As my last two days in Cusco round out the trip, I thought I would share what all I have done between class observations and interviews in Cusco. What is impossible to overstate here is the role that my new friends and colleagues played in my journey. It was wonderful to have people from my homestay and at Máximo Nivel with whom to have dinner and go on other adventures.
– Museum Maximo Laura: Tapestry artist Maximo Laura is a UNESCO living treasure, and he has a gallery in Cusco! His works are what first opened my eyes to the styles of traditional peruvian artwork.
– Cafetín Cat Cafe: I was surprised at how many animals there were in Peru: dogs, alpacas, llamas, lambs, birds…and no cats! Thus, I sought out a place to have a midmorning coffee with a lovely bunch of cats.
– Sasaywayman and Christo Blanco: Maybe the most tourist-y places I went aside from Machi Picchu, yet I was amazed by the ingenuity and artistry of the Incan monuments that watch over the city of Cusco. Christo Blanco was an incredible hike and it offered the best views of Cusco.
– CacaoMuseo: I took the free tour of the chocolate factory during my first week here, and today I will go back for a cooking class to learn how to make chocolate. I would reccommend the cacao tea if you are looking for something new to try.
– Green Point Restaurant: My favorite restaurant in Cusco, and a real staple of my recovery from multiple bouts of food poisoning. It is a vegan restaurant located in the beautiful, historic neighborhood of San Blas.
– Morena: Another amazing restaurant and a favorite amongst my roommates. I was most impressed by their “Morena” tea, which is a (fuschia) mountain tea blend to help with the altitude.
– L’atelier Cafe Concept: L’atelier was a place I found myself re-visiting for my morning cup of tea during my second week in Cusco. It is a French-inspired boutique and cafe again located in San Blas, with a great environment that I utilized to focus and compile data for my research.
– Alpaca Farm: While I got to the farm too late in the evening to have much meaningful interaction with the alpacas, I enjoyed learning about the different types of alpaca and vicuña fibers, including a demonstration about how to test for 950 silver.
– Cathedrals!: My senior thesis offered a new method for church architecture analysis, so of course I found the time to visit as many cathedrals and other churches as I could. I have never seen similar floorplans to the churches here–especially considering that the Spanish built several of them from the same Incan foundations upon which previous Incan temples were built. If it smells like colonialism, it is!
A summary of my research to follow!
Cheers,
Mackenzie