Peru # 15: Shopping

One activity that almost everyone does when they travel is shop!  In Cusco, it is not difficult to "buy local."  It seems that almost every store and restaurant is independently owned.  Also, the prices are generally very cheap.  Between the tourist shops and local markets, Cusco is a great place to shop - even if it's just window shopping.  Though I doubt you'll be able resist to at least buy something.

You can even shop in the company of llamas! 

Peru #14: Volunteering is work...and fun!

My second week of volunteering didn't start off well.  On Monday I was still sick with whatever was bothering me during my excursion to Machu Picchu that weekend.  I had a horrible cough, sore throat, and just felt all-around miserable.  I ended up not going to Spanish class in the morning or to volunteering that afternoon.

I felt especially bad about not going to "work" because that was my Canadian roommate's first day volunteering, and she was selected to work at the same place as me.  She spoke very little Spanish, so I could only imagine how overwhelming it would be for her to be the only volunteer there on her first day.  When she came home that evening though, I was relieved to hear that it went well for her and she had a good time.

The following day, my roommate was feeling sick with stomach issues.  She decided to still go to work though.  I still wasn't feeling extremely well, and was not looking forward to making my sick body partake in the lesson that I had planned for that day: jump roping.  (Side note: I was a member of a competitive jump-roping team through my elementary school for several years when I was going up.)

Peru #13: "You'll love the food"

Before I left for my trip, one thing that almost everyone who had been to Peru before told me was that I would love the food.  I heard it so many times, I couldn't doubt that it was true.  But I really had no idea what Peruvian food was, other than ceviche.  I read that it was heavy on potatoes and rice, so I assumed that was pretty much what I would be eating everyday.

Well, I may have eaten rice and/or potatoes every day, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.  They were done in so many different ways, and even when cooked in the simplest way they still had so much more flavor than plain old rice and potatoes.  So, after one month of living in Peru, I feel that I can safely say to anyone, "You'll love the food!"

Peru #12: "Walking" Tour

*I am very sorry for the long delay in my Peru posts.  I returned three months ago - my how time flies!  There was so much that I still wanted to recount, and so many pictures that I had to sift through, that I let the overwhelmingness of it all get to me once I got back to regular life.  (And really, I think I would only say that I have been back to "regular" life for the past two weeks.  It has been one busy summer!)  I'm picking up where I left off though, and plan to have all of my wonderful memories of my month in Peru posted within the next few weeks.

Upon coming to Cusco, one of the first places that tourists visit is the Plaza de Armas.  And within 5 minutes of being here, you will likely be approached by a person (or several different people) wearing a Free Walking Tour T-shirt.  They will hand you a little advertisement for a 2.5 hour walking tour around old town.  If you have any time to spare AND are in need of a killer leg workout...DO IT!

The Plaza de Armas.