Let me just say that my Peruvian alpaca friend, Pablo, tasted tender and delicious covered in a wild mushroom demi-glace.

After I enjoyed my unique lunch cuisine, Casey and I wandered through the colorful side streets of Cuzco for five minutes until we stumbled upon an Incan-clad alpaca.

When I looked into its kind eyes, Pablo stared back knowingly into my soul, and I am confident he sensed the twinges of remorse rising up inside me for eating his kin.

But as we maintained eye contact and he confidently batted his long eyelashes toward me, I offered up my gratitude to him for providing this earth with such delectable protein.

He then gave me a subtle nod, and while yes, it could have been a twitch from a fly that landed on his face, I like to think this gesture acknowledged my guilt and accepted my apology.

The alpacas of Peru will forever hold a special place in my heart… and in my stomach.