A Journey Through Non-Touristy Cusco

           Cusco, why am I talking about that again? Fair point, I covered a fair bit of the city of Cusco on my first post about it. I covered most of the tourist friendly zones, chock full of people offering massages and alpaca woolens. Well, if you step a few blocks outside of where your typical tourist map goes decidedly blank, you encounter a different side of Cusco.

           There is a noticeable lack of massage vendors, and little old ladies wearing traditional Andean garb still exist, but they are selling crops not pictures of their kids. Go further. The streets begin to run with red mud sliding down from the hillsides that form the bowl that is Cusco. Many doors remain closed unless knocked on. People look at you strangely if you aren't a local, assuming you're either lost or an idiot to be here. 

                Yes this sounds a tad grim, but there are nice things to this side of Cusco! The food is cheaper, the goods are certainly cheaper, and the mountains of fresh fruit are suddenly so inexpensive you feel guilt ridden if you don't snag a few grenadillas and a banana or two as you stroll. Or, you can leave the historical center all together, and head to the area around one of the local universities! Here you will find vendor stands with the latest computers, and dozens of cyber cafes all along the street. And after growing to love the street vendors in central Lima, they litter the sidewalks hawking camote (sweet potato) chips, and puffed Maca balls dipped in chocolate.  GOOD LORD I HAVE ARRIVED!
         Its easy to get swept along in the touristy zones, with explanations of the Pachamama and figures of pumas, snakes and condors popping out in every stonework. If you take a stroll a street or two off that well curated area, you are reminded that this is a city of living people. It has a strong culture that is apparent in the everyday markets, the muddy streets, and the amazing street food. Enjoy the tourist areas, thats what they're there for! However, be  one of the people who also takes the time to lift their eyes up and look around at the real city of Cusco for a bit. It also has its gems!

An alpaca fetus used for pre-Incan rituals and witchcraft. 

Beautiful flowers fill the market with colors.

A bin of Peruvian masks used for local festivities for sale in the market/

A fruit market on the streets behind the Mercado San Pedro, teeming with vendors even on a rainy day.

A giant bag of coca leaves in the middle of a street in one of the market districts... they also happen to fill the stores that line this street. Its not a drug here. People, especially the rural ones, chew it all day to provide them with energy to work the earth in the cold highlands. It also would take about a truckload of coca leaves to make one gram of cocaine, and has been cultivated and used here since pre-Incan times.

The street art here is scarce, but good when you find it.

Levels of crumbling mud buildings make up much of the old, but non tourist section of Lima.

Roasted cuy are posed as if fighting over the fruits and veggies on the platter with them. Cuy, by the way, are guinnie pigs, and a delicacy here in the mountains.

A bucket of frogs sitting in the San Pedro market, some living, some skinned.

The street fruit market on a busy, sunny day.

We came. We saw. We ate EVERYTHING AT THE TABLE. Tracie at one point leaned over to remind me that the cutlery was not edible... oh well, I guess the banana pancakes with caramel sauce will have to do!

More beautiful street art in the bohemian San Blas neighborhood.

Two workers break under a large mural.