We have noticed this in other towns and cities that we have visited.  Fountain cleaning day!

 

We are here at Plaza de Armas to join the Free Walking Tour of Cusco.  Our first stop is this map on a nearby wall.  This map shows the original shape of Cusco.  It is the shape of a Puma, which is one of the most important animals to the Incas.  The others are the Condor and the Snake. The head of the Puma is Saksaywaman (Sexy Woman), the site we visited yesterday.

 

We walk down a street with an Inca wall that has had modifications done by the Spaniards.  As you can see their skill was not up to the Incan standards.

 

 

 

We enter a courtyard where there are some Llamas and Alpacas.  This is an Alpaca Suri, the type that has Bob Marley wool.  This guy also has huge bottom teeth!!

 

 

 

 

We are shown some instruments and other objects that are important to the Incas.  This is a couple of Condor feathers.  Stu is holding them.  Just look at the size of the stems???   If that is what they are called.  😉

 

The other day when we went on the tour of the Sacred Valley, we had a buffet lunch that had local entertainment.   One of the musicians was playing a percussion instrument that we were unfamiliar with.  The sound was interesting and they looked to us like a bunch of mussel shells.  Today we learned that this instrument is made from the toe nails of the llamas and alpacas.  Apparently they shed these nails (two per foot) and they are collected and made into this rattle like instrument.

 

This fellow is a very accomplished musician.  He had a huge variety of instruments and demonstrated his talent for us.

 

We learned that the three sacred symbols of the Inca, The Puma, The Condor and The Snake or Serpent are depicted in the Incan wall that we are standing beside.  This poster shows the outline of 2 of them.  We did see these stones and recognized the animals.  The faces even had eyes and mouths carved into them.

 

This is the Plaza San Blas.  We found this on our own with Greg and Leslie the other day.  Today there is a little market set up.  Our tour guide took us through this barrio that has some very interesting little hotels.

 

 

San Blas also has their own little market.  Our guide brings us there.  Here are some of the vegetables that are available here.  The purple corn, okra, squash and more.

 

 

Here are some other veggie stands.

 

 

 

This is a bronze plate that is seen on many streets in Cusco.  Anti Suyo means the Inca Trail.  This trail is more than the 4 day 3 night trek route, is many many kilometers long.

 

 

 

Walking back through town we see this representation of the Snake.  A carved stone and some shrubbery to represent the body.

 

 

 

 

We come to another large market called the San Pedro Market.   Here is the beef department.

 

 

 

 

And the chicken department.

 

 

 

 

And the Bakery.

 

 

 

 

 

Not sure if this is the horse or donkey department.  I also have no idea what you would use this for???

 

 

 

Went to the Andean Grill a restaurant recommended by our City Tour Guide Elvis.  The meal was very very good.  Stu had Lemon Trout and I had Caprese Chicken.

 

 

 

Tomorrow we are taking the bus and train to Aguas Caliente, the little town closest to Machu Picchu.