Lunch with a real sugar Fanta for less than two bucks? I'll take it.
We have arrived safely in beautiful Cuzco, Peru. It's a shame the Spaniards destroyed almost every remnant of the ancient Incan Empire, but I suppose they at least made their new things (now old things) look nice still.
The first thing Dave and I did was to get in on some pick-up soccer with some locals at a nearby turf field. A couple of hours playing futbol at altitude sure had us winded, but we couldn't have asked for a better welcome to Peru!
Walking around the city has also been fun, especially visiting the giant local market outside of the main drag. At the market, we were essentially the only foreigners amongst thousands of people selling, buying and bartering. Every object imaginable was there -- shirts, chainsaws, exercise DVDs, dolls, cabinets, jewelry, electronics -- in both new and used forms. A mixture between Walmart and the world's largest garage sale.
I'm glad I heeded advice not to bring my camera or any valuables to this market though. At one point someone threw dirt and sand at my head from behind. As I turned around, trying to figure out exactly what had just happened, a man from the other side reached into my pockets, grappling around my pants while I was caught up in the commotion. Only when I looked down did I notice him and did he pull his hands out, deftly slipping away into the dense crowd. I had nothing in my pockets though -- too bad they wasted such nice dirt, sand and coordinated effort on me.
Later we went out to a club called Mythology, having a blast. The evening may or may not have included dancing on top of the bar to Danza Kaduro. Now, however, we are resting for our upcoming four-day trek on the Inca Trail.
It's quite the flight in to Cuzco; the pilots to have to navigate around the Andes before turning a final corner around one of the foothills.
Plaza de Armas.
Our hostel.
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