Shopping and Drinking in Cusco

November is the low season in Cusco, which makes it relatively easy to negotiate hotel prices. We can stay in nicer hotels for the same price as a hostel. Getting around to the various sights in Cusco—museums and churches—is a breeze. We started by heading to the San Pedro and Central Comercial markets. A large part of the local population makes a living by knitting and weaving gloves, hats, sweaters, and tablecloths, all in the most beautiful colors. In addition, the markets have large areas where meat is sold. There are severed heads and legs hanging around. Some ladies sit with a small bucket in front of them filled with frogs. One of the women didn’t seem to sell much; it must taste delicious because it looked like she was eating most of them herself! :o) Dogs roam around, hoping that some treats will fall their way. In the streets around Plaza de Armas, there are also many shops. Some are quite fancy if you're looking to buy the best of the best in alpaca wool. Fortunately, there are shops for every budget, so everyone can afford to take home some gifts. The biggest attraction in Cusco is trekking, which is why many shops also have a wide selection of gear—including North Face. The sellers proudly say, "No China copy." If we ask why a seam might not look quite right, they respond with a grin, "Oh, it’s Peru copy!" :o) Shopping on Calle El Sol is fantastic. The area is outside the old town, so the street isn’t charming, but there are several "artesania" shops on both sides of the road. We filled our backpacks with souvenirs and Christmas gifts: 2 paintings for 110 S, 2 Inka Cola T-shirts for 20 S, a wooden mask for 15 S, alpaca leg warmers for 8 S, and a reversible alpaca knit hat for 7 S. The rest of our purchases are Christmas gifts, so I can’t reveal them here! :o) Peru has several specialties to offer. Besides eating alpaca, they also enjoy guinea pig (cuy). The dish is often served on a plate with the whole little animal lying stiff after being fried in various oils. It’s quite pricey, so Honny settled for half a cuy. It didn’t taste bad at all! I took the plunge and tried ceviche, which is a salad base with chopped seafood marinated in lime. An appetizer, fresh-pressed juice, a starter, main course, dessert, and a glass of wine cost only 25 S per person. Every evening, it’s possible to go out. Nothing ever closes. We stayed close to Plaza de Armas since our hotel warned us that after 11 PM, we shouldn’t walk the 500 meters back home from the plaza. A hostel right next to our hotel, Walk On In, also mentioned that several of their guests had been robbed on their way home after midnight during the past week. Better safe than sorry! :o) La Chupiteria is owned by one of the authors from Lonely Planet, Katy Shorthouse. We had forgotten that when we walked in. Honny immediately recognized her from the picture in our book. Katy was very chatty and, of course, knew a ton about Peru. She told us that she received 9,000 USD for writing the chapters on Cusco, Sacred Valley, and Lake Titicaca. Every three years, it’s possible to apply to be part of the next author team that updates the Lonely Planet book. The competition is fierce since it’s a coveted gig. At La Chupiteria, there’s always happy hour. 2 mojitos cost only 15 S. Victoria, an American girl from the bar, was skilled in martial arts and was a total ninja, so she walked us down to Plaza de Armas to catch a taxi home.