10 January 2016 - Cusco

Slept well.  Loving my earplugs.  It surprises me that I have forgotten to bring any with me, and that I haven’t thought about using them earlier.  Better late than never…

Today was largely about preparations to leave tomorrow.  I’ve bought bus tickets to Puno via the internet on Cruz del Sur.  They’ve been recommended as the best company to use and their website is one of the better e-commerce sites to be found in South America – it’s certainly easy to use!  Let’s see how they perform tomorrow.

After the bus is sorted out, we go wandering around the centre of town again.  I’m on the lookout for a new suitcase, as my current one is falling apart.  Alas, we can’t find a place that sells suitcases.  We take a taxi to Mercado Municipal in the hope of finding something there – it costs 4 soles which seems reasonable to us as we don’t really know where we are going, however after a short ride, we are dropped off at the market.  A fare of 1-2 soles would have been justified.  Andrea furious and lets the driver know.  He shrugs his shoulders and drives off, another tourist fleeced and left with a sour taste in their mouth.

While the market doesn’t have suitcases, it has lots of artesania at somewhat better prices than can be found in the centre of town.  While supposedly where the locals go, it still seems a bit touristy.  I wander the markets alone – Andrea is buying and the gringo following her is a distraction to price negotiations.

As we leave the markets, I take the opportunity to get my boots shined.  I’ve been pestered about having them cleaned every time I cross the main plaza in town, but have resisted until now.  Admittedly, they are a bit grubby.  The lad doing the shining does a reasonable job but seems unenthusiastic about it all and struggles to make conversation.  Tough way to make a pretty meagre living!

We take another taxi to another market, this time near bus station.  Much more promising in terms of being a place that the locals use rather than tourists.  It’s late morning by now and still the majority of stalls in the market aren’t open.  We wander around and eventually find a place just opening up.  We buy a huge suitcase – lots of pockets, wheels etc.  Let’s hope it holds up! I pick up a cheap plastic bag with a zip as a “just in case everything doesn’t fit”.  It turns out to be a good move for our fabrics over the next few weeks and makes it all the way back to Australia before a strap breaks!

After lunch, I decide I’m feeling a bit second-hand.  There are a whole bunch of touts (girls) offering massages near the plaza.  While they seem extraordinarily cheap, I’ve been a bit concerned about them being dodgy.  However given how cheap they are (30 soles), I decide to give one a go and see.  Somewhat nervously, I take one up on their offer.  We head down a narrow laneway, then down a dark passageway before arriving in the shop.  It’s kitted out appropriately and I’m told to take my clothes off, down to my underwear and lay down.  On her return, we discuss what massage I’d really like and it seems it is the 40 soles option.  Fine.  An hour later, it has turned out quite well.  The girl was very professional, didn’t touch anything she wasn’t supposed to and left me feeling a whole heap better.

At dinner time, we go back to a restaurant we ate at a few days ago to complain about false charges appearing on our accounts.  When we’d been paying for dinner, the cc machine had said it couldn’t accept our cards and that nothing went through, however we can see the charges.  The restaurant claim no evidence of transactions and assure us that they won’t be claiming them, so the charges will disappear in a few days.  Meanwhile, we are offered a couple of free pisco sours for the inconvenience, and of course we then end up having dinner there again.  This time the cc machine works on the first go!

After dinner, Andrea is complaining of sore feet.  Having been pleased with my massage, I take her for a massage but surprisingly, the zone that was previously littered with touts is now deserted.  As we’re heading back, out of nowhere we pass a girl who offers a massage in same place as earlier.  It doesn’t begin well - Andrea hates her masseuse – who is apparently a newby and knows nothing.  Mine is fine, perhaps a bit hard.  Eventually, she gets a nice massage and we wander back to the hotel.

Back to hotel and sleep.  Alma has been out with a friend she has met and is still not back despite promises to return at an appropriate hour.  When she finally arrives, I don’t hear her (or Andrea tuning her) due to the earplugs – they must be very good!