From SATA-Peru-2007
Although today was only our second full day in Cusco it feels like we have been here much longer, especially considering the flies that we have attracted into our room with our dirty laundry. Due to our late night out on the town Saturday night, we had a slow start this Sunday morning, Erich and I nearly missed breakfast and others couldn’t muster the strength to get out of bed. After a tasty breakfast of local bread, fresh fruit juice accompanied with our daily coca tea we headed for the markets, those of us who we able anyway. Our numbers diminished we meandered our way up to La Plaza de Armas where there was yet another parade, this time it seemed like it was in honor of several local schools. Needless to say the plaza was bustling and we quickly found ourselves having small pins attached to our lapels that we at first mistakenly took as gifts until we were told that each one would cost us a sol.
From there we went to El Mercado Central to wander through the stalls that were full of fresh meats, fruits, delicious breads, and a whole host of plants and vegetables. Erich and I bought three loaves of bread and tangerines both of which tasted fantastic. Somewhere during the confusion of the busy market Manuel had become separated from the others and found Erich and I pondering a stop at one of the many fruit juice bars. Heeding Papacito’s (Manuel’s) advice we steered away from the fruit juice bars, as tempting as they were, for fear of getting sick and walked with Manuel through several other storefront lined streets until we reached our other destination an artisan’s market close by to our hostel. Along the way we offered a loaf of our bread to an old man with two children on the street and were rewarded with one of the most genuine showings of gratitude I have ever experienced. I walked away wishing that I had given him two of the loaves.
At the artisan’s market Manuel asked over and over again what type of material each sweater, hat and blanket was made of and whether it was hand made or not. We made a pass through the market where I tried, for the most part unsuccessfully, to distinguish hand made textiles from machine made ones. We returned for another delicious meal at CBC, the hostel, and met up with everyone else who had made there own way through the city.
After lunch Erich and I went back to our fly infested room for a nap while Manuel, Hayley, Leia, Shana, Kerry Joy Hand and Cara went back to the market to pick up some blankets. They came away from the afternoon with more than just blankets having video interviewed several children they ran into on the street.
September 1, 2007 September 3, 2007
