City of Gringos

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As a gateway to Machu Pichu, Cusco has become the most visited city by tourists in Peru. When you think Miraflores is full of gringos, then you will be surprised that Cusco is even more ‘gringo’ then Miraflores. However, as a city itself, Cusco does have its own attractions - the cathedrals, museums, ruins, discos (the best in Peru, surprise!), restaurants, the Inca walls and roads etc - it is not only just a stopover before visiting the Machu Pichu!

At 3000m ++ above sea level, I got dizzy and little fever the first day arrived at Cusco. It got worse after I’ve ignored the symptom and joined a half day city tour. It is always advised that if you are coming from the place at sea level, better allow yourself at least one day to acclimatize, or else you will end up like me……mate de coca will be the best cure to the mountain sickness, or if you dare, just chew the coca leafs and I was told it gives the best result!

I have once again tasted the guinea pig - cuy. It was not as good as the one I had in Huaraz, but the restaurant had cut off the cuy’s head, so it can sell more to the gringos.. The best food I have had in Cusco was the maize sold by local women - served with cheese and salt for only 2soles. Another food which is my favorite is anticucho - the delicious cow’s heart in parilla - you can also find it in Lima, but I was just suddenly so into it and have had them in two nights consecutively. I have also tried the alpaca meat, which tastes like pork to me.

The city tour guide has warned us not to believe or buy anything from the street vendors selling the alpaca products - where most of them are fake. He even told us that there is only one place selling the real alpaca and brought us to a remote shop and dropped us there for an hour. This is an obvious rip-off but still there were some aunties and uncles willing to buy the at least triple priced products.

There were a lot of local women and children dressed up in their traditional costume wandering around the major tourists spots asking tourists to take their photos to earn some money. Some of them also came with their alpaca (I mean the animal) for photo taking. There were also many children selling snacks, and even alpaca products on the streets. I was once followed by a 7years old boy (he told me) selling chewing gum. At first he told me 3soles per boxand when I ignored him, he then told me 2soles. I figured out no harm buying from this young boy and when I said I want one, he then told me 3soles again. I was a bit pissed off (not a real pissed off) and told him that he said 2soles, and I will only pay 2soles. He just smiled and said 2soles ok ok. When I about to pass him the money, in just two second another younger boy ran towards me from nowhere asking me in fluent English:" What about me? You want to buy from me? What about me?" The 7 years old boy then also asked me:"What about him? He is my friend. Buy from him!" Well, I was really impressed by them and ended up buying another box of chewing gum from the second boy.

I have also let myself lost in the city and tried to visit some suburb area away from gringos spots. There were a cemetery and a cathedral, not meant for tourists about an hour walk away from the city centre, with a barely maintained park lined up with some statues looked like have not been cleaned up since the Inca era. There was a local woman came to me asked me if I am a tourist and if so, to help them to request the local authority to refurbish the park. She told me that the locals have made their request a few times but due to the park is not a tourists attraction, the local authority seems to be do not care about it. Que triste…....

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Photos

Plaza de Armas at night
This is so far the most beautiful plaza I've been in Peru.

Local woman selling choclo
Local 'jagung' served with only salt and cheese - one of the most delicious thing I've tried in Cusco.

Dirty Angel
This angel obviously needs a clean up, but due to the square is located quite far away from the tourists spot, the local government seems to be not really give a damn on the maintenance.

Plaza de Armas at day
La catedral at Cusco.

Twinkle twinkle little star
Plaza de Armas at night.

Singapur Hostal
The strangest name of a hostal, or maybe it's owned by a Singaporean?

Suburb in Cusco
Away from the gringos spots, this is where the locals live.