TO MARKET TO M...WHAT THE HELL IS THAT???

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The central market in Cusco is a truley mind boggling experience. For staters, it´s huge. There is a traditional covered market with stalls, but this spills out into the streets for blocks and blocks. The covered market is very well organized. All the breads in one aisle, the fruit in another, the fish in another and so on. But within this organization is a massive throng of people, many eating the numerous food stalls, and a staggering, no, I mean really stunning array of the bizarre and wonderful for sale.
More different types of dried corn kernels that you ever dreamed could exist.
Huge sacks of ancient grains like quinoa and many others I didn´t know.
Fruits of every size, colour and shape (prickly pears are particularly popular)
Huge circular loaves of bread.
Gigantic, and I mean like the size of a smart-car, bags of coca leaves.
Frogs, some alive and swimming, some skinned and ready for eating.
Mushrooms of every description. Some that are really disgusting looking, almost gelatinous.
Meats of all kinds. Chickens and alpaca being most popular.

(Sidenote: I ate my first alpaca steak last night. It was delicious. Not unlike veal)

Aside from the foods, and that´s just a small sample of what there is, there are also clothing vendors. Some that sell the touristy stuff, but not many because only the brave tourists venture into this place, it´s mostly locals. There are little stalls with sewing machines where people will make or alter uniforms of all types. Other stalls where you can have a suit made. Others that just sell various fabrics or blankets or the hats that the Indian women always wear.

An amazing place. I think I´ll do my gift shopping there. I had a nice conversation with lady about her scarves that she crochets herself with alpaca wool. When I asked if the other scarves were woven by machine she was surprised and a little offended. She asseted that they were "artisinal" and woven in the traditional method by hand!

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