Free Day

Sunday August 30, 2009:

Today was the first free day since we left Lima. The boys slept in a bit, but due to the many early days we have had, they do not sleep in as much as they do at home.

We organized a hike up to a local archaeological site at Sacsaywaman. We found it was a bit too pricey to go into the site ($25) so we just hiked around the edge of it and found a great viewpoint for pictures of Cusco. Cusco is actually over half a million people, so it is a big town.

After the hike, the group split up into those who wanted to do a bit of shopping, those who wanted lunch or those who just wanted to hang around at the hostel.

Sunday is parade day in Peru. As a result, the main square, Plaza des Armes, is closed to cars. There were marching bands, groups of teachers and nurses marching around the square, and school kids dressed in their uniforms everywhere. The festivities start just after mass at the local cathedral. Lots of music and even firecrackers.

The town is noticably less busy on Sunday. Some of the stores are closed and even the number of tourists is lower. This made for very pleasant strolling the streets and markets. Several of us strolled through a huge local market where many Cusco residents buy their food. You can find beef, pork, chicken, guinea pig, vegetables, fruit and anything else you need. There is very little refrigeration, so I don´t think we would ever shop there.

A couple of the kids have stomach problems that will hopefully resolve themselves before we leave for home on Monday afternoon.