Whether it was the Andean herbal tea prepared by the cook of
our hostel in Pisac or the vegetable soup from the German expat friend – Judy
is feeling better on Monday. “Something she ate” is the general diagnosis. Still, since she is not up to full speed yet,
we decided that it would be a good time to move on to Cusco. Every day her
energy level improves. By Thursday, food
is again looking interesting to her.
6.17… Cusco is a ‘tale of two cities’. – If you visit the
San Blas district there are wall to wall-fancy boutiques selling to the visiting
tourists – much of the merchandise is identical between shops, and prices are
high. The artisanal market is much the
same… One of the leading industries in Southern Peru is tourism – mostly people
headed to Machu Picchu. Wherever in the world you go, when you have a large
number of tourists present, the culture and the economy change in an effort to
make a profit from the visitors.
Cusco elevation 11,000 ft.
There is nothing wrong with traveling as a tourist – for
some, time is limited, it may suit those who don’t know the language, or feel
intimidated by a culture that they don't understand. Judy and I are tourists, but we have our own
way of traveling. To see more, we limit
the area that we hope to visit… We have sources like the Lonely Planet and Moon Guidebook series
for each country to be a good starting point in planning our journey. We try to find a balance between planning time for cities and small towns, nature, and foot-travel rather than spending our
time being led around by guides. Our goal, as we travel, is to connect with the local culture and
people. We enjoy the process of fending
for ourselves in a culture different from our own – solving problems and
finding our way.
To see the second city of Cusco visit the San Pedro Mercado
and the narrow streets below that point.
This is where the indigenous community comes to buy vegetables, meat,
beans, bread, cooked food, herbs and clothing, a place for shoe repair, a place
to sell surplus goods, a section for the over 100 varieties of Peruvian
potatoes, iron work, coca leaves, & chocolate. At the moment, in the market there
are vast supplies of sugar cane and coconuts being offered. It is a vibrant place
for meeting and talking, sharing and laughing.
All prices are flexible and bargaining is expected. This style of market has changed little since
ancient times. Judy is having a fine
time selecting a variety of goods and bargaining for a sales price. Bargaining here is a friendly back and forth
exchange – and if you don't like the final offer you can always walk away.
Peru is not a 3rd world country but a developing
one – sections of cities and towns have growing middle class homes and well
stocked shops…However the middle class people we have met
still remain connected to their cultural roots.
It feels like an old friend for us to return to Cusco - In some
ways it is a city version of the Incan villages we have been visiting…We
are staying in a charming place – the Ninos Hotel – where profits go to support
street children. A Dutch woman
started the program years ago – and they now have 2 hotels and the Hacienda
where we first stayed. By the front door
is a wicker basket for left over buns from the hotel café. Any child can knock
on the door and ask for bread – they get their choice.
The city itself was a center of early Incan culture in
pre-Spanish times – it was a city of great riches, looted by the Spanish… who
removed vast amounts of gold and other riches to Spain. Incan origins are apparent
in the large closely fitted stone-work in walls and walk ways - an Incan
landmark, in the layout of older streets, and the remaining indigenous cultural
patterns among the people.
For the month of June, the city is celebrating three things:
Its' history, both' Catholic , and Incan traditions. All of these are manifest in daily events,
parades, concerts, and exhibitions. Each
day there are a variety of special activities.
We thought the parades in Ollantaytembo were grand – but here they are
spectacular. An endless sequence of parade
units go by – each unit has a 10-foot figure of a saint figure mounted on a large
wooden frame carried by 16-20 strong men, who dance their way under their heavy
load. The figures are brightly colored and
surrounded by flowers. Each unit is
followed by a brass band playing loud Peruvian music… (I will miss the variety
of music here when we return home.) The streets are packed so full with people that
movement is impossible. There is also an event called “Platos typicos de Cusco”
that appears to provide food for all –donations accepted… I see piles of cooked guinea pig, chicken,
cheese, bread, and the drinks popular in Peru… I asked who is buying all this
food – and was told anyone who wants to contribute… they have tables set up to
feed several hundred people at a time.
And to make it more interesting– Cusco is like a city
following the ‘American world series’ - on steroids… now is the time of the
World Cup of “football” (soccer to the US).
This is truly an international event – and followed here with intense
energy. It’s really nice that even
smaller countries can compete well against larger countries. The blockbuster event so far has been that previous
champion Spain has lost two times to be removed early from competition.
6/20 One last excursion today … Negotiated with cab driver
to take us to the location to catch a 'collectivo' – found bus instead of collectivo
to Pisac – got out at the 13,500 ft. mountain pass – explored three important
ruins. It felt good to walk free in the
mountains with strange birds, llamas, many wooly sheep, and the music of
flowing water. The high mountains here
are so different from our Sierra mountains in California. The people are so willing to be helpful when
we don't quite know the way. Snow of the
peaks above us, flowers along our way, llama and sheep noises as they graze.
If you have enjoyed these travel blogs – stay tuned. This blog is called “Spectrum” which allows
me to deal with a wide range of topics. It
continues weekly - A new blog is posted each Friday – To receive the blog
automatically – click on the “Join this
blog” button on the top right side of each blog posting.
We plan to fly home Sunday….
