12:00 PM 27th September 2007 Pisac
Besides the extremely photogenic Machu Picchu, Pisac is how I had expected Peru to me.
Warm. Colorful. Noisy. Alive. Untouched. Non commercialized.
The Pisac market is all that. The market is open three times a week. Tuesdays , Thursdays and Sundays. We were there on a Thursday, so we can only imagine what the market must be on the big-day Sundays
Native and traveling artisans selling baby alpaca cardigans and throws, vivid edible colors, soccer jerseys, sleek and grotesque souvenirs alike, coins, horse saddles, animals, exotic birds, roadside food, musical instruments. Everything goes. The hubub of the place would put a downtown Manhattan discotheque to shame. And nowhere as costly. Remember, the bargaining only starts as the sun tilts towards the south-western horizon. Peruvians otherwise do not bargain.
Rhea was ecstatic to find a guinea pig shop. The Askis and Shinde's brought trinkets by dozens. Rhea found herself a piece of ferrite to buy.
By 2:00 PM, we settled down in a hole in the wall with some hearty soup, well made potatoes and a tall glass of Chicha.
Bliss.
Next stop Ollantaytambo.