after a ferry back to the big island, we rented a car and headed into the central mountains to the Ruta de Lechón, the pork road, a necessary pilgrimage.

route 184 through Guavate is lined with lecheronas: little pork cafeterias with pork spits propped up in the front windows like beacons.  we picked a place at random and ordered an assortment of pork goodies and root vegetables.  i bore no resemblance to my former vegetarian self as i tucked into a styrofoam bowl of pork stomach and munched on crispy pig skin, uttering something like "this is candy made out of meat" before spiraling into a delicious meat oblivion.