Day Five: Free Day in Cusco

On the fifth day of our trip, we had our first free day. Al celebrated it by become severely ill. Fortunately, he happens to be a doctor, so was at least able to instruct us as to what kind of medication we needed to bring to him.

Cusco itself celebrated our free day by raining in the morning and in the afternoon/evening, with only a brief break around lunchtime. Due to these factors, we mostly laid low, drinking coffee in a local "American" style vegetarian restaurant and letting the children play in the Plaza de Armas. Cusco is a remarkable city, as it is the Inca capital and later became an important colonial centre. Colonial buildings are built on Incan foundations, and the city's identity as a cultural and historical nexus ensures that it remains colourful and engaging. We had a good time just soaking in the atmosphere, wandering down narrow, ancient streets, and surreptitiously observing the other tourists.

During my wanderings, while fending off the ladies in traditional costume who wanted to pose with their lambs or baby alpacas for photos, I spotted a Korean flag down a little street. Intrigued, I investigated it and discovered that there actually is a Korean restaurant - Arirang, right next door to the Novotel Hotel, at 239 San Agustin - in the back of a Cusco casona. So, that's where we had supper. In our little, windowless room, the white walls were covered in the testimonies of tourists - mostly Asian - who had eaten there before us. The food was very, very good. And Joffre got his fill of sushi, which was also pretty awesome.

After dinner, I picked up my laundry from the shop next door, and got packed for the painfully early morning to come.