Anyone who has been or is planning on going to Machu Picchu knows that Cusco is the gateway. We knew that breathing at the 11,152 foot level would be a challenge so we vowed to “take it easy.” What we didn’t know was that you would be out of breath sprinting away from the hordes of street vendors and hustlers.
Tammy seems to stand out in Peru and me, since I am normally holding her hand, get fingered for a foreigner too. By not blending in while strolling in Cusco, it’s like open season. Hordes of folks hawking jewelry, paintings, pictures with a baby lama, massages, shoe shines, junk and restaurants are relentless. There was a small display by a local artist that I found interesting but I think it was just put there to make you pause and let the sharks catch up with their goodies.
We even watched in horror (from the relative safety of a balcony) as a tourist succumbed to the siren’s call of a shoeshine, only to be beset upon by the balance of vendors as their foot was neatly trapped.
Plaza de Armas.
The real problem we had with this constant pestering is it took away from really enjoying the setting and city of Cusco. You could get away from the main plaza’s but even high up the cobble stoned walkways an occasional baby lama lady would be lurking.
Tammy and I were talking with our friends Dante and Andrea back in Lima about Cusco and explaining the exhausting street hustle going on. Andrea explained that the sellers know there will be another tourist coming by so they really don’t worry about offending anyone. I understand the thought process because you don’t read anything about it. All people talk about is Cusco is on the way to Machu Picchu. It is that, but it could also be a better destination if they cleaned up their act.
Oh2! Ground floor opportunity. The sky’s the limit! The initial investment returns will live you breathless!
There is a lemonade-like drink here called H2-Oh! I think there might be some naming conflict. My current vote is “Sucking Wind.”