Continuing festivities
Trip Start
Feb 06, 2007
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Trip End
Jan 14, 2008
Cusco,
Peru
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Surprisingly there were not many drunks on the streets, except for 3 very happy chappies being encouraged by tolerant police to go home. One turned round and fell down a set of steps, but bounced nicely and laughed. The municipal workers had started early to hose down the streets to reduce the amount of urine. There are few public toilets and people urinate wherever they can find a place. Boy, did it pong.
We booked our 8 day tour to Manu this morning through Manu Ecological Tours, a well known travel agency that specializes in trips to Manu. We trotted off to an ATM to get the necessary loot. Unlike other ATMs in other cities that willingly dole out $500 US at a time, the ones we tried would not give USD at all or only a measly $200. Our bank is going to revel in the commission 6 withdrawals cost us ! We depart tomorrow at 7am.
It has been a leisurely day again watching a bit of the street parade. One crafty woman had Cuzco rainbow ribbons pinned on us before we had hardly noticed. We grudgingly gave her 1 sol ('for the children', not likely) and she had the cheek to ask for another. Tough, lady.
Pete got his shoes cleaned to a brilliant shine by a man whose work from childhood has been shoe shining. He asked for 1 sol for a 20 minute job. We gave him extra and bought him a coke. A police officer waiting to get his shoes done said he had known Freddy from childhood, and now had an organisation helping street children. Freddy had been to a school to teach locals English, so they can speak English to tourists. Obviously the school was pretty good. He has 2 children of 11 and 13 who also work on the streets when they are not at school, one selling postcards and one cleaning shoes. Being poor in Peru is a very hard life, and for the rest of the day we handed over coins to beggars who looked as if they needed a square meal.We have decided not to go to Machu Pichu. You would have to fight for foot space on the steps if the stated number of people go there, and we are 'ruined-out'
