crowded bus
We finally got our flight to Cusco and could feel why the flight was delayed as the plane bumped around in the turbulence. We made a reservation at the hotel we wanted to stay in later that week and then walked backpacks and all in search of the bus station. We stopped at a cute little café for a late lunch and reflected on how the altitude was hitting us. Cusco is at 3400 meters (about 11,000 ft) above sea level. I could feel the lighter air, but that was it. We bought a Cusco ticket to several sites around the city for S/130.
Now the bus to Pisac was an interesting experience. We bought seats for the 50 minute ride and when all the seats were full we left.
my short doorway
Only we kept stopping to pick up more people. It was amazing how many people that little bus fit. It was a very uncomfortable ride for me partly because the switchbacks made me nauseous but mostly because some man had his crotch on my shoulder the whole time and didn’t seem to notice. Or maybe he did. We were so packed in that I couldn’t move. Yeah, not cool. Along the way I noticed we were listening to Peruvian folk music. Just as I was wondering if people really listen to this stuff the man in front of us started singing along. We couldn’t get to Pisac soon enough.
We were dropped off in town and walked a few blocks up to the market square. Our hotel, the Pisac Inn, was on the square. Some vendors were still taking apart their stalls and some boys were playing soccer under the big tree but it was mostly empty. The hotel was wonderful even though we had a shared bathroom (outside). We took showers and went out for a beer. We were trying to abide by the old Peruvian saying about dealing with altitude sickness, “Eat little, drink little and sleep alone.”
good for pastries to go
We stopped at this little bakery/café on our way to the bus station for a quick meal. The bakery case was full of delicious looking pastries, desserts and empandas. I ordered ham and cheese on a croissant and a potato pastry puff thing. The sandwich was good, but the pastry was nothing special. We stopped in on a non-meal hour, so we had the place pretty much to ourselves and the server was very attentive. The prices were reasonable but I think the main business is buying pastries to go. I think they had larger meals, but we just got small sandwiches, so I’m not sure how this place would be for dinner.
The interior seating area is fairly small so it may get busy during meal times. The wall was painted with a very interesting mural, full of words and pictograms, mostly in Spanish. This place is recommended especially if you are looking for a light pastry to go.
window
sandwich and pastry
interesting mural
bakery case
