Peruvian dancers, Cusco
Cusco – 3400 m above sea level. The air was definitely thin here. It probably affected us more than the locals, but on our first day there were what we took to be traditional Peruvian dancing competitions/exhibitions in the Plaza. Lots and lots of teams – we took hundreds of photos over a couple of hours and they were still going when we left. We couldn’t follow the commentary in rapid Spanish, but the dances seemed to have some common themes – agriculture, food, and boy gets girl. All very colourful.
inca wall
We wandered around the streets, enjoying the ambience. There were lots of Inca walls with beautiful stonework, and what we presumed were Inca stones recycled by people who lacked the skills to make things fit. Street vendors were everywhere, and there were numerous artisan’s markets and streets with lots of tiny (or not so tiny) shops with all manner of things – woolen goods, wood and soapstone carvings, religious (Catholic) iconography, etc.
street vendor wares
One street seller seemed to focus on switchblades, flick-knives and knuckledusters – all illegal in Australia.
Most of the restaurants we ate in had signs in strategic locations “Zona segura en casos de sismos”, a reminder that this is a place prone to dangerous earthquakes. This was also evident in the building constructions – light weight bricks, concrete ring beams etc.
Markets
We spent some time wandering the local market – somewhat like Victoria Markets in Melbourne, but with a Peruvian flavour. Lots of colour and action.
Plaza de Armas, Cusco
As usual, there are more photos. Check out the selection in the gallery https://goo.gl/photos/vDTovP54RveoptGx9