pondělí 14. prosince 2009

Cuzco

Today, monday, I spend most of the day in Cuzco.

I have again run into a guy I had first met in Copacabana, on a trip to Isla del Sol, then again at Machu Picchu, and finally today on Plaza de Armas... results we are taking the same bus to Lima tonight. He is a lawyer from Brussels, good contact! Dont mess with me anymore!!:D

Anyways, its weird, one always meets people somehow related to him, like on Isla del Sol, this girl from India, I told her I got interested in Japan, and she replied she studies Japanese - with Michel Thomas! - the program that taught me Spanish. And, more than that, she lived in Colombia for two years, first year on an internship with AIESEC.

Or the guy from Switzerland, whom Ive asked to take me a pocture, and he turned out to be a graduated gardener and working in that field (Ive worked for this gardening company last spring: )

Anyways, we went with this Sebastian from Brussels to the terminal, and bought trip to lima with a company that shipped me to Tacna - CIAL - I was quite happy with them. And, Cuzco - Lima is a reckoned tourist heavy route - so its bound to be heavy in "I rob tourists" persons too.

Its at five so I still had some time to walk around, take pictures. I didnt take many as my screen doesnt work at the moment. But, it made it through Machu Picchu! What more can I ask. Besides, it can revive again, as it did after Valparaiso. Besides, I think I might be able to fix it myself home.

Again, this walk pointed out the sharp difference between touristy and not-touristy places. On one square, people loterally force you to buy garbage and dustcatchers for high prices. You cant have any mercy with these people - Its sad but true - because they are seasoned in exploiting slightest trace of interest, moral weakness and soft hard. Again I have to recall lessons from Cartagena: totally ignore, from, be cold and even rude - otherwise you wont escape.

Which really makes me think again how much I do not like the tourist places. What a false, stupid world... What do you learn about the country? Almost nothing. They just exploit your illusions about the country and offer you overpriced crap with the pretense that it has whatsoever strong link with what the country is really like.

But, make a turn, and after a street full of tourist restaurants (empty) offering menu for 15 soles (5USD), and You ll find a local "comedor" with menu for 3 soles, besides full of locals, which means that what they ll give you didnt sit there for two weeks. And you see local workers and families eat with you. And they are polite and greet, and you greet, and you wish each other "bon apetit" and noone tryes to make money of noone, and noone hangs in your face how poor or need they are - even if they might be - but hey - people who DO NOT LIVE FROM TOURISM seem to preserve their dignity.

And, off the main area I just bought two GOOD books in Spanish from a second hand store 3 soles (1USD) each. Thats all, going to catch the bus...

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