Uuuuh, donkey milk?

There are a lot of strange things that happen here. Here is little story about one of them: Every day, on my commute to work, I´ve noticed a corner where there are 3-4 donkeys and their owner just hanging out. My friend Emily told me that this is the famous spot in Cochabamba to buy donkey milk. Huh? Did you read that right? Yes, indeed you have. The woman literally milks the donkey and hands a cup of the steaming milk over to you for just 5 bolivianos (about US $0.70). What is the draw here? During a cab ride, I asked one of my Bolivian coworkers if this was a popular drink. She made a face, but the cab driver jumped right into the conversation, explaining that donkey milk was known to cure all sorts of things, like diabetes and arthritis. It was also great for your skin. I asked him how it tasted, and he exclaimed, "It´s delicious!" Part of me wanted to laugh out loud, but I held it in as I didn´t want to offend this sweet old gentleman. Another part of me was gagging. Is this one of those instances where you say, ¨Don´t knock it until you´ve tried it?" I have to say, I found this fascinating. I even went so far as looking this up online - and sure enough, there are people out there who advocate for donkey´s milk, saying it is more nutritious than cow´s milk. I´m still not about to get in line for a cup!