Day 2-Cusco

We just got back to our hotel after a long day of sightseeing. I´m exhausted and this keyboard is impossible to type on, but I couldn´t go to bed without first telling you about our dinner experience tonight.

We ended up having cuy, guinea pig, at a quaint little restaurant up the alley from the Plaza. We´ve been excited about trying cuy, as we are both adventureous when it comes to our diet. Not too mention we were starving! Anyways, in our imperfect Spanish, we ordered the cuy and salpicon de pollo with confidence. After a long wait of roughly 45 minutes, the cuy came out all in one piece. Yes, head, body, feet, teeth, the works. Despite the entire restaurant turning to look at us, and the little French girl who started bawling her eyes out when she caught sight of it, we dug in. We weren´t really sure where to start, so we just started cutting it up, I think I went for the ass. Well, before I go on, I must first state that it´s not my style, nor Vannys, to offend or disrespect anybodys food, customs, or culture. With that said, the cuy, with lack of a better, more P.C. term, was disqusting. We really wanted it to be good, but it just wasn´t!! It had a super gamey flavour, that still lingers in our mouths. Vanny says, ¨Its the gift that keeps on giving!¨ Somehow we managed to devour most of the meat, but honestly there wasnt much on there to begin with. I can safely say that the rat/oppossum thing I ate in Ghana was much better. Anyways, we are glad we tried it, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested, as we all have different tastes. Oh, and we decided that the little French girl, who was crying, probably had a pet guinea pig at home.

On a happier note, the alpaca we had last night for dinner, was probably the best meat we have ever tasted! It was tender like lamb, but not as strong. Acutally the entire meal was the best I´ve had in awhile, hands down. The restaurant was called Pacha Papa, and sat in the courtyard of an old colonial building. It had candlelit tables, an adobe stove, and an Andean playing local music. We came upon it after getting lost looking for a restaurant that was recommended to us. Getting lost was surprisingly fun, as this city is mesmerizing at night, all lite up. It turns into another city when the sun goes down, it seems. Its tiny alleys and bright lights illuminating from the towns high in the mountains above us, well, its quite hard to explain how beautiful it is. So anyway, back to dinner. The alpaca came with a tamale, a relleno, coconut crusted papas, ensalada and of course a Peruvian malbec/merlot blend. All for $12..perfection. ¨One of the best things about travelling, is the food,¨ said Vanny, although I´m not sure if she feels the same way tonight after our cuy experience!

A quick recap of our day. We started our day visiting the Basilica cathedral, Triunto, and Sagrada Familia in the Plaza de Armas. Basically, all are in one building, but with three different altars. It was a very artistic blend of both the Inca and Spanish cultures. Afterward, we went on a 4-hour city tour on a bus. The tour took us to 5 temples. First to the Sun Temple, Qorikancha, and then Saqsayhuaman, Q´engo, Pukapukara and Tambomachay. Each temple was built by the Incas, with a specific purpose. Saqsayhuaman was the most intriguing to me, as the stones form the head of Cuscos ethereal puma, whose fierce looking teeth point away from the city.

Alright, we must sleep now. Tomorrow we plan to do some shopping and relax, as we start the trek Tueday morning at 5am. We aren´t experiencing many side effects from the altitude, just short of breath as we climb uphill. But no headaches, nausea, etc, so thats good.

Cheers,
V&V