Today Nyrzha was off to Sucre at 6am so I woke up early to say goodbye and workout if she needed me to do anything while she was away. About mid-morning I made my way over to Nyrzha's mothers house as today she would be teaching me how to cook two traditional Bolivian dishes passed down from her Mother. It's good to rest up and not do much today as the next 3 days are going to challenge my mind and body like never before. Arriving at Nyrzha's mothers house I was greeted with a big hug and a customary kiss on the right cheek - we got straight to work on the Sopa de Mani (Soup of Peanuts). First up soaking raw peanuts for an hour and then mixing in the blender, add to pot and simmer on the stove. The next step is the vegetables: diced onion, grated carrot, chopped parsley, a clove of garlic, grated turnip, celery leaves chopped. Next add chicken legs, wings, pieces to the boiling peanut soup - slowly cooking the chicken pieces. We then took some large round pasta pieces and fried them in a heap of oil until they were browned and hard - set aside. Vegetables are then also fried adding salt, pepper, paprika - when slightly browned add to soup, follow by adding fried pasta- finish by adding some crushed oregano and continuing to simmer for another hour. In this time add potato (enough time to cook but not turn potatoes to sludge). Continuously add water - the soup is rich so it is no problem to add more and more water to counteract evaporation. It may seem like a lot of work but it really wasn't and the pay off is a unique dish that probably is not eaten anywhere else in the world. Next up I was shown how to cook the local Lake Titicaca trout in the oven and so it does not dry out: butter a large oven tray, preheat oven, take one nice large Trout (head, tail, bones removed) and cover in fresh squeezed lime juice, add salt, pepper, garlic powder/flakes, parsley to all sides and lay skin down in tray - finish by adding some more butter to the flesh of the fish, wrap in foil and add to oven on high heat. Bake the trout for about 1 hour maintaining that it does not dry out. The meal: once again we had to wait for the other family members to arrive which once again was painstakingly hard for me with all my anticipation of the meal ahead, everyone had arrived by just after 2pm and out came the Sopa de Mani and my oh my what a treat; a thick, creamy and nutty texture with smells of deep spices herbs and vegetables, the fried pasta had gone soft and had a crisp and slightly charred taste to it. Next came the Trucha with a fresh garden salad, a spicy homemade salsa and a strange vegetable (pickled) heart of palm- literally the heart of the palm tree. The Trucha fell apart on the plate and in your mouth, both moist and rich in flavour, the skin was oily and crisp from the butter and I savouries every last piece if it, the heart of park was strange but very flavorful and the perfect addition to any light salad. As a suprise I had brought dessert without telling anyone and when we had finished the meal I brought out my Grandmas recipe Rumballs - everyone loved them and the plate was cleared before you can say Bobs your Uncle. Nyrzha's mother asked me where I would be for Christmas and after saying I wasn't sure and maybe still in Bolivia she insisted I come and spend Christmas with them, what a kind and genuine gesture and as I sit here and write this I am seriously considering coming back here to share the Christmas Celebration with their wonderful family. The rest of the afternoon I took time to relax and prepare for tomorrow's trek - to say I am excited is an understatement and I know I will have trouble sleeping tonight in anticipation.