Saturday we went to the fish market by the harbor to buy fish. Big deal, I know. But it actualy ended up being so much fun! There were boat rides around the harbor and we got to see everything-- the huge ships that bring products in and out Bolivia and Peru, the fishing boats that scatter the harbor, the sea lions that hang out on the bouys and look for scraps of fish, and the pelicans that were probably half my size. It was so incredible. Next week I´m going back there to take everyone on the program on the boat for a sunset cruise.
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| Me and my host mom |
Sunday we went to my host family´s relatives´ house for almuerzo (lunch) They live in the Azapa Valley, a rural area nearby where pretty much everyone grows olives, corn, and mangoes. I experienced my first wathia, which is a special meal that takes a few hours to prepare. First, they place rocks over a fire to heat them up. Then they place the rocks in a big pit in the ground along with humintas (like tamales), potatoes, and pots of beef and chicken. Then they cover up the the rocks and food with more dirt and leave it to cook for 1-2 hours. It was kinda strange eating food that we literally took out of the ground, but everything was really good. All the aunts and grandmas kept shoving more food in m face, and all the uncles and grandpas kept telling me to drink more wine. The whole lunch was a 4-hour ordeal and we were all super stuffed when we left.
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| Little sister, grandma, and mom |
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| Wathia! |
This is so great experiencing this adventure vicariously through your superb writing and photos (alright I'm a little biased but so what?). Keep it up!!
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