Here Amanda, Larry, Tami, and I had our first questionable meal at one of the market stands. We didn't even know what we ordered. It was a huge meal that started with what looked like chicken noodle soup. Then, a plateful of beef, rice, beans, and some sort of salad with onions. I could not finish my plate, there was so much. The poor woman selling the meals must have thought I was some sort of anorexic. She chided Tami for not finishing her plate like one of our mothers telling us to finish our peas at dinner. There was simply no room left in my stomach for more food! Despite our fears of what kind of water was used for cooking or cleaning, we did all survive. All that food for 6 soles (or about US$2.00). The market offered up more to see and do than just lunch, including:
As the sun goes down, the cool air invades quickly. The night makes the air sharp and brings back memories of the cold winter nights of my childhood. There is no snow, but the mountainsides are brown, which contrasts sharply with the green grass and bright snapdragons of the plazas. Tomorrow, Larry, Tami, and I head off on the Inca Trail for 4 days and 3 nights while Amanda, Lindsey, and Ryan head off for their 2 day Inca Trail/Machu Picchu tour. My nerves pitch upward as I pack my rented 45L backpack, which will hold my clothes, toiletries, medicines, sleeping bag, and sleeping mat while I am on the trail. My other bag will be in storage at Pirwa, along with the others' bags, while we experience the Andes and the remains of an ancient culture.
In bed, I am left thinking of all the noises of Cusco: flutes, drums, foreign tongues, tires on brick-lined streets, laughter, children running, karaoke, car horns, barking dogs, whistles, and creaking floorboards. I am also left still wondering how the hell I got here and what the hell I think I am doing here...which is exactly the kind of sentiment I was seeking...
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