So...last night was good. Except for the part where we blew up my (well acually it was Dad´s) battery charger for my camera. So this morning after being woken up from MUCH needed sleep we decided to head off and try to find another. We went downstairs, ate our free breakfast and took off . Before we did, Dad grabbed a handful of coca leaves and tried chewing them. I´m scared this will become a habit and an intervention may be necessary. Right now he is just twitching in the corner and picking his head but we have more important things to deal with now. Finally we ended up buying one from some hole -in-the-wall store and we thought we had lucked out and found one. Little did we know that when we turned the corner to buy our tourist tickets that we came upon a WHOLE STREET with friggin camera shops. Every place was selling the exact thing we bought. Sonofa.
So we bough our tourist ticket and took advantage by going to see a convent near the Plaza del Armas. It was pretty cool. the nuns have to stay there all the time. but we saw one. she was a rebel. So then we made our way through the Plaza del Armas where there was another festival going on. But dad did not enjoy it as much as the last :( We then wandered around a bit and went to the history museum. It was legit and had a bunch of colonial art from the 17th century. Sorry no pictures were allowed.
We decided to wander around some more when what should we come upon? But the Calle de Santa Clara! Of course Dad felt the need to score some more coca to chew, this time a whole sack for 1 sole (no kidding its really a problem.) Dad is jazzed about being the candyman so he is hounded by kids. I fear that soon he will be handing our coca to gain more followers. We made our way down and happened to find the market that dad had been really jazzed about going to.
if not for dad, think of the kids...
As we made our way into the market we were the only tourists there. It was all locals. The market is seperated into different sections. There was a meat section, fruits, crafts, fish. You name it, it was there (except tourists i guess). The meat section featured everyone´s favorite: whole pig heads. Whole pigs, whole chickens. The Peruvians are nothing if not economical. They dont waste anything. The colors were beautiful. We made our way to the back where the fresh lunch is served in the hopes of finding this soup that we had seen on "Anthony Bourdain". After to talking to um...pretty much everyone we decided to ask one more lady. Luckily there was a man who helped me fill in the Spanish I couldnt remember and the word for potatoes came to me right before we got to her stall (papas BTW). We ordered two bowls of soup for 2 soles ( aka US$ 0.60, each, holla). It was pretty delicious. It was just broth But you just belly up to the bar and start scarfing.
We decided to try and take in one of the sacred places in Cusco and made our way to Quoricancha. This was a main temple for the Inka people of Cusco. We luckilly found a guy who gave us a private tour for 20 soles ($US7). The temple was for the Sun, moon, stars, ranbow and lightning gods. But when us Spaniards came we decided to destroy their temple and build a church over it, a-holes. He showed us how to decifer between Inkan walls and counterfeit wannabes. The Inkas used no mortars between tehir stones. And their work is amazing and done entirely by hand. It really is something that cant be described unless you can get up close and personal with it. It´s ever earthquakes proof having survived 3 major ones already. (in 1353, 1653 & 1953, every 300 years. FREAKY. the next ones comin!) Ugo, our tour guide, also let us know that the Inkas celebrated the Inti Raymi (the main festival we are here for) on June 21st, but when the Catholics came they changed it to the 24th (which it still is) in order to coincide with the feast of St. Joseph. Also that the Inkas used 3 symbols (see the picture below) to represent the upper world, the middle world and the lower world: The condor, The Puma and the snake. And Cusco is in the shape of a Puma, since it was the capital of the Inka world. It was definitely a highlight.
After that we meandered around a bit more and made our way back to the Plaza del Armas for dinner. We (stupidly) tried to give pizza a chance and was dissapointed, yet again. but dad claimed that if you put hot sauce and guacamole on it, it could work. The Plaza del Armas was packed! There was a concert tonight and there was literally no room to move. We grabbed some desert. (gelato, i know in Peru!) and Dad scored some more coca (please send help) . And as we were sitting in the room watching the Tony Awards (hahah Dad) when we heard fireworks going off outside. We ran outside to watch and were joined by two douchebags from Tennessee who told us "I would rather take the chance of getting Malaria then take those pills". A gem, I know. We here you are cookin in the Yay area. And here it´s 39 degrees (at night). and the computer is outside. and i somehow have to detox dad before bed. So we bid you goodnight. Until mañana.
A NOTE TO OUR READERS: you do not need to print out copies of our blog. It will be here until I decide to take it down. Thanks for reading :) (this means you grandma, love ya!)
Adios!
