Cusco and Machu Picchu

I've never seen a dog get hit by a car before. I had been in Cusco for only a few hours, walking to the main plaza for some dinner with two cool guys from London staying in my hostel, when a crazy driver saw a little dog running across the street and sped up. We all gasped at the same time, and of course at the inappropriate time, I started to laugh. But I laughed because this dog got hit by the tire, got bounced back to the sidewalk like a ping pong ball, and then immediately went running into the street again like gettin hit by a car is nothing. I could picture the dog thinking, "Hit me again! I ain't feel nothin" Or maybe the dog was just really stupid. In either case, the dog made it across the second time. What a Cusco welcome!

We got to the main Plaza de Armas (every city seems to have a Plaza de Armas) and it was really gorgeous. There were huge magnificent churches, a square with a lit fountain surrounded by stores, boutiques, and restaurants. The backdrop were huge mountains with lit houses built into them. Just a beaufitul scene. Off the main square were countless side cobblestone streets with more stores and craftsmen. I would learn a few days later that the initial beauty of this scene is somewhat compromised by the insanity. Tons of people are trying to sell stuff every second, following tourists for minutes, some with ugly paintings or some broke lookin figurines, others trying to shove a massage down your throat. Also, the number of tourists is overwhelming. Like any place, it loses its character because of the countless loud groups or big tours taking up all the street space. I felt most comfortable my second day, overlooking the square from a nice restaurant balcony, away from the craziness. It was even more out of control at night. I went out twice during my week in Cusco and it was literally like vultures to a carcass. Bands of guys would follow the group of people I was with, groping the females and offering free drink tickets, begging us to visit their bar (and there are many bars and clubs, playing a mix you'd hear at any late night NYC spot). Needless to say, this wasn't my favorite part of my little side vacation. Strolling through the town was fun though; it's definitely an interesting place as the former capital of the Inca empire.

Anyway, I met some interesting people at this hostel. A sweet party girl from San Diego and an adventurous guy from Canada were living in the hostel, had just moved down to South America in fact. They had just finished school like me, and apparently needed a change of lifestyle. The two guys from London were cool - one was a rapper (actually a pretty talented one, heard two of his freestyles on MySpace) who violently passed gas an odd amount and the other was a real socially conscious, sensitive dude (I thought he was gonna cry when the dog got hit) who I had a long conversation with about the degradation of hip hop in London. Then there was the guy from Sweden, flying around the world shooting an 8-episode documentary on 80 dates (with women) around the world. Wow...Then there was the kid from UCSD who wants to be involved in international real estate and gave me tips on Colombia (my next destination). Then there was the old teacher from LA I met on the train to Machu Picchu, who I talked politics with as he explained he got married to his partner just before the Prop 8 vote. Then there was the Irish guy on the train back from Machu Picchu who was getting married the following week in Aruba and played in an up-and-coming rock band (he had toured the US before!). The list goes on. It was great to meet different, really interesting gringos. I would've liked to have met some more locals though!

Needless to say, Machu Picchu was the highlight. I didn't do any hiking because, no matter how hard I try, I don't like the outdoors - camping, pitching tents, climbing mountains and all that. So, with all the older, frailer looking people, I sat on the bus and train rides and walked a little trail until the lost city was laid out before me. Settled on a mountain top, this ancient city is just a world marvel. You think of how these civilizations understood astronomy, mathematics, engineering so successfully and it boggles the mind. I'm mad the king was the only one with a toilet though; didn't know having a toilet made someone special, but I guess that was one of the signs in those times. All in all, my Cusco/Machu Picchu week was good fun, and definitely felt like a tourist vacation. Still can't believe that dog though!!