Cusco - Christmas Eve market

I made my way down to the centre of Cusco on Christmas Eve somewhat unsuspectingly.  I knew that there was due to be some sort of market but what I found was a huge mass of people selling all sortsof goods, crafts and foods to locals as well as tourists.  And when I emerged from an interenet cafe a couple of hours later it was even busier if that was possible, with music being piped across the whole square.  It was only later that loads of Andean local people had been spotted sleeping in the square the night before, ready to reserve themselves a great spot!

So Christmas Eve was largely spent browsing the market and meeting up with Lyn and Ady (whom I´d met in Huaraz) for a few drinks on a balcony overlokoing the square, a great spot to take photos of locals without them realising!  And then in the evening our group went for a traditional Christmas meal where we were each givena free bottle of red wine to deink with the meal.

  It didn´t help that I was sat next to a couple of people that didnt want the wine they´d been given, so I have a memory of leaving this restaurant clutching another bottle of red in my hand insisting that it shouldn´t go to waste.  Outside there were loads of people milling about randomly as most of the market stalls had been cleared away, and a good number of fireworks being set off and causing havoc as they sped at a sideways angle across the square rather than straight up!  It was a great Christmas Eve, but did not lead to a very fun Christas Day!