Cusco

There was plenty to look at from the small aeroplane flying me up from Lima to Cusco, and to take my mind off the turbulence. As we broke through the city smog, we were suddenly in bright sunshine and blue sky. There were spectacular views of the mountain summits breaking through the clouds below.
Cusco, a hill side town, or possibly city as it had a cathederal. A birds eye view reveals a muddle of red tiled brick and concrete buildings most in a state of semi completion and of uncertain building regulations.
There is a large white and illuminated statue of christ on one of the hill tops over looking the town, surrounded by a congregation of satellite dishes and telephone masts.

Why I can rotate this picture...I dont know!

Cusco at 3326m above sea level is in fact a nice little town with a population roughly 360,000. The old part has narrow cobbled streets with even narrower pavements. The streets are designed in a grid formation and more suited to Llama herding than motor vehicles. The narrow streets are lined with doorways giving on to mulitfamily dwellings, often built around central courtyards. Many of the buildings are a red or grey stone in the colonial style with the odd bit of Inca wall here and there. Frankly the Inka walls are still in such good nick but they remind me of the slightly dodgy tiled facades Greek immigrants cover their houses with in North London. All it needs is a few columns to finish the job.  Anyway, once I had learned how the Incas built their walls and cities , a few days later, I cant help but be impressed. There are rainbow striped flags flying everywhere, much like the Gay friendly establishment flags that are all around Soho, but these Cuscan flags are to symbolise its connection with its Incan heritage. Also its the 100 year anniversary since the discovery of Machu Picchu.

Cusco old town

I am staying at a hostel in the non tourist part of town called Niños, meaning children. I am infact not in the hostel but in a room off a second floor balcony at the Niños school, just up the road. Its a charity run school, founded some years ago by a Dutch woman who had come to Peru on holiday...and stayed. She was so moved by the plight of the most poor and homeless children that she ended up taking in 12 and looking after them herself. She went on to find away to generate an income to help more children and started the Niños hotel. There are now 2 hotels plus the school and a hacienda in the countryside. The school educates, feeds, washes and provides medical help for over 400 children 6 days a week. Quite an achievement. My room is lovely, pale blue wood with big brightly coloured paintings a writting table and 2 balconies. I have the use of a kitchen and a shared bathroom. The water is so hot it actually boils as it come out of the taps!

It has become immediatly obvious that the need to learn S´panish is a priority, so I spend my forst day searching out a Spanish school, good lunch spot and supermarket in that order.

Everyday is fiesta day, in some shape or size. On my first day, the main square was full of food stalls being run by women in big white or brown top hats, traditional dress and selling mainly deep fried guinea pig! The little creatures (actually big by British guinea pig standards) were stacked up in very creative but slightly macabre piles, Their mouths wide open showing off little buck teeth and their fried postures almost looked as if each cooked creature were trying to run up to the top of the pile. They were in turn garnished by the odd tomato or lemon wedge.  I hope they werent alive when they went in the frier.  You can just see some in this next picture. I was a bit too nervous to just go up close to take pictures that day.

I spent the next couple of days exploring the city, orienting myself and acclimatizing. There are lots of hills and steps and every step is breathless at this level. On the second day I discovered the central market. The surrounding streets were full of sugar cane stalls that somehow drew me in to this partially covered market. Once inside there were areas of stalls selling everything from hardware to fruit and veg, fresh juice, clothes, spices, pulses, fresh local cheese, bread and a section selling meat. The usual chicken, pork, beef cuts on display. Not refridgerated but fresh and non offensive. I continued my wandering and speculating what some of the weirder things I was seeing for sale actually were. I then observed 2 women squatted down and peeling what appeared to be frogs legs. There was a bucket of live frogs next to them. I continued a few step and then my nostrils were assaulted by the most noxious smell. Looking around I realised I had wandered into the offal section. I was surrounded by stalls dripping with blood, guts and fat. There were dried brown and decaying horse and ox heads, complete with eyes. Tripe, hooves, guts...god knows what else. My stomach had started to heave, my eyes were watering, I needed to breathe, but I knew if I did I would be sick right on the spot. The stall holders around me were obviously impervious to the smell. My step quickened, almost broke into a run, not daring to breath until I was well clear. The smell of death and decay stayed with me for quite some time.

Cusco has definite sectors of buisnesses and so far I have discovered the cake sector which not only smells good but is a visual feast of over the top, highly decorated gateaux of all shapes and sizes. There is also the banking and administration street, a street consisting solely of shops making and selling gold and silver religious banners and badges. You name it theres a street for it!

San blas and the main square, plaza das Armas are the main tourist areas. There is a relentless assault of touts, shop keepers and entrepreneurs, all trying to sell you anything from massage to art to trinkets and t shirts.  The Inca walled lanes have women in traditional dress on every corner clutching an obligitory baby llama, alpaca, child or new born lamb. Ready to take 1 soles (peruvian money) or two from photo hungry tourists. Quite a lucrative buisness it seems. There is also the man dressed as an Incan king and the person in the Kermit the frog costume promoting some club or other.  I{m glad im staying well away from all this!