Exploring Cusco, Peru
Hey! Now, you may have read the blog post that talked about the World Vets volunteer experience I had in Peru. Though that was the main purpose of the trip, we couldn’t help but adventure around while we were there. Outside of volunteering for some time, we also explored Cusco, went to an animal sanctuary, and hiked the 4-day Incan Trail to Machu Picchu. Together there were four of us: my mom, Bridgette (my great friend and coworker), and my dad.
When I first arrived in Cusco, my mom, Bridgette, and I got right to exploring. We stopped for some food, and my mom was feeling Italian food. In one of the main squares of Cusco, we ate at an amazing place called Don Marcelo. We ended up eating there on every night that we decided not to eat Peruvian food, and it was absolutely delicious. That day, we also explored some of the most beautiful cathedrals I have ever seen. We wandered around and admired La Iglesia De La Compañia De Jesús and la Catedral de Cuzco. They were both very grand, and they each had their own breathtaking architecture.
The next day, my mom, Bridgette, and I paid a visit to a local animal sanctuary. It was called el Santuario Animal De Cochahuasi, and they had some pretty cool animals. One of the best parts about this facility is that they only keep animals there who have been mistreated in the past and need rehabilitation. During my visit, I befriended a few alpacas, hung out with a few condors, and even got to watch some spectacle bears do their thing. There were also a bunch of other animals there as well, like parrots and big cats.
On another day, we went to check out Cusco’s famous Mercado Central de San Pedro. This short excursion was one that I will never forget. This was an open-air market with a large roof. There was a stall or aisle for any and every possible thing you could want to buy. I remember a few of these very vividly. I remember walking through an aisle decorated from the floor all the way to the tops of the shelves with beautiful fresh flowers for people to buy. I remember the sounds of the people yelling and flaunting their menus for fresh-made smoothies and juices. I remember stalls selling hand-made bags, wallets, pottery, blankets, alpaca-yarn sweatshirts, and so much more. I also remember buying fresh cheese from a woman sitting on top of a table next to a mound of cheese as big or bigger than her. There was also a long aisle dedicated pretty much entirely to soups. This is where I ate the best chicken noodle soup I have had in my life: the woman working this table chopped up some vegetables off of her table, cut off a leg and a thigh from a whole chicken sitting on her cutting board, and scooped in some broth and noodles from a gigantic pot. It was so delicious; the only thing that could have been better was if there was more soup! My mom and I sat on a stool in front of her booth until we finished our soup (along with the dog sitting at our feet that we may have given some scraps to). One of the other aisles that definitely left a permanent mark on my mind is known by many as “Entrails Aisle.” It was an aisle consisting mainly of cuts of different butchered animals that are not as commonly eaten in western countries like the United States. It was definitely a new experience for me, but it was totally awesome. There were things from cow snouts to bowls of hearts to kidneys on trays. Generally, going to this market was one of the many amazing things I experienced in Peru. I personally love experiencing different cultures, and this was no different.
****If you are sensitive to butchered animals or anything of the sort, I’d suggest not clicking through the photos below.****
Along with these experiences, there were a few more days of exploring that included a variety of things. I tried some new foods like kidney and alpaca. We ate traditional Peruvian foods like lomo saltado along with a whole lot of potatoes. We also saw a performance consisting of traditional music and dancing. I may have drank a pisco sour or two, and I met some pretty amazing people. Oh, yeah, and I took a picture with my dad while he held a baby goat wearing a flower headpiece.
These are some experiences I hope everyone had the chance to have, and if you ever get to go to the Cusco area of Peru, I would definitely suggest trying to seek these experiences out. Wandering around Cusco was an amazing experience, and I will definitely jump on the opportunity to do it again.
Izzie and her dad smiling with some local Peruvians.
