Bienvenida a Cusco!

I made it to CUSCO!! We landed Tuesday morning and chilled out the rest of the day, walking around and getting food. We first walked over to this gigantic local market. I have been to a few markets so far, but this one beats them all. It’s exactly what you would picture when you think of tables upon tables of foreign foods and goods. The smells range anywhere from fresh baked bread to vegetables to “you don’t even want to know”. There are expanses of bowls containing seeds, nuts, grains, and much more that I have never seen before in my life. Meat is out in the open (which has its own smell) where you can see every dismantled part of any animal you want. At one point, I saw live guinea pigs in a cage and three steps later am staring at the skinned and gutted meat of the same animal. My desire to try that delicacy has almost vanished now.

                The fabrics are almost blinding. They love their vibrant colors and patterns, which stand out easily among the meats and crops. They have hats and gloves and scarves and chompas, sweaters made from Alpaca, in all sizes. You have a thousand options for each type of clothing between all the stalls and street vendors.

One of my favorite things about this place is that it is exactly how postcards describe it. You have your plump little old ladies with rosy cheeks and the huge sacks on their backs under their long dark braids. They are all over the streets, selling everything from mittens to soup. They do not bug you much, something I really enjoy. They will tell you what they have as you walk by and not push it further. If you start looking through her products, she will not press you for a purchase or offer you a deal.

We went to a super crowded restaurant for lunch. There no completely free table so we were instructed to share a table with this woman who seemed to be on a lunch break. When she left, a young local took her place. I have never had to do this before but it is actually a very easy fix for a busy café, especially in a touristy place like Cusco. You can meet people and learn about what they have done on their trip and vice versa. Or you practice your Spanish with the Peruvians.

Now it is Wednesday and I am not felling 100 percent. I am sitting in the room writing this while everyone else is at the museums. I really hope I’m better by the time they get back, because it’s killing me to be in here while all of Cusco is out there. I have finished my bread and I am trying to take this orange juice slow, but it is so fresh I want to chug it. I still feel nauseous, but it’s definitely better than before. I hope I’m back on me feet, getting to see this amazing country soon!