Day 11 - Peru - Cusco

T'was a free day and I had big plans. But between my severely swollen and painful ankles and lower legs, plus frequent bathroom trips, I decided to forgo my tour of the Sacasayhuaman archeological site. I slept in until 9:30 am! Wow, that felt good.

My sister and I walked to the Centro Artesanal market to pick up a few more gifts, then we came back to the hotel and closed our eyes for 15 minutes.

We weren't hungry so we skipped lunch and walked over to the Museo Inka. It was a fascinating and well curated museum. I wish all of the signs had been in English though, and no photos were allowed except for outdoors - grrrr. There were rug weavers working in the courtyard in much the same way as we saw in the Sacred Valley.

I was most fascinated by a man with an amazing array of native instruments, including flutes made from condor bones, whistles that could imitate humming birds, and larger clay pot-type of dishes with holes. With these interesting looking things, he could imitate various animals simply by slowly moving the object in a downwards motion. When he moved it upward, it made another sound altogether. It was extremely cool. The instruments were for sale and were pricey, but he also had a CD of traditional music which I bought. I hope I like it!

When we left the museum, there was a light rain. I had decided not to bring a jacket today because I have packed one around for the past 3 or 4 days and not needed it. Also, the internet said it would be 23 C and warm. I froze.

We walked a few blocks over to the chocolate museum to learn about the process and of course, to try some samples. We also bought chocolates, some for gifts, others to eat.

On our travels, we happened upon a group of young boys dancing in the street! They were led by a couple of men and there was live music. I have no idea what the occasion was, but they were remarkably attentive and well-trained, and I was quite impressed!

By then it was 5 pm and we were hungry. Across from the main square was the same restaurant we'd been to the other day, Papachos. The food was good and the service was fast. We split an alpaca burger then walked back to our hotel, taking a short cut.

It is 8:40 pm and I must pack my bags. I'm going to enjoy my bed as soon as I can!