March 3rd - Finally in Cusco!

Ah it took a while to get here but it was a perfect day for flying. I found a hostel called Qori Inti which isn’t the best place on earth but its cheap, close to the main plaza, and has warm water most of the time which is a hot commodity around here. So after I settled in I met up with Holly and went to a lovely gringo restaurant that overlooks la Plaza de Armas. I have been to many a Spanish plaza in my time but none like this. There is la catedral and the mountains with houses that go up and up as far as the eye can see, a beautiful site at night when all the lights are on. And then, atop San Blas is Jesus. A giant white Jesus that is illuminated by many spotlights at night. Tengo ganas a ir a Jesus, he looks pretty awesome sitting up there. Fun fact: there is a picture of the last supper in a museum in Cusco that depicts Jesus being served cuy (guinea pig). I find it quite interesting how different areas of the world depict one moment in history so different according to their culture. I doubt he ate guinea pig that day, but the Peruvians can believe that if they want. Also, Holly says there is an art museum that I want to check out where Jesus and mother Mary are shown with long necks (such as that of the llama). Both hilarious and fascinating at the same time.
After Holly and I parted ways, I drank as much mate de coca (a local remedy for the altitude that basically tastes like green tea) and took a much needed nap before going out for the night. Holly brought a few of her Dutch friends that are also volunteering in Cusco and we went to a local bar where, despite my worries about the altitude, I tried the local mixed drink: a pisco sour. You’ll have to look up exactly how it’s made but I found it to be quite good. I also tried alpaca for the first time which was pretty good, tastes like beef but a little chewier. Day one under my belt and I already felt better after a few drinks then I had during the entire trip so far. Maybe the altitude is putting so much pressure on my head that it’s forcing me to get better, who knows. Maybe it’s the coca!

I can already tell there is a big American influence here because most of the music is from American pop stars and even the television has movies IN ENGLISH with Spanish subtitles. I watched Lost today which I have never seen in the states but I felt I had to because, well, it’s on in Peru. And SCRUBS! I watched scrubs with Spanish subtitles which made my night.