Holidays and absences [2]

Bluebottle wrote:

halfwise wrote:We don't have many places to do cross country skiing, less than downhill even. So doing either one takes travel effort.  And it you're gonna put in travel effort, may as well go all the way with lifts and such.  Or so goes the thinking of most people here I wager.  

It's odd. I don't think we think about it like that really. I'd say most norwegians prefer cross country. I don't know, perhaps it's seen as a bit more proper, while downhill is just more throwaway, just for the fun of it. I guess we just don't see that effort to reward equivalency in the same way.

Because like half the year you can just ski right out your front door. We can jog right out our front door, and most joggers see hills as nuisances. But if you perhaps lived on a lighthouse on a small island (basically a rock), and had to paddle a boat to other islands to walk or run about a bit. Where would you want to go to get some exercise? You want terrain. Paddling two hours to a flat coral atoll would seem like a waste when you can go to where there's hills and stuff.

You mean like delayed gratification?

Lancebloke wrote:I have had half a guinea pig and an alpaca steak. The first reminded me of duck, just a lot more difficult to eat. The second is like beef.

Oh, did you enjoy it? I have a lot of of my knowledge of the Andes from a Patrick O'Brian book. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wine-Dark_Sea ) And he talks of guinea pig meat being particularily dull. I think he states alpaca as preferable, but the local population being hesitant to butcher them as they were instrumental to their survival in the high mountains.

Guinea pig not so much. They are tough to eat and you dont really get much for your effort. They taste ok.

Alpaca is a bit more worthwhile. If nobody told you, you would probably think it was a bit of funny tasting beef.

Maybe if you got a skewer you could a few of them on a stick, might be more of a meal.

I warrant the problem with Guinea pigs would be the bones. Like the one time I had rabbit I swore never again - got to pick around all the bones. Reminds you that you are eating a small furry animal, and you recall the many reasons to regret not being a vegetarian.

Cant you de-bone them prior to cooking? I mean you'd have to skin and gut them so while your in there rummaging about...

I think the thing with the guinae pigs were that on the Altiplano and in the high Andes they were one of few indigenous sources of sustinance. While animals like llamas and alpacas were considered to valuable to slaughter just for food.

So, it wasn't as much a question of choice, as necessity.

Aaaaaand bye.

How the holy heck can you eat a family pet ? They are cute wibbly wobbly fluffy things that smell of hay & make little hooting noises !

I hear rabbits are good meat

........ I like bunnys as well.

the only meat I refuse to eat is pig. They are very intelligent creatures.

If they were really intelligent they would find a way to stop being so damned tasty

Weren't you aware that some scientist equate kosher laws and other purity laws in religions that forbid eating pork with the lack of tecnology to slaugther them in a way that made the result safe for human consumption?

I think you'll find they tried. They did try.

That would make sense- because I am convinced the smell of a bacon roll is irresistible to humans. And anyone who does resist should be taken away immediately on suspicion of not being human.

I heard pig tastes like us

How would they know though?

I heard pig tastes like us- Figg

Don't tell me that! Its much easier to get hold of a person than a pig!

Guinea Pig is not indigenous to anywhere! They are entirely bred from other species to be food in the highlands were not much else can live very well.

Genetic modification before the advent of the microscope!!

Either way, they aren't too boney, they are mainly muscle fibre which is quite chewy. Only good meant is around the legs.

I have tried it and I can't say it is something I will be having again!

Lancebloke wrote:Guinea Pig is not indigenous to anywhere! They are entirely bred from other species to be food in the highlands were not much else can live very well.

Genetic modification before the advent of the microscope!!

Either way, they aren't too boney, they are mainly muscle fibre which is quite chewy. Only good meant is around the legs.

I have tried it and I can't say it is something I will be having again!

Oh, they are actually domesticated. Must have misread that then.

Just got back from cycling 'death road' in Bolivia. Fun times!!!

were you wearing a gold loincloth and sandals?

....... No.

..oh