NASCAR and birthday cake

I have been in Peru 5 days and have, among other things, learned that they like celebrating. Today, Thursday, we had wine and cheese before lunch to celebrate the fact that the secretary was leaving the group to start another job (a promotion). This afternoon it was a birthday celebration involving cake (very good, but it tasted a bit like pancakes) and pizu (I think) an alcoholic beverage made from grapes and lime. I also got to the post office with my various and sundry cards. I hope that they will get to their destinations before I get back to Sweden, I haven't the slightest idea how long the mail takes. They are moving me out of the guest house tomorrow morning instead of on Monday. I was a bit miffed because they tried to make it sound like they were doing me a favor. But irritations disappear quickly because things seem to be proceeding well and plans were made today.
The NASCAR in the title is about the book I just finished, "St. Dale" by Sharyn McCrumb. It is about a driver who was killed at Daytona, Dale Earnhardt. Basically it is a work about why people are grabbed by grief when certain icons die (one parallel is Princess Diana). The backdrop for the whole thing was a tour of the speedways where famous races are run. The author is using a vehicle that she has used earlier - putting people together on a bus tour. The previous book featured a tour with the theme murder (and more than one murder - or accidental death - occurred in that book. In St. Dale no one died and there was no mystery, but I kind of enjoyed reading something different.