Cusco Day 2

Woke up late again as the kids and the parents needed some extra sleep. We had a great breakfast at the hotel with a ton of other Americans. Everyone got to eat as much as they wanted and even got to toast bread. Dylan finally got the plum he's been craving, although he ate way more kiwi than anything else. Persie has decided that she really loves eggs too!

We then read some more Throne of Fire, took a half hour computer game break and headed out to explore Cusco at about 10:30. Just down the street from our hotel, we found the largest textiles market in Cusco. We wandered around isles that were full of scarves, hats, mittens, blankets, backpacks, lamas, chotchkes, weavings, painting, etc. Mom bought a hat & gloves, and a couple of scarves. Dad bought one of those heavy alpaca blankets, Persie got a small lama and Alex and Dylan perused, but held off from buying anything. It was quite an amazing scene that really emphasized bargaining as prices varied wildly and came down very quickly. Persie's lama cost anywhere from 6 to 25 soles, and Mom was able to negotiate a backpack down from 25 to about 15 soles.


We took our haul back to the hotel and then headed into town. We stopped by a grocery store to get stuff for a light lunch and then walked to Plaza de Armas and found a bench for our picnic. After that, we walked down Loreto, a narrow alley with old Incan walls on it, then back around to Santa Catalina to find ice cream. We could only find fruit gelato, though, so we continued on to Plaza San Blas which is in the heart of the artistic district. The roads were all very narrow, cobblestoned, and generally cool.

We then headed back down the hill to the central plaza and eventually made our way back home after a quick stop at the grocery store to get snacks for our upcoming backpacking trip.

We played some cards, read more of Throne of Fire, took a nap, and then walked back into town for dinner. We ate at Chez Maggie, which was a teeny room, but was recommended by the tour book. They specialize in pizza and pasta, so all were happy...even Alex, who was very skeptical at the beginning since the kitchen was so small!

On the way home, we stopped at what turned out to be the fanciest ice cream place ever...we all ended up with more extras (chocolates, cherries, etc.) than ice cream, but enjoyed it anyway as we walked. After another chapter of the book, which many slept through, it was time for bed.