You couldn't drink the water and the only milk safe to drink was evaporated, mixed with water that had been properly boiled. They had some mineral water that was bottled but I never got into that. One of the brands they sold was "Agua de Jesús". Obviously, some of the missionaries took home a bottle of that, but I never did.So, I drank Inca Kola for two years. In most of the small stores of Perú they sold soda pop at room temperature, some sort of national phobia about getting sick from drinking cold beverages.
The only exception to Inca Kola was when I lived in Tacna, near the Chilean border. They had a small, local bottler who created some interesting flavors (sort of like Jones Soda flavors, though not as eclectic) and I got in the habit of trying them out.
Looking back, we were probably slightly dehydrated most of the time.
But drinking Inca Kola today reminds me of two years in Perú.
It's available here in the USA at some of the ethnic stores. It tastes like carbonated bubble gum.
Note: It is bottled with caffeine in most US formulations.
1 comment:
I hear ya! I'd given up caffeine a few years before my mission but was brought back to coke when it was often the ONLY option when it came to safe drinks offered. That or not drink... though I did decided 'agua con gas' wasn't so bad after all :D
Fun Stories!! Love the posts!
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