Distance 52 km (cum. 9,543 km); Ascent 627 m (cum. 77,439 m). Today I witnessed a troubling situation. A small package was thrown with force from an old truck driving at full speed in front of me, landing 2-3 meters away and rolling over few times. To my astonishment and horror, the package stood up and started to walk! It was a small dog who somehow survived the fall! This made me reflect on how people treat animals here... Well, I think they treat all natural resources in a very utilitarian way. Their houses are full of animals of different species - sources of food. Everyone participates in their killing and preparation for consumption. The dogs and cats are as good as they are efficient in defending the house, clearing from rodents, etc. Most of them are terribly malnourished and constantly beg for food. I'm not sure if I saw many happy-looking dogs in Peru or Bolivia... They are either sad and frightened of people or sad and aggressive (which I think comes from fear as well)... I think that in a way this utilitarian approach to animals is more sincere than the occidental hypocritical 'love for animals', which entails careful hiding from the consumers the process of mass production of meat. I think we should know where our food comes from. Everyone should at least once kill the animal he/she will eat, to understand his/her carnivore nature, or eventually decide to be vegetarian! Everyone should work at least for few days on a crop field or a coffee plantation to appreciate the sweat and tears it takes to get all these delicious things on our tables... Ok, I know it's a somewhat naive viewpoint... And it certainly does not justify a cruel mindless treatment of a dog thrown from a window by a bored primitive person!
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