Cusco - The Real McCuy

Those childhood memories of pet guinea pigs which would be taken home for the weekend by one of the kids. Strange how ´teacher´always took the pet home for the long summer holiday and even stranger how poor ´Pigsy´would have a mystery illness over the summer and sadly pass away.

I can now reveal that there was no mysterious guinea pig swine flu going around London in the 1970s but can reveal from further investigations that the Peruvian population soured during this period necessitating the need for them to seek a ´taste of home´.

So guinea pig, or Cuy as it is known locally is available on many menus. It is a bit of a delicay and costs abour twice the price of steak. The example about was 44 Peruvian Sols whilst a steak would be about 25 sols. Presentation as you can see was excellent. It gave off a duck like aroma and the taste and texture was a mix between both duck and pork. The skin had been roasted similar to pork crackling and it seemed to come complete with the sweetbreads. It was also damn hard work to get any meat out of it. Would I try it again? Yes...but probably not as a roast. Something where the meat had been already extracted then maybe.

Cusco - Altitude Sickness

Waking up with a stonking headache....feeling a bit queasy and sick....trouble keeping down breakfast. It´s either another hangover after a City pub crawl or its altitude sickness in Cusco. Let´s go for altitude sickness. A perfect cure to altitude sickness or a hangover? How about a 5am start and a three hour train journey to Manchu Pichu? Manchu Pichu itself was an amazing site but the 6 hours there and back in a day was something I culd have done without.

As for the food here in the Highlands of Cusco? One of the local meats is alpaca. Looks a bit like a llama but has a fleece more similar to a sheep. A nice loin of alpaca smothered with mushrooms maybe?

The taste and texture was very much like pork. It was a bit hard going and tough. Probably not something to try again but most definitely something to try once.

London - J Sheekys

J Sheeky? Never heard of it; but apparently one of those celebrity haunts where the paparazzi linger awaiting the next shot of David Beckham. The menu even says 'no cameras' (so no photos to share) but from inside there were no celebritys I recognised. Probably all starring in Eastenders

A starter of deep fried whitebait was a good size and pretty filling although could have been crispier. This was followed by a main of pan fried Brill and Scallop with wild garlic. The fish was well cooked and the scallop (yes - just the one) including the roe was juicy and fulfilling. A desert of creme brulee completed the meal as well as a nice drop of Sancerre.

I certainly came out 'gut-busting' as well as wallet busted. Final point to the note was the superbly maintained loo's; complete with flat, clean marble surfaces for those celebrity 'desserts'.

London - Fine Swine

South America in a weeks time. Roast Guinea PIG. Good idea?

A nice Argentinian Malbec should help.

Research at Gaucho Grill completed and all systems go.

Johannesburg - Airport Layover

Stuck in Johannesburg airport for 5 hours there aren't too many diversions to kill the time unless casinos are your thing. Well needs must. The Emperors Palace casino is a quick 10 minute free shuttle bus away and is in the mould of the best examples of this genre found in Las Vegas. A Casino joined to three hotels with mock roman statues alongside a fast food court and more formal dining options.

Tribes restaurant is an example of one of the restaurants at Emperors Palace. The menu? Meat and game. Does South Africa have any vegetarians? Surely that would be illegal in this country.

The game skewer wasn't really game but all beef and as you can see was presented in such good taste. As a final meal before taking for for the northern hemisphere it had to be chakalaka sauce. This was very much different to the previous examples and I'm not talking about subtle differences such as Heinz v Branston. This was a whole different sauce completely. Probably less beany and definitely more spicy. Ideal before a 10 hour flight in economy!!

Zimbabwe - Chakalaka

The first encounter of the tourist police here in Victoria Falls is a strange experience. Initially you think it's just another hawker trying to sell some local handicraft as their only uniform is a grubby bib with 'Vic Falls Police' stencilled on the back. Well - that's if all the letters are their but usually it's a bit of a crossword puzzle. Their job? It seems to be to walk with tourists to and from the falls and ensure that the hawkers stay away.

So what is chakalaka sauce? Apparently it's a spicy African sauce used to accompany many dishes ranging from cheese to game meats. This dish of warthog with chakalaka sauce certainly was an eye opener; not because of the spiciness of the sauce but its remarkable similarity to a can of curried baked beans. Well, from memory, Heinz was a popular brand in the local supermarket!

Western Cape - Wine Tasting

When it rains in Cape Town the options available to the tourist seem pretty limited. Table Mountain, Robben Island, Shark Cage Diving are all weather dependent activities and a wind, or cloud, can easily put paid to these.

Wine tasting around Stellenbosch and the Western Cape is a fine poor weather day activity. Of course, getting a driver is essential and if he has knowledge of wine all the better. All in, 4 wine cellars were visited and probably 25 wines/sparkling wines/brandies sampled...and maybe a few additional glasses at lunch. These varied in price at places such as Saxonburg of R15 for 6 wines to R50 for 8 sommellier choice wines at Fairview. The Fairview also included oil/bread and cheese tasting into the bargain including a chakalaka wine and chakalaka cheese...both which are fantastic.

One thing which became apparent is that the South Africans are keeping the best wines to themselves rather than export them overseas. No chance of finding a Fairview in Tesco in the near future!