Dear Peru,

Dear Peru, thank-you for your meals of guinea pig, a delicacy of sorts. A meal commonly served throughout Peru. It was tasty the last time I had it, tasted a lot like chicken. You'd walk through the markets and hear their tiny squeals coming from the sacks ladies were carrying home to serve as meal to their families. Some facts I have learned->they are domesticated for their meat in the Andes. It is a major part of the diet there....mostly because guinea pigs breed quickly and take up less room than traditional livestock (betcha didn't know that...) It is also high in protein and low in fat and cholesterols. Peruvians also consume close to 65 million guinea pigs each year. It does taste like the dark meat in chicken (see told you it tastes like chicken!) So when I return to Peru, I will forget that we keep them as pets in Canada and see the furry little creatures in our pet stores here and remember that guinea pig tastes like chicken.

Dear Peru, Your wonderful stir-fry. I look forward to trying you again. Somehow the frenchfries you incorporate into the stirfry make it all the more tasty...Surrounding the frenchfries with peppers and vegtables and meat...a savoury combination all served on a bed of white rice. Delicious.

Dear Peru, I have been trying to brush up on my spanish to place my order at starbucks...but so far I have failed. I do not know anymore spanish than when I picked up the phrase book in the first place. So when I enter into starbucks and cannot read the menu, hopefully the barista will not laugh at me for my poor spanish skills and my hand gestures motioning to the board what I would like to drink...Maybe I can figure it out on the plane there how to order starbucks in spanish...I do doubt it though...(p.s.-your valet parking is awesome...but I won't be using it)

Dear Peru, the children, their smiling faces and grins are enough to melt our hearts. I wish I could speak spanish to them but enjoy making them laugh at me. (yes, at me...)Spending time with them and letting them know that half way around the world we care and think about them will hopefully give them hope for a better future. I wish we could take them all home with us but visits will have to do. They have homes, they have families and I am sure they have joy.

Dear Peru, your culture and vividness amazes me. The culture is alive in the streets with dancing and marching bands and people dressed up. Its nice to see the diverse customs and traditions. Every town has traditions and customs of their own. Every country is proud of its roots and it does show.

Dear Peru, your scenery is extraordinary. The Andes are breath-taking (literally!) The mountains and the streams, the waterfalls and the towns. The history and the architecture. All amazing sights. The towns and the cities, all have different stories to tell...The statues scattered on the mountainsides. The monuments covering the mountainsides as well. They all tell a story. The storefronts and shops in the towns. The townsquares each with their own unique features. Lot's to see and photograph.

This post was a little long but it was just a few memories of my time in Peru...and a few little pictures of those memories.