I arrived yesterday, Day 43, in Cuzco. Once this was the Inca capital of Peru. Now it's the tourist capital. The fine central square, Plaza de Armas (pic), is unusual in having not one but two cathedrals. And not unusual in having not one but two thousand souvenir shops, travel agencies and pricey restaurant-bars.
This morning, after a 4 sol (80p) two-course lunch of soup and fried fish in San Pedro market, I was pleased to happen upon this colourful fiesta (pic) in nearby San Francisco square. Not because of the young people in their fancy outfits...
...but because there were lots of stalls selling home-made cakes (pic). Not fresh cream, but apparently, milking a llama is much trickier than a cow.
In the afternoon I climbed up the steep old Inca alleys and stairways of San Blas (pic) to the hilltop statue of Christ the Redeemer that overlooks the city. It was lovely and peaceful here, apart from the gasping of breathless gringos who climbed up instead of getting the bus, and the relentless sounds of El Condor Pasa wafting up from the pan-pipe buskers in the town below.
From up top was this fine view of the Plaza de Armas (pic). Somewhere here is an Irish pub, which claims to be the world's highest. Funnily enough, there was one back in Chivay that said the same.
On the way back I saw this man leading his llama (pic). Don't suppose he was taking it for milking.
Have you tried this delicious Peruvian food: ají de gallina its a thick and hearty chicken stew but with a twist. Really yummy!
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