I LOVED Cusco. It was big compared to what I'm used to, and very cold, but it was absolutely charming. There is a lot of myth and legend about Cusco's history, and as one of the centers of the Incan empire, there is a very rich cultural element to it. After getting to our hotel, we spent the rest of the day there. We got a much needed nap, then went for a bit of an explore and also to dinner--the first of countless chicken meals. Being the cultural center that it is, Cusco is also a tourist center, so the mix of the two was fun to observe.
There was coca-cola advertisments all over the place, along with statues and monuments to Peruvian leaders and heros. There was even this tiny little amusement park, which looked little better than a death trap, but nonetheless fun to look at. Like I mentioned earlier, the city was eerily quiet due to the strike, but the people that were out were enjoying themselves for the most part--especially the kids, who had several games of soccer going on in the streets. The food at the restaurant we went to wasn't the best food I've ever had. I came to appreciate it, however, later in the trip when my options were even less appetizing. It was just different--nothing was really bad tasting, it was just not really all that good tasting either.
One thing that surprised me was how many dogs there were! They were absolutely everywhere. There was one in every doorway, plus the ones roaming the streets and getting into the garbage. I asked Arturo, one of the people we worked with, if they are wild or if they are pets and he said most of them are actually pets. I think that's true in the villages, but it just seemed impossible in the city. They really were everywhere, and they were all so different. No purebreds, that's for sure! It was kind of fun to see them all over.
It's very different than America. VERY. I'm hoping I can write all this in order; its been several months, so we'll see! After dinner, if I'm remembering right, we hurried over to a place called Q'orikancha. It was originally an Incan temple, but when the Spanish came, they turned it into a Spanish fortress, which gave it a very interesting blend in architecture.
There was also a small cathedral there, which was beautiful and I was so disappointed when they told me I couldn't take pictures. I understood, of course, but MAN! Outside the fortress there were several little girls dressed up in traditional clothes and carrying around baby goats. They were so adorable and said, "Miss, money for picture?" in their little accents. I took a picture but I had only gotten one sol out of my pocket before the police chased them off.
After Q'orikancha we set out on our first shopping experience of the trip. It was so much fun to bargain again. I learned how from Leslie and Kimball (my sister and brother-in-law to those who don't know) when we were in China, but I hadn't been able to use them since. It's such a thrill! My favorite is the people who say things like, "for anyone else, this I sell for twenty soles. For
you, because you are my friend--eighteen soles." The people were so friendly for the most part and so warm. One girl had a cute little shop and I bought lots from her because she was so sweet. Granted, probably to help my parting with my money a little easier, but I didn't really care about that. She needed it more than I did. I fell in love with the people of Peru on day one.
I LOVED Cusco. It was big compared to what I'm used to, and very cold, but it was absolutely charming. There is a lot of myth and legend about Cusco's history, and as one of the centers of the Incan empire, there is a very rich cultural element to it. After getting to our hotel, we spent the rest of the day there. We got a much needed nap, then went for a bit of an explore and also to dinner--the first of countless chicken meals. Being the cultural center that it is, Cusco is also a tourist center, so the mix of the two was fun to observe. 
One thing that surprised me was how many dogs there were! They were absolutely everywhere. There was one in every doorway, plus the ones roaming the streets and getting into the garbage. I asked Arturo, one of the people we worked with, if they are wild or if they are pets and he said most of them are actually pets. I think that's true in the villages, but it just seemed impossible in the city. They really were everywhere, and they were all so different. No purebreds, that's for sure! It was kind of fun to see them all over. 
It's very different than America. VERY. I'm hoping I can write all this in order; its been several months, so we'll see! After dinner, if I'm remembering right, we hurried over to a place called Q'orikancha. It was originally an Incan temple, but when the Spanish came, they turned it into a Spanish fortress, which gave it a very interesting blend in architecture. 
There was also a small cathedral there, which was beautiful and I was so disappointed when they told me I couldn't take pictures. I understood, of course, but MAN! Outside the fortress there were several little girls dressed up in traditional clothes and carrying around baby goats. They were so adorable and said, "Miss, money for picture?" in their little accents. I took a picture but I had only gotten one sol out of my pocket before the police chased them off. 
After Q'orikancha we set out on our first shopping experience of the trip. It was so much fun to bargain again. I learned how from Leslie and Kimball (my sister and brother-in-law to those who don't know) when we were in China, but I hadn't been able to use them since. It's such a thrill! My favorite is the people who say things like, "for anyone else, this I sell for twenty soles. For you, because you are my friend--eighteen soles." The people were so friendly for the most part and so warm. One girl had a cute little shop and I bought lots from her because she was so sweet. Granted, probably to help my parting with my money a little easier, but I didn't really care about that. She needed it more than I did. I fell in love with the people of Peru on day one.
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