Dear Boris and Bruno- I am sorry

It's official- I have eaten guinea pig. I tried this tasty treat Saturday night (Oct 8) before I was scheduled to work at the bar at 8:30pm. It resembles dark meat chicken and was actually quite good. It came out of the kitchen with its limbs spread across the plate and the head still attached. I was a lot less disturbed than I thought I would have been. A fellow American, Johnny and I ventured out to a restaurant with rooftop seating looking over the Pacific Ocean in search of cuy, the delicacy in Peru also known as guinea pig- I was simply interested in trying a bite to check it off of my bucket list. While Johnny ordered the guinea pig which came with 2 free pisco sours (Peru's national alcoholic beverage) for each of us, I chose to order something less adventurous but possibly  more delicious- a juicy chicken filet perfectly seasoned with a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers as well as boiled potatoes. Delish! Johnny and I walked back to the hostel so I could prepare for our scheduled Madhatter party- a fiesta we were promoting at the hostel where if an attendee wore some kind of wacky hat (easy for them as we were passing them out as people entered the bar), we handed them a free jello shot to get the party started! Our themed parties on Saturday nights are attended by backpackers who have recently arrived, and those who are seasoned in our bar, celebrating life in as many ways as possible. The night shift wrapped up with my bar manager and 3 fellow partiers dancing on the bar followed by the preparation to head to the disco. I chose to stay behind and played pool with my bar manager until 5am. We bonded and it was quite lovely as he is teaching me all the pointers he can to help me improve my pool game. On Sunday I prepared for Astrid's arrival as we were scheduled to leave at 3am Monday morning for a 2 day adventure in Paracas, Ica, and Nasca. We managed to get in a 2 hour nap before our 4 hour bus ride to Paracas which was full and uneventful. We arrived just in time for our 8am tour of the Ballestas Islands to see seals and penguins in their natural habitats. Astrid and I boarded a speedboat which sat about 30 people and we rode the waves from Paracas to the islands- an absolutely beautiful ride in the wind surrounded by breathtaking scenery. We arrived at our first location where we spotted penguins on a cliff who were barely phased by the human presence evident throughout each day of their natural lives. During each boat ride from island to island, we'd spot more penguins, hundreds of thousands of pelicans, and eventually, SEALS! The first set of blubbery mammals we approached were cuddling ever so gently, baking in the warm sun, and pleased to pose for pictures by not moving at all. It was precious. Among the seals, we spotted star fish stuck to the side of cliff from which we were only about 2 meters, crabs, and more SEALS! At one point, I was no more than 2 meters from a giant seal and his mates. This experience was simply life changing and significantly less depressing than going to a zoo where animals are kept in captivity and unable to roam freely. After Paracas, Astrid and I boarded a bus to head to Ica where we were scheduled to go sandboarding at 4pm. The ride was short as Astrid and I were running low on sleep and managed to get in some shut-eye so before we knew it, we were at our bus station. I managed to find someone with my name on a sign indicating that he was our designated taxi driver to get to the hostel where we had a reservation. Our hostel was breath-takingly gorgeous: Hostel Huacachinero had a swimming pool located below a giant sand dune, a snazzy restaurant, ping pong tables, a modern bar, and accommodations for at least 100 people. We decided to relax by the pool to catch some rays in paradise. After I sat down on my beach chair, I noticed a beautiful green bird out of the corner of my eye. It turns out that Pepe the parrot is a tropical bird (sadly with his wings clipped) who lives at the hostel and roams the open area where the pool is. A waitress walked passed Pepe and handed him a piece of bread to munch on which gave us the grande idea to eat some lunch. We both had fresh salad greens with sesame chicken and I even managed to share some lettuce with Pepe. Well Pepe apparently got too comfortable at our lunch table, waddled over to my salad plate, and stole a piece of my broccoli!! I was pissed at first- but then realized I couldn't stay angry with such a beautiful creature so I got over it quickly. At 4m, Astrid and I reported to the front desk with one other couple to head out in sand buggies for our sandboarding adventure and boy was it a thrill! Our excursion began like a roller coaster ride with our sandbuggie driver and 4 passengers as we twisted and turned up and down the sand dunes. The level of adrenaline was something I hadn't felt in a long time. We stopped at a lookout to take pictures and to breathe deeply over the fantastic view over the sand dunes decorated with unique lines carved in by the wind and to walk across the smooth sand beneath our toes. After the view we headed over to our first location to begin the sandboarding process! We had the choice between heading down on our stomach or standing with our ankles strapped onto the board just like a snowboard. I gave both methods a try though I found standing up to be very difficult. At the end of our adventure I had enough sand down my pants for the Ocean City boardwalk. I found sand in crevices I didn't even know existed- cute. We returned to Hotel Huacachinero completely exhausted and famished. After showering with the intent to remove as much sand from our bodies as possible with the low-pressure shower head, we walked to a restaurant that was recommended to us by the good-looking Peruvian receptionist, Luigi working the night shift. We were assured that the town was quiet and safe enough to walk around after dark. Although the evening was chilly and windy, I found it quite soothing against my slightly sunburned skin. Dinner was yummy, filling, and a perfect way to cap off a fun-filled, memory-making, sunny day in gorgeous Peru. Our day on Tuesday began with breakfast at 7:30am so that we could check out and promptly leave in a taxi at 8am so head to Nasca, Peru to fly over the Nasca Lines. Google it. They're pretty rad. During our a 2.5 hour wait to board our plane, we browsed some touristy markets with Nasca and Peruvian-themed chachkees where I proceeded to knock over an entire stand of silver pendants and decided it was only appropriate that I buy something from this poor woman who witnessed me almost completely destroy her 1x1 meter cubicle of jam-packed goodies. Astrid and I people watched, ate some popcorn, I got a massage from a small Peruvian man with padded chairs set up, we people watched some more, and sat in the sun so that I could further develop my flip flop tan. After our long wait we boarded our plane and flew over some breathtaking views of Nasca including a whale, hummingbird, spider, hands, astronaut, bird, parrot, and triangles, all of which have been etched into the desert sand. I managed to sleep for about 2 hours on our 6 hour bus ride and crashed immediately upon arriving back at the hostel in Lima.