Cusco

Today marks the beginning of our second week in Cusco.  So far, I think we all like it.  Our house is two blocks away from the main street, so there’s never any short of cars honking, people yelling, and dogs barking.  Every day, when we go outside on our way to Spanish school, we line up on the extremely narrow sidewalk and try not to get hit by the side view mirrors of the many passing vans and the occasional bus.  When we return at the end of the day, we line up again, until Dad unlocks the two doors leading into our house.  Our house is about five long blocks from the Plaza de Armas, the main square in Cusco.  From there, you can go to the many restaurants, including KFC and Starbucks, my favorites, and admire the view of the surrounding mountains.  Sadly, I haven’t been to either one of those restaurants.  Instead, we are going to all these Peruvian places. 

Even though Cusco is very pleasant, there are some gross things about it.  Many stray dogs live in the city of Cusco.  Some are just scraping by.  One day, when my mom and I were walking home from school, a dog stopped right in front of our house and took a huge dump.  It was so gross.   Something even grosser happened on our way back from school in a taxi.  I didn’t see the sight for myself and I’m glad I didn’t.  From what I heard, someone was crapping right in the middle of the road.  :P