The Other Di Vinci Code

With apologies to Kimy, Jill and other rodent-loving readers in this, The Year of the Rat, I present here my inevitable cuy post. In the past when I had cuy in the Andes it was pretty disgusting. It was usually either boiled or baked and was gray, greasy and disgusting. But this time is was perfectly grilled, and I had rib meat that tasted more like quail. I could actually grow fond of it.

I've never seen the signature photo above of the Last Supper with cuy, but I'd love to see it in the flesh some day.

However, as we were having dinner at the super groovy Las Palmeras just up the hill from Otavalo, on the second glass of wine, several of us leaned back to see the hilarious effigy of Our Lady of the Cuy towering above us, shown below. It also helped that after dinner I had a nearly orgasmic massage by a nerdy looking dude who had incredibly strong, Andean hands and a technique like none I'd had before. I tipped generously.