(Pic: Top, The Inka market in Pisac. Bottom, Julia and Me with our choclo. Yum.)January 24, 2009...
Weekends here are so good. I get a nice sleep-in, lots of good reading time and, of course, more Cusco. Last weekend began with Cusco. Friday night dancing at a salsa club (discotec) in Plaza de Armas. Saturdays seem to be for catching up with yourself. Resting, walking about in an exhausted haze, taking more pictures of everything. Every street, every shop, every fountain, every vista. Sunday I rode the bus to Pisac with Julia for the Inka market (which is listed in my Lonely Planet guide book as one of the top 10 things to do in Peru, and Lonely Planet is supposed to be the best...thank you Amanda!) I went nuts. I spent about 120 soles, which is only about 40 bucks, but it felt like alot. I won´t describe to you what I bought, because some of the things may or may not be gifts, but trust me when I say the temptation to buy everything in sight was atrocious. It was a shopaholic´s dream; a labrynth of fabrics and colors and precious stones and metals and figurines and strange-but-awesome hats. And on the outside are vendors with all kinds of fruits and vegetables...spices, meats, fish, choclo with cheese (choclo is giant, monster, mutant corn and the best thing about it, besides the taste, is that it doesn´t get stuck in your teeth).
You do the money dance with every vendor: They start at 40 soles, you offer 15, they laugh at you but come down to 35, you chuckle and shake your head and say 20, they release a frustrated little sigh (you´re winning now, but you knew you were going to) and say 30, to which you reply again with 20 (no más) and they say no way, so you turn to leave (with a hidden grin because this is the moment of victory...), but they come after you and say fine. 22. It´s a deal. After several instances of the money dance, Julia and I bought choclo from a vendor and sat in a cafe and ate. We had planned to meet up with the rest of the bunch at three at Ulrike´s Café for her famous cheesecake (also denoted in Lonely Planet, it´s that good), and watch movies on the television upstairs until eight (there are some places with a television and massive stock of dvd´s, and you´re free to sit in them and watch movies while you eat). Time to head back to Urubamba because 8:30 is about the time that the buses stop running.
...Another week of classes, with quiz night (every Wednesday at this great local café/restaurant called The Muse) and Anke´s despedida (she left Saturday)....
This weekend was even better. Friday night Sophia and I rode out to Cusco together, met up with Anke for dinner and headed to Izakaya for salsa dancing, and for her to meet up with her Peruvian boyfriend, Charlie. Charlie is a salsa instructor (that´s how she met him) and Charlie has friends. Jon, Giovani, Rayme, and Carlos. Throughout the night, I always had a dance partner and it was the best thing ever because these guys are straight out of Dirting Dancing Havana Nights. They twirl you around the floor and all you have to do is focus on your two-step. This gets complicated though, when they start speaking into your ear; trying to hear them in the first place, then to understand them, then to construct your reply all the while your mind is simultaneously attempting to send signals to your feet...one and two, three and four...
We were out dancing until 5:00am, conversing in Spanish, dancing salsa, having laughs and make-shift English lessons. They were so nice and fun, and they invited us back for next weekend. So I´ve made Peruvian friends! It´s such a thrill to know that the next time I walk into Izakaya, I´ll greet them and they´ll greet me and the fun will resume.
The next morning was rough. Asleep at five, up by nine, out of the hostel by ten (check-out time). I had planned to go to Pisac again, this time to see the ruins there. That´ll have to be another weekend. I was just too exhausted. After the bus ride back to Urubamba, I spent the rest of the day sleeping and reading. Sunday was nice, had a picnic with my family for lunch and then met up with Sophia at The Muse. We drank their giant mango drink and played Set and watched various locals and tourists go in and out.
Weekends here are so good.
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