Lists

5 Things In Cusco That I Could Get Used To:

1.) The food. THE. FOOD. It is so good here. I think it's some of the best food in the world. It's asian (the rice) mixed with the food from the highlands. Did you know there are over 3000 types of potatoes? THREE THOUSAND. There is also this special pepper, 'aji amarilla'  and it's used in my favorite dish here 'Aji de Gallina' and that is this yellow pepper made into a sauce and then mixed with shredded chicken and served over cooked and sliced potatoes with rice on the side. It is so good. SO GOOD. I could easily get to be 700 pounds here. Thank god for my spin class.

2.) The scenery. These mountains are such a good change of scenery from MN. Flat plains is all Minneapolis consists of. Here, walking out the door you see the mountains. At night the mountainside is lit up from the lights on the houses. It is magical. Walking down a street at night is almost breathtaking to me. I sound like such a drama queen but the city I live in is gorgeous. I'm almost glad I didn't grow up here cause I would have taken it for granted.

3.) Transportation. The buses and taxis are soooooo cheap here and they get you almost anywhere. I don't even know how I'll readjust being back in MN and having to either drive places or take a bus for a 1.75. Which brings me to my next point...

4.) The exchange rate. Everything is so cheap! I am so used to being like 'Okay, so this is 11 soles so that means its really only like 4 US Dollars' and that is every day for something that is clearly worth more than four dollars. It will be weird to come back and not have to convert everything in my head. Just what it costs is what it is. It's hard to explain, but I am definitely verry used to the excellent exchange rate here.

5.) The markets. There are these huge markets which I guess the closest comparison is Farmer's Market's in MN but honestly it's all types of food; fruits, veggies, cheese, meat, you name it. It's also all organic, and it's all cheap as shit. I would obvi always eat organic if it was as cheap as it is here. The chickens are all raised on a farm and raised and killed more humanely. They aren't raised in pens and don't have their beaks burned off and messed up shit like that. I just like it I wanna bring it home with me.


Things In Cusco That I'll Never Get Used To:

1.) Men peeing wherever the hell they want. At least once a day I walk by a man pissing. Next to his car, on the street, in a shrub, on a wall: they don't give a shit. Too many times I've been walking, enjoying the beautiful weather in this unbelievably gorgeous and historical city, only to have the poignant moment be ruined by the waft of piss and seconds later the image of a man peeing only 3 feet from me. Won't get used to it, shouldn't have to.

2.) The honking. Cars are EVERYWHERE. Honking and fucking honking, like that will move the cars. I  loathe the person who invented car horns and thought they were a good idea. They aren't. They're pointless and obnoxious and often times terrify me. Call me a baby but it happens to damn much for no reason at all.

3.) All their drinks are hot. And not just luke warm but CALIENTE. Sometimes, I get a smoothie for breakfast, only the jokes on me because the smoothie is HOT. I probably sound like such a big baby but it is something I can't get used to. I never thought I cared that much about my drink being cold but I DO. I have dreams about drinking a cold glass of milk because their milk here is condensed and mixed with hot water. I actually like that, but a girl needs a cold beverage every now and again. They also serve their drinks AFTER you eat. You don't get to drink during your meal. The beverage culture here is so extraordinarily different that in los Estados Unidos, and after spending 20ish years there, I prefer the US's beverage choices.

4.) Housekeeping. The whole 'having a housekeeper' thing is throwing me off, man. My house keeper organizes my room down to the lotion I accidentally leave out. It's reminiscent of the book/movie 'The Help' only it's more classism than racism. When we eat lunch, Evita (our housekeeper) eats too, only different food and on a stool not at the table. Not only does she clean the whole house, but she watches the kids and gets paid shit for money. There are a lot of poor people here so they work for super cheap and do stuff like that. I can't and won't ever get used to it. I never thought I'd say I don't like people picking up after me but I really just don't. At all.

5.) The smells. Sometimes the smells here are just too much. Whether it's pee, poop, or just plain smog, it is something I will not miss.

Well I hope I don't seem like too much of a complainer. I am very happy here and can't believe I am already half way through with my adventure! It's gonna be sad to go but I will be so happy to see everyone I love back in MN again too :]

I found out I've been spelling 'chau' the italian way. In Peru it's either 'chao' or 'chau'
Besos!