Peru Day 2 “NO QUY"

Arrived Cusco 7:30am tired and so ready for a warm bed and a nap. We had arranged to be picked up by our hotel and of course wondered if they would actually show, but we exited the airport and within moments Elsa's name was called. It was a bit of a rouse, the guy who picked us up was also in the business of selling tourist packages so guess what his intentions really were. The altitude factor; I had heard (Elsa was here before) and read about the high altitude of Cusco and how acclimating is essential before any hike. At an elevation of 10,000 ft I got to tell you I felt it. I honestly didn’t think it would be a problem for me but I could feel it almost as soon as I got off the plane. Basically while walking or even sometimes just laying in bed you all of a sudden have the feeling to gasp for air. A weird feeling for sure, but mostly it just tires you out a little but all in all it was not enough to hinder anything we wanted to do but I guess to some people it really can take you out. We finally arrived at our hotel and were promptly handed our first cup of coco tea ;) must say it tasted pretty good and I “think” it helped with the altitude (placebo effect?) But who am I to question tradition. Straight to bed and a big 4 hour nap along with a few gasps of air every now and then. Time to relax, take a shower watch a little HBO (well you can't rough it the whole time) and off for a walk to the plaza de Almas the central square. Cusco the old Incan empire center has been inhabited longer than anywhere else in South America. To sum it up the Spanish found it, knocked down all there ruins and of course built their churches on top with the rocks. Read more here if you like .Yeah it sucks and Latin America is the same story all over. Machu Pichu of course was never found by the Spaniards so it's untouched.
Cusco, a beautiful majestic place with its of old narrow streets and cobblestones, indigenous people going about there daily lives wearing the most colorful clothes with the coolest hats, and doorways that I just could not take enough pictures of. It just felt genuine… The Peruvians I have to say here are some of the nicest, mellow, genuine people I have met. During my stint in the Navy I had the opportunity to travel to many nations and this place certainly is one of the top places I have visited. So Elsa and I set off on our way to the city center Plaza de Almas to look around, get something to eat and maybe have a few adult beverages ;) We were in no hurry and just wanted to take it all in. As I said a beautiful city with restaurants that line the perimeter of the square and as with much of Latin America a hive of activity. We saw a restaurant that looked decent and with a balcony and a great view of the square so we could people watch. Elsa had previously told me the national delicacy was a dish called “quy” what is Quy? It’s roasted guinea pig whole. Well I am not the most adventurous eater by any means, but I can tell you NO WAY am I going to eat that. It’s bad enough knowing what is but man they just had to put the pictures of the burnt little critters all over the place. YUCK… anyway the rest of the day was enjoyed just wandering around the town and I think we may have had a few pisco sours;… Elsa got to hold a baby alpaca. Anyway went to bed early.

Cuzco Day 1