For Those I Met In Cusco

Well, my time in Cusco is done and I can't believe how fast time flew. My initial plan was to stay in this city for a month and that month is up so it's time to move on and seek other adventures, feels like yesterday when I was trying to get settled in Cusco and it's now time to say goodbye.

Even though my stay here has been pretty short taking into account my jaunts to Lima and Puno for several days, I managed to meet some really awesome people who made the city fun for me even though I have to confess that Cusco for some reason never really grew on me. I have nothing against the city but to each their own right? some places just don't rub off on you like others. Anyway, enough of that and without further ado I will introduce you to those who made my stay here worthwhile.

The Staff At Aloha Tiki Bar - This one guy randomly started chatting me up on the street and invited me to come watch him play at a bar near where I live. That bar is Aloha Tiki, in San Blas neighborhood. He was very earnest and his friends who were with him kept telling me that he is actually pretty good so I should really check his act out. They all looked artsy and hippie and were very sweet so I promised to stop by the bar later on in the evening to check out the guy's act. I did keep my promise but the guy was a no show - I later came to find out he had gotten too high and missed his act (long story). 

Anyway, all was not lost because when I showed up at the bar the owners were pretty cool and they invited me to join them in a game of Uno as they waited for the bar to fill up. They were super friendly and we ended up having such a good time that they invited me to stop by again. Let's just say a lot of my evenings were spent at Aloha Tiki hanging out with these folks. Every time I showed up everyone would stop what they were doing and they would each come to give me a hug, you see the lady next to me in the picture below? we ended up bonding really well and every time she would hug me she would say, "Ayyy! please don't go, stay in Cusco longer" (I am translating this in English) she used to say this as my departure date neared. She was super sweet and we had really good conversations. The dudes were such gentlemen and one of them actually took it upon himself to show me other parts of Cusco I hadn't seen, during his day off. These folks were just the best and I will remember them fondly when I think of Cusco. 

My Spanish Teachers - These two were my Spanish teachers, one was my grammar teacher while the other was my conversational practice teacher. What can I say? I developed a bond with them and they became more than my teachers, they were more like my friends and we had many conversations about our personal lives. They were always so much fun and made my class time exciting given the fact that I was taking 4 hours of Spanish everyday. On my last day of class there were many hugs given and we exchanged contacts, they each separately asked me why I couldn't stay longer. It was really touching.

My Housemate - He is from Israel and we met in the house where we were both renting rooms and we just clicked. We used to hang out a lot after my classes and we would take walks around the neighborhood as he showed me all these different places. He is such a cool, funny guy and I enjoyed his company so much, we used to talk about a lot of stuff and it was always such fun. He left Cusco before me and I missed him a lot especially those first few days but we continue to keep in touch. When he left he sent me a message on whatsapp saying he was glad to have met me and that I made Cusco a nicer place for him, Aaaw! likewise my friend, likewise. By the way don't let his serious look in the picture fool you, he is a really sweet guy and has the cutest smile which he needs to show more often in pictures. 

My Favorite Juice Lady - I met this lady when I was with my housemate, he bought some juice from her and she was very chatty and friendly. I bumped into her on the street a week later and I didn't recognize her but she remembered me and she said hi while engaging in some small talk. She was really sweet so I found myself going to her fruit juice stand every evening to get some nutrition plus engage in conversation. It became routine and every time I showed up she would greet me with a wide smile and lots of enthusiasm then we would both tell each other how our day was as she made my usual drink. She used to compliment my hair all the time and would tell me hers is thinning and falling out due to stress, I would tease her and say that maybe she needs to fall in love and the stress would go away, she would laugh so hard at this. When I went to see her one last time she reached over the counter to give me a big hug and told me "until we meet again" she said she didn't want to say goodbye because saying goodbye is final and she hopes to see me again in future. 

Last but not least, are my hosts at the house I lived in. For some reason I never managed to get a picture with them which is such a pity but they were really cool and great people. They were an English couple and the guy was the funniest dude ever! really entertaining and always ready with some funny anecdote to get you laughing. They definitely made my stay in the house better than I expected and I am glad I got to meet them.

That's it folks, I am grateful for the amazing people I have met during my travels so far and I hope I will continue meeting more because it always adds more fun. Once again it's time to pursue new adventures and see what's out there to be experienced. 

Random Thoughts of The Day:

A lot of the indigenous women I have seen over here have really long beautiful thick hair that's usually braided down to their backs, I don't think they cut their hair. I have seen the same with men too especially in Ecuador.

I really don't know what's up with Lima but every different room I have stayed in has had a moldy smell to it.

As I mentioned before, Cusco has a lot of stray dogs so of course it's not uncommon to see a lot of dog poop on the streets. When it rains guess what smell lingers in the air? yup! you got that right, dog poop. This is especially common if you pass an area where the dogs are mostly concentrated which most of the time happens to be in residential neighborhoods. 

Now imagine climbing the many steep steps you will find in Cusco and as you are panting with your mouth open, you are hit by the stench of dog poop. Uurgh! disgusting!

By the way if I come across as very negative in regards to Cusco, don't pay me any mind. I don't mean to paint it as this dump because it does have it's good parts too.

As December nears I am getting a little bit more anxious because it means my adventures may soon be coming to an end. I have to think about applying for jobs and figure out what state I want to settle in because I want to relocate to a different state. Le sigh! let me not even think about that now, let me enjoy this time I have right now.

Walking Around Cusco

There really is never a dull day in this city and if you like crowds and streets full of bustling activities then Cuzco might be your cup of tea. I personally like walking outside and seeing many people on the streets, it just makes everything come alive and gives me a certain kind of energy. That being said, Cuzco is my cup of tea in that regard.

After lunch I like taking walks mostly for the exercise and to familiarize myself more with some of the streets in this city. There is always something entertaining I come across plus the weather is always so nice so I try to enjoy it by being outside as much as possible. I will share some of the images that I have managed to capture with my camera during my walks and by doing so maybe you can get a sense of what I experience and see on the regular.

During my stay here I have witnessed lots of processions and some are really colorful and full of pomp. This particular procession in the picture below took place on a Sunday and it was one of several that I had seen on that day.

You can definitely not say there is a shortage of fruits here. Same as with Colombia and Ecuador, Peru has a lot of fruits to spare so if you are a fruit lover like me, you are spoilt for choice plus the prices are dirt cheap so you can have your fill.

On the streets you will see some of the indigenous women dressed in their traditional clothing. I love the bright colors of their clothes and some of them have found ways of capitalizing on their traditional image. You will see them carrying these cute baby lamps and they will ask you for some money if you want to take pictures of them or with them.

This dude has secured a small area at the oldest street in Cuzco where you can see the old Inca walls. He is always waiting to take pictures with tourists against the wall, of course you have to part with some money if you want a picture taken with him. For the heck of it I decided to take a picture with him, don't ask me what he placed on my head.

Plazas and more plazas. If you like people watching plazas are the best places to do that and this city is not lacking in this provision.

Plaza de Armas - This is the main plaza in Cuzco and is usually full of people and activities. Unfortunately you will encounter plenty of folks hustling you to buy stuff so sometimes it can be annoying but it is a nice plaza to sit and watch the going ons in the city. You will see lots of tourists here and sometimes there are concerts held here as well which makes it even more fun. I took the picture below early in the morning when the crowds hadn't gathered yet.

Plaza de San Francisco - This is a laid back plaza and good for taking it easy and enjoying the warm sun without the hustle and bustle of Plaza de Armas.

Plazoleta San Blas - This plaza is near where I live and it always has artsy folks hanging around selling their wares, it's actually my favorite plaza. I have met interesting characters here and it is a cool small plaza to hang out and appreciate the various artisanal works that are in abundance in the surrounding area and shops.

The views - Cuzco is very hilly so there is always potential to get some amazing views the higher up you go. I have to warn you though, going up can be physically tough but it is worth it plus who doesn't need the exercise anyway?

Rants About Cuzco:

In as much as I appreciate and like certain things about this city, there other things that also get on my nerves and I will go right ahead and express them.

Walking around this city can be exhausting because of how much you will be hustled to buy stuff. Everywhere you go there is always someone shoving stuff in your face for you to buy, sometimes I just feel like shouting, "No! I don't want to buy anything, just because I am a foreigner doesn't make me a cash machine!!!" it is super annoying.

I also find it very annoying when people rip you off by tripling their prices just because you are a foreigner. I understand that life is hard and people are desperate to make a living but the extent at which people go is just appalling. This one guy sold me a painting and I later came to find out he had charged me triple the regular price, I was so pissed off! He did have good paintings and I would have bought more from him had he been honest. These days when I see him on the street I just pass him like I don't know him even when he tries to chat me up.

I passed by this store that had really cute ponchos and I was going to buy one. The girl in the shop quoted me the price and as I continued looking around, an older woman came into the store and I figured she must have been the girl's mother. She started quoting double the price of what the daughter had mentioned before. At that point I was so exhausted from all the rip offs I had encountered and didn't have the energy to call her out on her lies so I walked out of the shop while she was still rattling her ridiculous prices. She followed me outside but I ignored her.

Going into the numerous artisan stores and markets is another huddle, the sales people are so desperate to make a sale that they follow you around the store listing all their products and urging you to buy. I find the desperation both sad and annoying. I know they may be under a lot of pressure to make a sale but such tactics just put off customers.

Everywhere on the busy streets you will find these girls advertising massage services, they will shove their business cards or pamphlets in your face and will be calling out, "massage, massage lady, you need massage??" now picture walking down a street full of these girls, each trying to get you to accept their services.

Yesterday I went to get a pedicure because they are so cheap over here. I finally got to see a sample of those massage parlors because the services were being offered in the same room. Let's just say even if my neck and back are killing me, you will not find me getting a massage in there. The room looked very seedy and the sheets on the massage tables looked like they had seen their share of clients, they did not look clean at all. As for my pedicure, let's just say I had to stop the girl halfway and tell her it was enough. The point is, there is never a shortage of mediocre services here. I could give many examples but I will keep this particular rant short.

So Much History In Cusco

Cuzco is big on tourism and thousands of tourists folk to this city each year, making it quite a popular destination in Peru. Having lived here for almost a month I can see the appeal of this city, it was the capital of the great Inca empire and it is very rich in history which you don't have to look far to find. From the many museums to streets that still have the old Inca walls that date hundreds of years back and to the many ruins that are open for exploration, you are basically surrounded by history.

While visiting this city you have to at least know about Pachakuteq who is credited for having greatly expanded the Inca empire. The empire covered Cuzco and some surrounding areas but Pachakuteq expanded it to include: north western part of Argentina, north and central Chile, south central Bolivia, Peru, part of Ecuador and southern Colombia. I took a picture of the map below illustrating how vast this empire was.

I would recommend visiting the museum of Pachakuteq and the Inca museum which have some interesting historical facts and information about the Incas. The museum of Pachakuteq is not too huge and once inside you have to go up several stairs until you reach the sculpture of Pachakuteq at the very top. Each floor level has historical information so as you go up you learn more information plus you get a pretty awesome view. I took a few pictures at this museum but unfortunately I don't have any from the Inca museum.

Some of the weapons of war that were used to conquer.

The man with the hat in the picture below was Tupac Amaru, leader of an indigenous uprising against the Spanish in Peru.

If museums are not your thing then take a walk along the oldest street in Cuzco, Calle Loreto and Calle Hatunrumiyoc to check out the very impressive Inca walls that have survived hundreds of years and look so perfect that you have to wonder how these people did it.

This is a pre Inca wall

This is an Incan wall, the bottom part with the huge stones. There is no mortar holding the stones together and each stone has been perfectly cut to fit into the next stone; therefore not requiring any mortar for reinforcement. The lines are so perfect when you observe them that you can't help but be amazed by the craftsmanship.

The Incas considered these three animals as sacred: The Puma for it's strength, the snake for it's speed and the Condor for it's ability to fly. If you look closely at the picture below do you see a representation of two of the sacred animals on the Inca wall. Notice the puma at the top and the snake at the bottom?

This is a wall that was built by the Spanish after conquering the Incas, notice the huge difference? when the Spanish conquered the Incas they destroyed their structures and built over them, actually most if not all the churches that were built by the Spanish back then, were built over destroyed Incan structures as a way to illustrate the Spanish conquest and power.

A lot of the Incan structures had trapezoidal doors and windows, this was to provide more stability hence making them resistant to earthquakes.

That's it folks, it's really been fascinating learning about all the history that's to be found in this place and it has given me more appreciation of what's around me. I forgot to mention that not too far from where I live in Cuzco there is a cobbled stoned street which as it turns out, when it was being built in the modern times, what used to be part of the great Inca road system that passed through the 6 countries I had mentioned earlier, was uncovered. Can you even begin to imagine how long and well organized this road was? ironically it also ended up being part of their downfall because it opened the empire to invasion from the Spanish and exposure to diseases like small pox which wiped out a great number of the population.

PS: If I got any historically facts wrong feel free to correct me.

Random Thoughts of The Day:

Preservativos in Spanish mean condoms not preservatives (substance used to preserve a product from going bad). Yes, I had an embarrassing incident that resulted in a lot of laughs. Now I know!

Pachacuteq had two sons named Tupac and Amaru.

I have heard that Cuzco is a very spiritual place and prior to coming here I had been told by a few people that there is such a spiritual vibe about this place. Well, I must have missed out on that spiritual vibe because I don't get it.

There are many spiritual retreats here and there are plenty of spiritual ceremonies that are held by shamans. I have not ventured into that territory and I am really not curious, does that explain why I don't get the spiritual vibe.

There is a popular ceremony here called Ayahuasca, read about it here or look it up further online. I have spoken to those who have participated in the ceremony and I have heard of how much it has helped them spiritually and mentally but I don't think it's something I would be interested in participating in. To be honest with you it's just not my cup of tea and it actually freaks me out but kudos to those who benefit from it.

San Pedro Market

I enjoy visiting some of these markets in South America because you can find all kinds of organic fruits and vegetables at very cheap prices. My really sweet Spanish teacher offered to accompany me to San Pedro, the biggest market in Cuzco to show me around and also teach me the Spanish names of some of the fruits and vegetables that are locally grown. I couldn't pass up the chance so I was only too happy to check out the market.

San Pedro market isn't too far from the main plaza (Plaza de Armas), it's within walking distance and if you are not too sure on how to get there you can ask someone at Plaza de Armas for directions, the market is very popular so most people know where it is.

San Pedro is pretty big and has been divided into various sections that have stalls which sell specific products, making it easier to narrow down your search for certain items. As you can see in the picture below, you have the main hallway then on the sides you have different stalls each catering to specific needs.

You have the meat section

The juice area where you can have naturally made fruit juice from any fruits you select. The ladies will blend the fruits right in front of you and that way at least you know what you are getting.

Below I am at my favorite fruit juice stand with Marcelina the juice maker. This is actually in San Blas market not too far from where I live and I have developed a rapport with Marcelina so I stop by every evening for some fruit juice and conversation. She is really sweet and friendly so if you ever find yourself in San Blas market in Cuzco just look out for Jugos de Marcelina and for 3.50 peruvian soles (roughly a dollar) you can enjoy some freshly made juice from all the fruits she has at her stall.

Fruits upon fruits upon fruits, love it!

One of my favorite fruits that my teacher introduced me to. It's called chirimoya, this is how it looks like when uncut.

This is how it looks like on the inside, it's a very sweet and juicy fruit. You eat only the white part minus the seeds of course. I can not get enough of this fruit!

Coca leaves are very popular here and you can find them in every form imaginable. From the actual leaves themselves to coca candy, to powder, heck! there is even coca ice cream (but it's not found in the market). Here you have the solution to deal with that pesky altitude sickness.

Some herbs which are mostly used by shamans as my teacher explained.

The bread section.

I loved the flower section because of all the bright colors from the different flowers.

Fancy some frog meat? look no further because at San Pedro they cater to your needs. By the way how messed up is it to have the skinned frogs right next to the live frogs? poor creatures get to see their fate.

The handicraft section

That's it folks, this market is worth checking out especially if traveling on a budget. You can have lunch here on the cheap and I have actually seen a lot of foreigners coming here for that. There is so much to be found at this market at reasonably cheap prices so if you are ever in Cuzco do stop by.

Random Thoughts of The Day:

People work so many hours here, it's normal to see someone working 10 plus hours everyday of the week minus Sunday. And to think I used to complain about working at my 8 hour/day, Monday through Friday job. Sometimes you just don't realize how easy you've got it.

I think Cuzco is an ideal city for hippies and the artsy types, there are so many here. By the way some of the artsy looking men are HOT! and they come from different parts of South America.

Of all South Americans I think Argentinians seem to travel a lot. I have come across quite a number during my travels here. I was having an interesting conversation with my hosts and they were saying that Argentinians are only allowed to take a certain amount of money away from the country so that's why you will find a lot of them selling art, pastry or working in restaurants in order to supplement their travels when they run out of money in a foreign country. Back in their countries they may be well off but there is only so much money they can access while outside the country. Hmmm? interesting indeed! but it sucks though, why would you have restrictions on your own money???

I can not tell you the number of times I have been offered marijuana or invited out to smoke marijuana while listening to reggae music. I think because of my hair which is in dreadlocks, a lot of people here in Cuzco stereotypically assume I am a weed head which is so far from the truth! I don't smoke cigarettes, marijuana or any other smokable stuff. Actually I try avoiding hanging out with some of these people because I don't want to be guilty by association and end up in a Peruvian prison or any prison for that matter. Call me overly cautious but I don't want trouble.

I met this one dude who was raving about Bob Marley and kept going on about the Rastafaris and Jamaica. I was just quietly listening to him and nodding my head until he asked me which Bob Marley song I liked and invited me to hang out with his friends to listen to some reggae music. You should have seen the look of disappointment on his face when I told him I actually prefer listening to: Salsa, Bachata and Cumbia music.

Hey! just because I have dreadlocks doesn't mean I love reggae music or I am obsessed with Jamaica and Bob Marley, I just happen to have this style of hair because I am damn lazy when it comes to combing my hair and styling it so having dreadlocks is very convenient and easy maintenance for me.

Taquile Island

Part 3 of my Island adventures, if you need to catch up you can check out Part 1 and Part 2. After leaving Amantani Island we headed to the third and last Island of the tour, Taquile Island. Getting there took about 2 to 3 hours but the boat ride was pleasant so that helped a lot plus most people passed out anyway since it was early in the morning.

Once the boat docked our guide explained to us the agenda for the day and off we went ahead to climb numerous steps in order to get to the main plaza of the Island. Going up was tough as usual but the steps were so well planned which made things slightly easier, I can only imagine the hard work it must have taken to build all those steps though.

The main town plaza wasn't something to write home about but it had some beautiful views of the lake and surrounding areas. There were several artisan shops where you could buy some of the handmade products from the Island and most of these products were being woven by men. Apparently these products can only be found on the Island and nowhere else plus the Islanders are known as the best weavers in the world. Luckily for my bank account I did not see anything that caught my fancy so I never spent any money.

Posing with one of the Islanders wearing the traditional clothing.

There wasn't much to do at the plaza but we were given half an hour to chill before heading off to lunch and to learn about the traditions of the Islanders. Taquile Island actually reminded me of Amantani Island because of the numerous terraced hills and mountains so it was hard to determine which of the two was my favorite.

Once we assembled for lunch the guide went ahead to first describe the clothing of the Islanders and the culture they practice. You see the man below? the hat and the belt indicate that he is married. Married women wear dark skirts while single women wear brightly colored skirts, in general it seems like single women wear more elaborate dressing while married women wear more toned down dressing. For the men, their wives present them with the belt after their first year anniversary of marriage and attached to the belt is a piece of the wife's hair to signify an eternal bond meaning their marriage is meant to last forever.  Divorces do not exist on the Island.

During courtship and before marriage a couple is required to live together for 2 years to determine whether the relationship will last or not. After two years if the relationship is good then they get married, if not then they go their separate ways and find other mates. Within these two years the couple can have children and if the relationship doesn't work, the dad gets to keep the son so he can learn the skills of the father and the mother gets to keep the daughter so she can learn her skills. Each parent has visitation rights.

We were also shown how the Islanders use natural resources for everyday use which was very interesting. They make their own shampoo and soap from specific plants, below you can see the guy demonstrating how this is done. After grinding the plant with a stone he put it on a piece of cloth then dipped it in water, within minutes the water turned into foam and it was ready to be used for cleaning. We got to smell and touch the foamy water, it had a leafy smell and indeed had a soapy feel to it. The guy even took a dirty piece of clothe to demonstrate how effective the soap is and sure enough, the clothe came out clean after being washed in the soapy water.

After the interesting information we were given, lunch was served over a balcony overlooking the landscape of the Island, it was really pretty! but the sun was super bright and came down hard.

Finally it was time to leave the Island and we had to go down numerous steps to get to the boat, the views were stunning.

The whole group from the tour. Good times Indeed!

That's it folks! after leaving the Island it was time to head back to Puno the city at the shores of Lake Titicaca, in order to depart to our respective places. Others were heading to Bolivia, others were spending the night in Puno before continuing their journey while I was heading back to Cusco. 

Random Thoughts of The Day:

During this whole Island adventure we had no access to showers, can you imagine not showering for two days? all I wanted after leaving all the Islands was to take a long shower and wash my hair.

Puno is not a pretty city at all, I think it's one of those cities you pass through to get somewhere else. I am not going to lie, that city is a mess.

I assumed girls get married very young on the Island but the guide was telling me that they actually get married in their early 20s, I know this is still young but I was expecting to hear 15 or 16.

A lot of the Indigenous people I have seen here have red, pink or darker colored cheeks. I was told its because of exposure to harsh climatic conditions, they don't use cream for protection and are exposed to either very cold conditions or very hot conditions and it burns the skin. I have to admit though, the little kids with red or pink cheeks look so darn cute!