On Saturday, I decided to go to the baritillo in Cuzco. It is a flee market where there is tons of stuff. Since I lost my manta (beautiful weaving that the women use to carry their babies and everything else) I have been on the hunt for another. The baratillo is a good place to find these weavings at a good price. Also things like alpaca leg warmers and little bracelets made from the huayruro seeds that are said to be good for protection. I always enjoy cruzing through the market and I’ve learned to be very careful as it is a place where you can get ripped off, evidenced by the time I lost a camera there being careless.
After the baratillo, I headed to San Pedro Market where I bought some Palo Santo and a clay pot to burn it and a tray to go underneath that. Found some alpaca gloves, wooden spoons, a basket for my fruit, a bar of cacao, candles and a holder– all for very good prices.
From the market I headed to the Ayllu Coffee shop to get a capachino and pan de manzaña then to the money exchange and after checking with 3 places on the exchange rate, I went back to the first that was giving the best value. Next, the Plaza de Armas where I found there was a celebration going on for Carnival. This year Carnival festivities were cancelled in Pisaq due to the flood. The people are working like crazy trying to recover, shoveling mud and draining water from buildings and homes.
Oh and while I was in the plaza I treated myself to a shoe shine. They needed it badly after walking through all the mud in Pisaq.
It is always wonderful happening on a festivity in the streets of Cuzco. Enjoy these few scenes of the Plaza de Armas and the dancers. And another video here.
On the way back to Pisaq, I got on the Collectivo in the back bench seat. And was later joined by 3 Peruvian women. I had a great time riding along with them and feeling the comradery. When I asked if I could take their photo, one of them said no, but the other 2 were ok with it. I shook hands with them when I got off and they told me how to say goodbye in Quechua— a native tongue of the Indians in Peru.
In the video on the left, you can see what the road was like in the mud from my perspective in the back seat. Thankfully the paved road is open again. It was no fun trudging through the mud in or out of a moto-taxi.
