Dec 16: Falling for Cuzco

The giant stones on the right were built by the Incas.

Today was a relatively light day in the traveling adventures department. Tara and I headed down the hill fully intended to embark on an number of buildings we could see from the balcony.

We made it about halfway down, when we saw a sign for a breakfast burrito. We went inside and after we finished eating, we played dominos with a couple from L.A. The girl is a published poet, Sona Ovasapyan, so that was kinda cool.

After the game, it looked like it was going to rain so we went back to the hostel and just relaxed until it was time to go shopping for dinner. When we got back to the hostel, I was amazed at how much the view has changed in my eyes since I've been here.

At first, it just looked like complete chaos and each building looked the same to me. Now I see the city differently. Sure, it's still chaos, but instead of just seeing a blanket of buildings that look the same, I now see the individuality of each building, mostly because I have walked inside most of them.

The city no longer seems foreign to me and I find that I like it here.

The only bad thing about this city is there are so many beggars, venders and what I will call vender-beggars. In most places we've been to, we've worried about getting robbed or mugged. The greatest threat in this city is you might end up buying something you didn't really need and/or want.

In addition to the many, many shops, you can't go more than 10 feet without someone trying to sell you something. Some of the most common I say "No gracias" to are people selling paintings, jewelry, hats and massages. All the people trying to sell massages are young, single-looking women and I can't help but wonder what all is included in a massage here.

I have gotten some stuff here, truth be told, way too much stuff here. Though prices are negotiable, I trend to negotiate less when it is clear the person selling the work, such as a hat or bracelet, created the product. I figure it's kind of like their art and my writing. I wouldn't want someone trying to get my work at a below fair price.

The annoying thing though is every time you ask someone what something cost, you get an answer followed by a lower price four seconds later. It's annoying, I wish they would just tell me what the real price is and let me decide if I still want the item, not give me a fake price so I feel good about saving 66 cents four seconds later.

I do try to hager a little, not only because is it fun, I know that I will get taken advantage of if I don't play their game. With a 3-1 exchange rate, you have to bring them way down to make it worth anything. For example, I was able to get a jacket I want for 15 soles less than the original asking price. As I left the store, I realized I had saved a whole $5, but it all ads up.

There are so many stores here and they roughly sell the same things, I'm not sure how they all stay open.

There are a lot of beggars in Cuzco. Tara realized the other night if she gave money to all of them, she'd never have any money and felt bad about that realization. My approach is much more heartless then hers.

I chose to ignore them and not feel bad about it. I figure if people didn't make enough money from begging, they would stop doing it and get a real job, so why should people who work support those who chose not to?

There was this guy standing in front of a bakery I've become found of down here the other day asking for money to buy food. I walked in and ordered a sandwich-like item and since they cost less than a dollar, I asked for two and handed it to the man outside as I walked out of the store.

He put the sandwich in his bag and kept begging. He even asked me for money the next time I walked by and he's always there. In fact, I look for him, not the bakery's sign, to locate the building on the street.

There are also a number of vender-beggars here, people who beg for money while selling a product, normally a picture of themselves.

These are mostly women dressed in traditional Peru wear who walk around with llamas and let you take their picture, if you pay them. I also see a lot of children running around with baby llamas doing the same thing.

On the way to the store today, I stopped at that bakery to get some bread to snack on. The break cost .20 solaces, which is about six or seven US cents. I kinda felt like I had stolen it as I walked away eating it. It definitely is the closest thing to free I've ever bought.