Memoirs of a Loner Traveler: Cusco, Peru (I)

Cusco is a lot bigger than I expected. My expectations were more along the lines of a single street, with hostels and bars along it, and a desolate airport and an even more desolate train station attached to it. In other words, I was expecting a shanty village. Cusco, however, is a legitimate city. Full and long boulevards and lots of traffic, venders on most corners and spray-paint graffiti on cement walls. Cars beeping, trucks honking, trains returning from Aguas Calientes letting out its steam like a high-pitch fog horn at night, llamas and alpacas trotting around the stone pathways.

It is not the metropolitan, cosmopolitan mega-city like London or Tokyo, but still, a very legitimate city located in a valley. Its architecture reminds me of Rome or even Florence, with their brown roofings and white, straight walls; the occasional window is nothing fancy but an oblong square hole in the wall, looking as if it were cut out by a cookie-cutter. The loveliest thing about this city is its winding pathways of all different widths, and its undeterminable destinations could easily get you lost. The city-center is the Plaza des Aramas, and is definitely the culminating spot for most tourists. Tourism is certainly the overriding business here, and for this reason the city is well-maintained and clean. Perhaps a bit too clean for a South American city.

Today I spent most of my time resting. Arriving at my hostel at 11am barely conscious due to a series of long flights and an unexpected chill in Lima, I was not impressed by where the hostel was located: on a hill. Climbing a set of stairs was already a full-on workout, if you could imagine that. I met three boys - recent high school graduates from Colorado! - at the hostel and we went out for lunch at a pizzetaria, a rather curiously common cuisine in Cusco (they are everywhere). Dodging offers for massages, llama/alpaca poo, and occasionally the odd pouch of cocaine, we found a place called Chez Maggy´s, run by a Peruvian surfer man who was very hippy-esque; his character was mostly reflected in the internal decor of the restaurant, which was more like an 18th century cabinet of curiosities than anything else. The pizza was delicious, too!

Additionally, I met a Japanese girl in the hostel, so that has been nice. She and I are meeting up again in Puno, to tour Uros together. Good times. But, the most exciting thing is, I get to ride a horse tomorrow!! Will take pictures of Cusco and post them up soon..