around the world in 80 plays
PERU
Words by Chad Wilkinson
As we travel south from last month’s stop-over in Canada, we eventually catch a glimpse of the towering Andes cropping out of the South American continent. Shortly after, we set down in the expansive and diverse country of Peru before diving into its tabletop secrets.
First on the agenda is the curious Juego del Sapo, a dexterity game involving the throwing of coins into a shiny brass frog’s mouth. According to ancient Inca legend, the royal king would travel to Lake Titicaca and toss gold coins to catch the attention of a frog. With their status as magical creatures, it was believed that if a tossed coin was to land in the frog’s mouth then a wish would be granted. As an added bonus, the unfortunate amphibian would also turn to gold itself.