March 4th - Pisac

So I was told there is a market in Pisac, about an hour bus ride away from Cusco, that is a must-see while I’m here. So, I met up with Holly to find a good Machu Picchu tour and wandered around the city for a while looking for lunch. In some back alley I found a pizza place that was quite delightful. No, they don’t put sauce on their pizza but they do put cheese, peppers, onions, sausages, and some great spices on top. Basically, I had toppers sticks without any dipping sauce which made my morning. Then, I went to the bus station to go to Pisac. I have been to many places in this world: various states in the US, Mexico, Cozumel, the Bahamas, and Spain but I have never seen anything like I did today. To take pictures could never do this place justice because unless you see it with your own eyes, you have never seen such a combination of poverty and beauty in your life. The mountains that surround Cusco engulf it so even though Cusco is so high up it still seems like it’s sitting in a valley. On my way I saw everything from llamas (ah, my first llamas!), pigs, donkeys, horses, cattle, and chickens. You name it, they have it here and most likely its tied up by the side of the road so it doesn’t run away. Oh, and dogs. There are dogs everywhere. Every breed of dog you can even imagine is here and while I’m not sure if they exactly belong to anyone I do know that you never want to get next to one that is having a bad day. According to Holly, she sees many Cuscans come to the clinic she volunteers at with dog bites and a rabies shot can be quite expensive. Insurance you ask? No, everything must be paid up front and in cash. You even buy the needed supplies for the procedure before you get fixed up.
Anyway, I continued on my journey to Pisac with no problems. Along the road l saw so many Peruvians working the land and farming everything from potatoes to corn to wild flowers. Peruvians are hard-workers and work as much of the land as possible with the whole family to help. The Cusco area has poverty like I’ve never seen before. The places they live in are not to be believed and I wish there was something I could do to help but I am positive these people will never seen a sanitary living area in their lifetime nor their children’s. I’d like to think that by going to Machu Picchu I am helping the local population but even with all the trails and all the money that comes in, I do not believe the people of Peru are living any better a lifestyle with this kind of tourism. Sure it helps; and if it wasn’t for the newly-discovered Incan ruins, I’m positive the people would be in even worse despair. All this said, I find it interesting that the children who attend school must dress in very elaborate and what I have to believe, very expensive, uniforms. That just seems confusing. Like I said, all the things I saw and I am now trying to convey to you do not give justice to actually being here. You’re conflicted because everything seems so wonderful but if you look closer, the people are struggling to get by on their handiwork and ability to make meals from the resources given to them from mother nature.

I know that was a rant but I am in complete aw of this place and so excited to learn more and see more and I want you all to come here if you get the chance in your life.

So I toured the Pisac market where there is clothing, hats, and gloves of every color made from alpaca fur….sometimes baby alpaca fur and it is all gorgeous. The time and energy put into such work amazes me and the colors are so vibrant. I’m sure if you google Peruvian women you’ll see the traditional garb they where. Yeah, they actually look like that here! No, not just for the tourists sake but because they want to wear it for whatever reasons. Take for instance the woman I saw at the bus station. The skirts they wear come away from their body so much that she was able to spread her legs and urinate in a drain on the sidewalk. Public urination, what a wonderful sight. But she was so beautifully clad in bright colors and the traditional clothing that I’m going to give her a pass on that one. So I toured the market and bought some things with alpaca fur because it’s gorgeous and soft. And so, wanting to get back to see some more Machu Picchu agencies (because there are a ton), I left after a short time on a bus that I was almost positive would take me to Cusco. It did not. I enlisted the help of a school girl so I could figure out why this trip only cost one sole while the other cost me 2 soles y 40 centimos. Well, we were going a shorter distance to a city in the opposite way from Cusco. Oh, ok not exactly where I needed to be but I’m always up for an adventure. I then enlisted the help of a French couple that spoke Spanish quite well and they insisted I stay with them to the next town, Urumbamba. On the ride there I met the coolest Peruvian who actually lived in the states for a while. I wanted to practice my Spanish and he wanted to practice English so we had a pretty fantastic conversation in which I learned his life story and anything I wanted to know about Lima and the Peruvian way. The people you meet, major plus of studying abroad. Well after 3 hours and 4 more taxi rides, I finally arrived in Cusco.

After meeting Holly again, we went wandering to the San Blas neighborhood and looked for a paneria because I love love love their bread but can never find a good place to buy it. By the time we went up and down and around every alley way in the area and found it, it was closed. So that’s breakfast tomorrow, oh happy day. We settled for a restaurant on the opposite end of the plaza and enjoyed some pastel de chocolate and cheese cake. Delicious end to my night!


Tomorrow: Solidify the 4 day/3 night jungle trek up to Machu Picchu and who knows….go tour some more cities? Anything can happen when you’re traveling alone and have hours to do anything. Ah, love you Peru.