Exploring Cusco on my birthday

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Feliz Compleaños a mi!

Today Atticus (friend from California) and I went to the train station; Tracy es infermo (sick). She is feeling altitude sickness. She is sleeping so she feels better for Machu Picchu.

The train station is like an American Department of Motor Vehicles. You take a number and wait to be called. We waited for about 20 minutes to speak with an agent only to find out that they were sold out for Friday. YIKES! Ok, this was really hard for me because I am really a planner and looked into buying tickets months ago, but was told it was easier to get them when I got there. Also, the only reason we came to Cusco was to see Machu Picchu, so needless to say, I was upset and the thought of going back to the room to tell Tracy was upsetting as well. When Atticus and I got into the taxi, he suggested that we check a travel agency, which proved to be successful. We did get tickets for Friday!!!

When we got back to the room, Tracy was feeling better so we decided to explore the town and get some lunch. We found a great market with all sorts of hand made crafts. It was great. We walked around and ate at a vegetarian restaurant called Govinda. The only reason we chose this place was because it got good reviews in the travel books and online. It is known for its curry dishes. Tracy and I both got the curry rice, which was very bland and boring. A disappointment for sure.

We then went on a 1 km walk around the town, up winding hills and back down into the town center. We decided to have a Sangia at a cafe that overlooked the Plaza de Armas (town square) We took a couple of pictures of each other with the amazing background, but it wasn´t until Atticus asked me to use his camera to take a picture of him, that I realized it was my birthday(the date on his digital camera). We toasted my health and decided to do a little more shopping.

We had dinner at a wonderful place called Fallen Angels. Some of the tables were made of claw-footed tubs, filled with beautiful fish. Pretty cool. I ordered the pumpkin ravioli, which was amazing! It was a wonderful way to spend my birthday! Buenos Noches.

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