Happy Easter! No, mom, I didn't go to church. I considered it, being in a foreign country on one of their holidays, but in the end I couldn't drum up the enthusiasm for it. And, unlike that parade night in Bali, Easter is a holiday I've seen before. I just would have seen it in spanish today instead of english.
Part of my lethargy (but I admit, not all) was due to sleeping really poorly last night. My room was freezing, even with a space heater. But the poor little heater puts out heat equivalent to about one candle, trying to warm my whole room. And I just can't fall asleep when I'm that cold. :( Tonight I started heating it much earlier, so I think i will sleep OK.
I've also had the tiniest of headaches all day. It's not getting in my way at all, but I can feel it. /complaints finished/
I did wander around town today. A lot of things like museums were closed, so it was mostly exploration and stopping for a meal. Cusco is pretty commercialized -- at least, a whole lot of tourists come here and a lot of local industry caters to them (restaurants, shops, tours, etc.). There are even people who dress up in traditional peasant garb and lead animals around, hoping you'll pay them to take a photo. But unlike several places I've seen, Cusco still looks like it did hundreds of years ago, and that's pretty cool. I'm under the impression that a lot of the private buildings (like my hotel) have renovated on the inside but the outside is still the same.
I tried something new for dinner tonight --alpaca, which is the smaller cousin of the llama. It wasn't my favorite dish on my trip, but it wasn't terrible. It was just kind of ... boring. The meat tasted like the most generic meat ever. Not like beef or like chicken. Just "meat."
My other meals in Peru have all been pretty good, though. The fruit is fresh and plentiful. And the avocados are amazing! Both here and in Chile -- great avocados. A local fish dish called ceviche (or cebiche), which resembles the raw fish in coconut milk served in Tahiti, is also pretty good.
Tomorrow I must buy my tickets to Machu Picchu and the train to and from. Or I will wind up spending the last week of my trip sitting in Cusco. And while I'm not kicking myself for not getting out every single day, I will kick myself if I don't see the one thing I came to Peru to see. I'm feeling really unmotivated though, much more than at any other point on my trip. Not like I'm dying to come home, more like I'm tired of making plans and getting myself around and all the bother. Argh, sorry, whining again!
I've also had the tiniest of headaches all day. It's not getting in my way at all, but I can feel it. /complaints finished/
I did wander around town today. A lot of things like museums were closed, so it was mostly exploration and stopping for a meal. Cusco is pretty commercialized -- at least, a whole lot of tourists come here and a lot of local industry caters to them (restaurants, shops, tours, etc.). There are even people who dress up in traditional peasant garb and lead animals around, hoping you'll pay them to take a photo. But unlike several places I've seen, Cusco still looks like it did hundreds of years ago, and that's pretty cool. I'm under the impression that a lot of the private buildings (like my hotel) have renovated on the inside but the outside is still the same.
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| Alpaca in mushroom sauce. Nothing fancy. |
Tomorrow I must buy my tickets to Machu Picchu and the train to and from. Or I will wind up spending the last week of my trip sitting in Cusco. And while I'm not kicking myself for not getting out every single day, I will kick myself if I don't see the one thing I came to Peru to see. I'm feeling really unmotivated though, much more than at any other point on my trip. Not like I'm dying to come home, more like I'm tired of making plans and getting myself around and all the bother. Argh, sorry, whining again!
Gaby,
ReplyDeletehi from sunny Lima. Machu Picchu is indeed the one thing one should see in Peru, at least. A wonderful experience, a must see. Did you know that it lies lower than Cusco (more oxygen)? We are off to Mexico City on Wed night. Enjoy the rest of your trip in Peru.
I'm about 95% positive I went down that same steep street. I was out of breath the whole time I was in Cusco, and never fully adjusted and then had altitude sickness when hiking to the observatory above Machu Picchu. So if you're not adjusting, I would advise just hanging out in Machu Picchu and bagging the other hike.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kim. Enjoy Mexico City.
ReplyDeleteRob, so far I've been lucky and other than immediately after my tiff with the taxi driver, I haven't been too out of breath or lightheaded. Well, a little out of breath after steep climbs, but I would feel that anywhere. Mostly I've been sleepy and lethargic. That could be my usual personality setting in, though. ;-)