Greetings all and happy 2009! That´s me, drinking terere, yerba mate with cold water and herbs. Everyone drinks like 5 liters a day of this stuff, no kidding.
During the Thanksgiving holiday we visited some Jesuit ruins near Encarnación.
Fernando, my host brother, work partner and best friend in Acuña.
The tatakua, a traditional wood stove. You make a big fire, then you take out all the firewood and the residual heat cooks your food. Very cool, very hot.
Watering my huerta. No rain for forty days makes for 8-inch high sunflowers. But the brandywine tomatoes I´ve got growing under my shade structure seem to be doing pretty well.
Christmas dinner with the host fam. If you can´t see the snow in the picture, it´s because it was dark. And also because the temperature was 100 degrees.
The centerpiece of this photo exposition, the alligator we hunted, killed and ate day after Christmas. Don Valerio, the father of my host family, told us about a big lizard he´d seen sleeping under a tree, and asked if we´d like to kill and eat it. He didn´t have to ask twice. We didn´t even know it was an alligator until after Don Valerio had speared it. The gator was about 2-3 feet long. I delivered the death blow with a machete to the neck. It was the first time I had killed an animal. Raise your hand if you´ve ever killed an alligator? Nope, didn´t think so. I rule.
Skinning the jakare. If you´ve never had alligator you are missing out. It is delicious, especially when you killed it yourself!
Me and my host dad Valerio ¨Willy.¨
Skinning the jakare. If you´ve never had alligator you are missing out. It is delicious, especially when you killed it yourself!
Me and my host dad Valerio ¨Willy.¨
The turkey is sort of the policeman of the house. He patrols around, puffing himself up, and gobbling. The gobbling is cool at first but it gets old real fast.
If there´s anybody out there still following this blog other than my parents, sorry for the sparse updates. There´s no internet in my site so I only get a chance to update now and then. But I did, at least, get to see the video of that guy throwing a shoe at W.
A merry merry Christmas
And a happy new year
Let´s hope it´s a good one
Without any fear.
- John Lennon
9 comments:
Well, I never skinned an alligator, but I've eaten plenty, most recently perhaps, at Clark's Fish Camp (where else can you get it this good in Jax?). Thanx for the great pix and funny captions. Love you always.
Andrew, I love following your blog and am reading of your adventures with gratitude that you have made this opportunity for yourself. You're right, you do rule.
Yo Andrew! Is it true that gator tastes like chicken or is that frog legs?? I agree that you rule!!! It's good to see that you're doing well. Keep up the God work!
Happy New Year!!!!
I am still reading! I thought I'd throw it out there. I am grateful for the updates, albeit sparse. I loved the pictures this time. I trust you had a good Christmas and New Year. Sending you lots of hugs.
As I already told you by phone, I don't enjoy hearing your name in the same sentence with alligators and machetes. It's a mom thing.
love you. miss you. Be Safe. Mom.
Happy New Year to you, your family at home, and your family away!
how about an update, hombre? and Id like your address in pa´guay, too
Just got email with Ben asking for Andrew's address. He doesn't get to a computer very often, so I'll share his address here, because he LOVES MAIL!
Andrew Porter
Cuerpo de Paz
162 Chaco Boreal
c/o Mcal Lopez
Asuncion 1580
Paraguay, South America
Andrew...Matthew from St. William and Windy City Pizza. It's great reading about your work in Central America, especially your beekeeping efforts. I have a few hives behind the restaurant and am "amateuring" my way through it. I can't imagine doing it where you are now, with few resources and little expertise. Just know that I am proud to know you and bow in gratitude for what you are doing. It's good to know there are people doing their best to save the world in their own humble ways. Be safe and happy! Matthew
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