Cusco is so lovely. The Spanish colonial influences on the town's architecture are clear -- the terracotta roofs, blue shutters, and white washed walls are supposedly modeled after those in Grenada. The city has a central square, several public gardens, and hundreds of winding, cobble stone alleyways lined with artisan shops. The people are also incredibility friendly and hospitable. The people who ran our hostel may have been the nicest innkeepers I've ever met!
The first day in Cusco, Jenny and I headed to the Inca Spa to partake in an Inca ritual in honor of Pacha Mama (e.g. Mother Earth). The woman who guided us through the ritual explained to us that in Inca culture one can make wishes and (as long as they are well-intentioned) Pacha Mama will grant them. As part of the ceremony, we placed symbolic foods/objects in a vessel which we buried in sacred earth collected from a mountain about an hour's drive from Cusco. Each element was associated with a different quality: health, prosperity, happiness, love etc. After we completed the ritual and sent out good wishes off into the universe, we got ready for our massages. This was a really nice way to pamper ourselves and help mitigate the affects of altitude sickness (headache, body ache, nausea, loss of appetite etc). After all, Cusco is something like 11,000 feet above sea level! I remember reading an advice column on how to avoid altitude sickness. It went something like this: "When dealing with high altitude, begin your journey around 3,000 ft and ascend only 500 ft per day to avoid serious health problems." Well, we went from sea level in Lima to 11,000 ft in Cusco...so much for a gradual climb!
We spent a good amount of our time window shopping. The fabrics and pottery in Cusco are so bright and eye-catching. I loved walking around and enjoying the sights of people bustling about the markets. Interestingly, the market culture in Cusco is very different from that in Morocco. As I mentioned in previous posts, I only interacted with men in the artisan markets of Fes and Marrakech. In Cusco, however, women were the primary vendors. They called out to passersby, "Senorita! Come look! Come look! SENORITA!" Like most vendors, they were quite persuasive and cunning bargainers. I had to exercise a lot of self control because I wanted to buy every textile in sight! What can I say? I love color.
One of the days, Tina and I headed off to the covered market to try and find a pair of rain boots. We had a good adventure trying to find a place that sold women's rain boots in a size 11. Hah! I opted for a pair of men's industrial-style rain boots...they got the job done. Anyway, the covered market was amazing to see...under one roof there were fresh fruits and veggies, meats, cheeses, flowers, and dry goods (e.g. touristy things). The tourist stalls formed the outer perimeter and the foodstuffs and flowers were organized by section in the inner circle. Fascinating! I'm really intrigued by the differences in the municipal market in Cusco and New Orleans. They were both established by Spanish colonial governments. I wonder if there was a common market culture across the Spanish colonial empire? Or, perhaps, significant adjustments were made for each locale?
I was also amazed at how vibrant and lively the street food culture was in the part of Cusco near the covered market (you could tell that this section of town was less touristy). Dozens of vendors were set up on the streets selling fresh fruits, veggies, and knick-knacks. It was eye-opening to see this kind of street culture in the flesh (one that was so lively in New Orleans and Baltimore is in the 19th century but has died out since).
The first day in Cusco, Jenny and I headed to the Inca Spa to partake in an Inca ritual in honor of Pacha Mama (e.g. Mother Earth). The woman who guided us through the ritual explained to us that in Inca culture one can make wishes and (as long as they are well-intentioned) Pacha Mama will grant them. As part of the ceremony, we placed symbolic foods/objects in a vessel which we buried in sacred earth collected from a mountain about an hour's drive from Cusco. Each element was associated with a different quality: health, prosperity, happiness, love etc. After we completed the ritual and sent out good wishes off into the universe, we got ready for our massages. This was a really nice way to pamper ourselves and help mitigate the affects of altitude sickness (headache, body ache, nausea, loss of appetite etc). After all, Cusco is something like 11,000 feet above sea level! I remember reading an advice column on how to avoid altitude sickness. It went something like this: "When dealing with high altitude, begin your journey around 3,000 ft and ascend only 500 ft per day to avoid serious health problems." Well, we went from sea level in Lima to 11,000 ft in Cusco...so much for a gradual climb!
We spent a good amount of our time window shopping. The fabrics and pottery in Cusco are so bright and eye-catching. I loved walking around and enjoying the sights of people bustling about the markets. Interestingly, the market culture in Cusco is very different from that in Morocco. As I mentioned in previous posts, I only interacted with men in the artisan markets of Fes and Marrakech. In Cusco, however, women were the primary vendors. They called out to passersby, "Senorita! Come look! Come look! SENORITA!" Like most vendors, they were quite persuasive and cunning bargainers. I had to exercise a lot of self control because I wanted to buy every textile in sight! What can I say? I love color.
One of the days, Tina and I headed off to the covered market to try and find a pair of rain boots. We had a good adventure trying to find a place that sold women's rain boots in a size 11. Hah! I opted for a pair of men's industrial-style rain boots...they got the job done. Anyway, the covered market was amazing to see...under one roof there were fresh fruits and veggies, meats, cheeses, flowers, and dry goods (e.g. touristy things). The tourist stalls formed the outer perimeter and the foodstuffs and flowers were organized by section in the inner circle. Fascinating! I'm really intrigued by the differences in the municipal market in Cusco and New Orleans. They were both established by Spanish colonial governments. I wonder if there was a common market culture across the Spanish colonial empire? Or, perhaps, significant adjustments were made for each locale?
I was also amazed at how vibrant and lively the street food culture was in the part of Cusco near the covered market (you could tell that this section of town was less touristy). Dozens of vendors were set up on the streets selling fresh fruits, veggies, and knick-knacks. It was eye-opening to see this kind of street culture in the flesh (one that was so lively in New Orleans and Baltimore is in the 19th century but has died out since).
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