Cuzco, Peru

Cruz del Sur II: Por la Ultima Vez, Usted No Tiene Bingo

We hopped a double decker Cruz del Sur bus from Arequipas to Cuzco, and opted for the highest possible class this time, not wanting to suffer another sleepless night on an Imperial coach. The food was notably better (macaroni, decent cake) and the seats reclined like business class airline chairs.

Here's what I've learned: On every Cruz del Sur ride, some backpacker thinks they've got bingo when they make a line across the board. They hesitantly hold up their card, only to be told that they need to black out the whole thing. I don´t know if it´s just understood that that's how bingo is played in Peru or if tourists just regularly miss the announcement in Spanish.

On our Arequipas-Cuzco ride, the guy in front of me got his "bingo" and pressed the call button excitedly. The stewardess, who was in the upper deck at the time, gave a bored reminder on the PA system that you have to black out the whole card. The tourist failed to grasp the concept, and left his call button on, forcing the stewardess to come down and dismiss him in person. In talking with two other backpackers on the Inca Trail, I found that they both thought they had bingo and were rebuffed on their respective bus rides. I did the same thing on my first ride. I'm not sure if I feel better or dumber after learning that it happens all the time.



Thoughts on Cuzco

For the first time since departing SF, we managed to spend two nights in a row in the same place. It's quite a treat to do laundry and not have to pack everything up in the morning.

We spent the first day in town dealing with logistics for our upcoming Inca Trail hike. Our friend, Diane, fresh from Santiago, Chile, met up with us to do the 4-day trek, and we napped at our hostel waiting for her to arrive. In the afternoon, we cruised the Central Market and local roast chicken district.

(Another random observation: store types in Peru seem to cluster, so you can find multiple places selling chicken, wedding cakes, candles, window frames, etc. all on the same block. I'm keeping my eyes open for the hammock district.)

Cuzco is the most touristy of all the places we've visited, with hordes of backpackers and sightseers everywhere, aggressive touts trying to lure passers-by into restaurants, and Inca Kola t-shirts and stuffed llama dolls in every stall. Hand-sewn water bottle holders are another sure sign of a tourist mecca in Peru. The vendors also speak better English, used to haggling with hundreds of tourists over the years.

Despite this tackiness, Cuzco maintains some dignity with its sprawling Plaza de Armas, imposing cathedral, and great mix of colonial and pre-colonial architecture. Amazing Incan ruins are scattered throughout the city. The history here is so thick you could cut it with a knife.

My favorite historical feature of Cuzco is the Last Supper in the cathderal. In it, Christ and the apostles are settling down to a nice meal of roasted guinea pig, a local delicacy.

Hostel Loki: The Commonwealth in Cuzco

Upon recommendation from a Brit in Arequipas, we stayed at Hostel Loki, a new joint up a steep staircase just a few blocks from the center of town. We had heard that it was a "party hostel," which sounded appealing after feeling left out of the bar-club scene in the last few cities we've visited.

Loki´s owners established the hostel in a rehabbed historic building which remains rough around the edges. Still, they´ve managed to draw hordes of backpackers exclusively through word of mouth among Australian, Irish, and British backpackers throughout South America. The place gets rave reviews on the internet, thanks to its bar, three free computers, British football matches on cable TV, and organized BBQs, Sunday roasts, and other common meals. To their credit, the owners run the hostel incredibly well, and have a great staff.

For me, though, the place is far too removed from Peruvian life. The clients and owners exist in a cliquey Commonwealth bubble, spending their nights at the hostel bar or in the local Irish pub. I get the impression that most people speak little to no Spanish and maintain a healthy distance from any eatery that could threaten their digestive tracts. I definitely understand the urge for familiar surroundings after months of traveling, but I haven't gotten to that point yet.

Food

I have to admit I´m getting tired of Peruvian fare. The usual choices are tourist restaurants serving pizza and Peruvian highlights or local-oriented roast chicken joints. I´m looking forward to new cuisine in Rio, as well as some old favorites like Japanese food.



Thus far, I´ve been playing a deadly game of cat and mouse, enjoying fresh fruit smoothies from the market, beef heart sticks on the street, and other high-risk/high-reward foods. This has led to a mild case of the runs, but nothing like the hell other travellers seem to experience. Just now, the girls waiting for the computer are lamenting their respective digestive woes. I also just learned that some guy shit his bed last night in the common dormitory, although that may be more of an alcohol than food poisoning issue.