To The List Of Things I Never Thought I'd Do...

Drink chicha. Chicha is a traditional fermented alcoholic drink made from corn. It has been produced in the High Andes for centuries. On my second day here, my new friends took me up to this little hut with 10-15 old Quechuan men and women sitting around a table. We gave them 3 soles (about $1) and they gave us a pitcher of chicha out of a huge vat and one glass for the 6 of us. When I asked how this was prepared, I was told in the traditional way a.k.a. mastication. First the corn is chewed by the women and spit back into the vat. This helps start the fermentation process. I was a little nervous as I had only been here 2 days and still had horror stories of people getting sick swirling through my head. I drank the chicha. It was a little bitter with only a small bit of carbonation. Not so bad. I survived, and that has quickly help me get over my initial fears. Since then I have eaten all kinds of strange stuff and drank the water. Up next...watch out Mr. Guinea Pig. I'm gonna eat you...