Peru: Tuesday and Wednesday

There is a huge difference between a vacation and a trip. Most of the time we were on a trip but for a few days we switched over to vacation mode. That means fewer pictures and things to talk about.

(Outside what used to be the Temple of the Sun and is now a convent, Cusco)
We started the day finishing up the museum circuit on our boleto turistico. Sadly, none of them allowed pictures. One thing I do have to say is that some of these "museums" were ridiculous. Maybe we were spoiled by New York City but they were almost comically bleak and empty and dusty. Oh well, we got to see Inca pottery fragments, diagrams and old furniture galore and learn more about the terrible Spanish. (Seriously, if you are from Spain, don't vacation in Peru unless you want to be accompanied by the ever dire travel companion, guilt.)

(Grocery store, they sell milk in bags! Cusco)

We also ventured out of the tourist center and found a grocery store. We wanted to try some local candies and treats but there really aren't any candy bars in Peru. We settled on an assortment of cookies. Its always interesting to see where the locals shop. Stuff imported from the US was ridiculously expensive like Pringles and M&Ms.


But being familiar with Cusco already, it was kind of nice to take it slow and relax. I also did some shopping while Steve took a nap. To get the best deal you have to find the most remote booth where they get the least amount of business. I literally got a great stone necklace for $3 because the girl was napping when I found her store. Also a little boy almost peed on my shoe. That was just funny and random.

(Steve and the guinea pig, Cusco)

For dinner we had decided it was time to try to local delicacy, guinea pig. That's right, they serve it up whole, claws, teeth, organs, everything. This was the most disappointing meal we had the whole trip. Steve got the guinea pig and I got a chicken dish just in case the guinea pig was so foul he couldn't eat it. The smell was awful, I almost threw up. And I don't know who said it tastes like chicken but it tasted nothing like chicken. It tasted like animal. I couldn't even look at it after awhile.

(Close up of guinea pig, kind of looks like a rat)


After dinner we ended up having a wonderful time at Kusikay, a Cirque de Soleil type show in Cusco. I had read about it before our trip but hadn't really thought about going. And since there is nothing to do at night, we decided to just go for it. Tickets ended up being about $20 a person but it was worth every penny. The show was directed by a local Peruvian who had gone to France and the US to study, found success and came back to Peru to share his talents. Steve and I have been to similar type performances in the US and even though the sets weren't as extravagant, the performers were just as talented and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The show featured jugglers, acrobatics, amazing stilt work including this huge llama and funny clowns, the costumes were amazing and they used a lot of interesting masks.
They even had audience participation and Steve got called up to be a bull in a matador skit. He did a great job and I was very sad no photography was allowed.

(Plaza de Armas at night and the police, Cusco)
Wednesday we spent traveling to Aguas Calientes, the base town for Machu Picchu. We had tickets to catch the train in Ollayntantambo so we had to take a shared taxi out there and for $6 it was quite the ride. I almost thought we were going to die, the driver was nuts and of course, there are no speed limits and we went careening around crazy corners in the mountains. We almost hit a cow too.

(Me and the Backpacker, Perurail)

(Train Station in Ollayntaytambo, can you see Steve?)
We took the train from Ollayntaytambo and it was both Steve and I's first train experience. The train was really great and because of a little pre-trip research I found out the left side of the train had the best views. It was so beautiful heading into the Andes and the jungle.

(Heading into the Andes, taken from train)
Once in Aguas Calientes, we trekked up a huge hill to our hostel. This hostel was more in lines of what you'd see with budget travel. Our building only had three walls. Our room was clean but not very comfortable and the window was missing some glass. There were bugs everywhere.
Aguas Calientes is a small town that sprung up purely out of tourism. There is nothing to do but eat and shop and sleep.

(Three walled hostel, Welcome to Home!, Aguas Calientes)
For dinner we went to a small restaurant, Chez Maggie that was recommended from our tour book, it was a little overpriced but still yummy. We split a steak pizza. This is what we got, not what you'd expect but still yummy.

(Steak pizza-or cheese pizza with a steak on it, Aguas Calientes)
After dinner we killed time walking around and playing dozens of games of UNO while sitting by the river. It was very humid here and our cards curled a little. Also all our money and papers felt damp.

(Aguas Calientes)
We went to bed early, falling asleep while watching a Grease lip'syncing contest in Spanish, got to get up early for Machu Picchu.