Ever tried coca leaves? Coca tea is very popular in Peru. it's good for the digestion and can also give you a little pick-me-up. I read that combined with something else (I forgot what), the campesinos chew the leaves and they make you impervious to cold, hunger, tiredness- not a bad deal if you're working in the fields on jungle 15 hours a day. The problem with coca leaves is that western countries developed cocaine in labs and the demand for this has caused all sorts of problems. The united states is trying to get Peru and Bolivia to stop growing coca leaves. Peru has even gone so far as to pay farmers a stipend NOT to grow it. This has caused financial problems for Peru, and also has had the opposite effect of increasing the number of farmers growing this lucrative crop.

Besides- it's in integral part of the culture here. In the hospital, to take my pills I was given a cup of mate de coca. It's the most common tea to drink after a meal- and you almost ALWAYS drink tea after a meal.

I just finished my cup of tea and am eating the leaves- they cause kind of a mild numbing of the tongue. Not as strong as ambesol or even cloves. My stomach feels much better though. I had a real stomachache from eating seafood for breakfast.

There's a T'shirt here that I was thinking of buying. It says, "Coca isn't a drug in Peru." -well, in spanish.