Exploring Cusco

---

I thought I was getting used to South American driving until we came inches from hitting a cow head-on on the highway. Of course, it's always hard to feel comfortable going 100km/hr in the back of a beat-up colectivo with no seat-belts on a windy, wet road, but asi es la vida.
Just spent the last few days exploring the towns surrounding Cusco in an attempt to make purchasing the extremely expensive Boleto Turistico worthwhile. Saqsaywaman was extremely crowded, likely a result of it being only 2km from Cusco and the fact that I didn't make it there until the afternoon... Much of the ruins was also closed. The ruins above Pisaq were fantastic; I took a 4km hike up the side of the citadel and returned to Pisaq via a trail that descended through the ruins themselves. Today I visited Ollanta, and was more impressed with a trail across from the parque nacional, which climbed steeply up a rocky peak and provided views of seemingly untouched ruins and snowy Andean mountains. The trail pretty much kicked my ass.
Cusco itself is beautiful, especially the barrio of San Blas in which I'm staying. However, it's sad how much the history of the area is exploited for touristic reasons. It almost seems demeaning to me to photograph a woman totting a llama or a man dressed as an Inca warrior. But I really can't fault the locals who are just trying to make a living.
Heading to Arequipa for the (long) weekend, probably will also check out Choca Canyon, measured as the second deepest in the world (over 1500m deeper than the Grand Canyon). Will update when I return.

---

Comments

[Mom]

Inca Warrior
I guess it's the same all over the world: we spent an hour in Rome (near the Colosseum of course) watching a man that was dressed up like a gladiator. He was charging to have your picture taken with him -- it was interesting to see how he operated, who he approached and who was most likely to shell out.