his bath and is finishing his duty of cleaning out the water hole. It is a fair size hole dug out of the rock to let the water come in. Very cool. They actually have a line running to their house too and have a somewhat clean gravity fed line. A novelty back here for sure!
As we are finishing filling up we hear distant screams from what sounds like a pig.
Sure enough we´re in for a treat...while we missed the actually pig killing, we arrived on scene to witness the final time of death...
For once it was our turn to stare! The afternoon was wittled away watching the man and his sons skin the pig and slice it up for our lunch. This was Christmas day and this would be a large event to kill and eat this pig as they would mostly live on rice and beans with the odd chicken...
Andrew got some cool picks of the pig slaughtering event, but missed the look on my face when I took my first bite and discovered I got a healthy portion of liver!!!
The meat was done with a local plant that is red...it gave it sort of a peppery flavour, but not too spicy...it wasn´t too bad if you got past the huge chunks of fat and liver etc.
We finally decided since we were eating in a seperate room from everyone else that I would be the one to make the run for a ziplock bag and deposit the unwanteds to take home for the dog...I just finished when the lady of the house returned to check on us!
Truly they were wonderful...I hope this blog isn´t seeming too complaining since we feel small that they are sharing food with us that clearly they need. It is simply to give an idea that life is very different than we know it to be.
We are greatful that they are so open and curious about us...they have only seen workers of course, so we are definitly a novelty here..I believe we are likely the only white people who they have ever seen...many of them have not even gone into a town nearby..only the little village of El Obraje where they would get a few items at the ¨store¨.
We were escorted out after a little meeting by one of the younger sons. It was dark when we made our way back home about 5 km over the decently rough terrain.
The people of the house felt sorry for me...it´s one of the few places I have received so much attention and sympathy! haha
Everyone is very concerned that Archie is going to have to carry us home because I have fainted from the heat, frail thing that I am!!!:)
Another meeting and off to bed.
Although we are Simply exhausted, a bath is much appreciated...now we know where the ´sardines¨ for brekky came from...the creek seems to be loaded...best not to think about it considering the garbage, animals, clothes etc that are washed in the creek.
Anyway we´re off before the rooster crows!
Adios!!!
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