My last breaths in Cusco before heading back home. Peruvian chronicles. Days 14,15 and 16.

By the day we Uruguayans celebrate our last world cup victory against Brazil and the day one of the figures of the team -Ghiggia- left this world, I was already a local in Cusco, even had friends, although I also had some "big troubles of little burguese people": I was already awake at 6am because other people started going to the bathroom in front of my door which was supposed to be comfortable. Instead, I felt how Chucky's spirit got into me. A couple of hours went by -though it seemed more- before I could change bedrooms and take a proper shower. The truth is that there had not been that many occasions in which I needed a shower so badly.

Punctually as I had forgetten I could be, I met my viking friends on the stairs of the Cathedral to go and have brunch (I want to say here that the invention of brunch is wonderful and I'm thankful for the day it got spread everywhere including South America). This time, we went to try a place where I saw a waiting line each time I passed by and this day I discovered it was worth it. The super sandwiches of Jack's Café are SIMPLY THE BEST, and I just hope that it still exists because I recommend this place to each person I know going to Cusco, and I don't want them to be disappointed. Being full from our meal we went out for a walk to help digestion and to do some shopping. Actually today I'm just looking and picking stuff while the girls bought stuff before they left, so when I get lonely tomorrow I'll do the shopping to fill the void ¿? with souvenirs, gifts and the andean stuff that comes to my mind and fits in my budget (and my bag of course).

Processions are a regular thing in Cusco. This was one of the two I was able to catch with my camera. Also, that is the corner of Jack's cafe.

I went back to the hostel and my bed was calling me after the bad morning I'd had, so I took a nap before going to an early cena (yes, I don't know what language I'm speaking anymore, I'm almost language-schizoid by now). My compulsive eating of "salchipapas" and almost every variety of potato I found -and pretty much everything I've been eating lately- combined with altitude made me need my bed badly. On our way, there's a guy that every single time I pass alone or accompanied, offers tattoes and piercings. Michael won the prize to the best response: ïf we were drunk, we woudl definetely get "friends for ever" tattoes done". Spoiler: the tattoo guy heard us perfectly and on my way home from my last dinner he stopped me to give me ANOTHER flyer and told me so.

A shot from the urban safari.

On day 15, I was on my own again. My nordic friends left so I made a list of places to go and things to photograph and shop. I walked around Cusco on urban safari mode and went shopping to a place that has pretty much everything and the sales lady though a bit pushy -of course- it's a nice, funny person. Now's the time I'll talk about the so known bargaining. This is an extended and accepted way to do business around here and some sales people even get offended if you don't ask them for a lower price. Personally, I'm not a fan of bargaining, specially when it comes to handmade work -being a craftsperson myself there are not many things worse than people trying to take value off your work-. I'm aware that real craftwork isn't the most common thing in Cusco's historic district, and here comes my second argument: most of the stuff around here are ridiculously cheap -specially for us Uruguayan people- so asking for a lower price for something that is already cheap when we're spending money on travelling seems a poor choice to me.

Now, with new sweaters, pashminas, decorations and even a blanket, the challenge will be trying to fit everything I brought plus everything i bought in my bag.

These are the kind of details I love finding wherever I go.

For my last day in the Inca main city, I had reserved two activities (apart from my contest against myself and 3D geometry on luggage tetris). The first one, a free walking tour I was able to do after getting new sunglasses beacuse I'd had a me-moment where I sat over my old ones. On the tour, we went by places I had already seen and made friends with some Argentinian bros. The tour finished with a free pisco sour, a.k.a, Iwas drunk. And I still don't know how to prepare it.

This photo of the city through Santa Clara's Arch looking towards San Pedro's Market is one of my favorite ones from the whole trip.

With still some pisco in my bloodstream I became World Champion of luggage tetris, but of course I had to sit over my bag to close it properly.

This is a typical view of Cusco's historic area.

Feeling like a champion I went to know a place I still had on my checklist: the chocolate museum. Of course my plan included having tea over there, and I was drooling all over with only thinking about it. The museum part is ok, there's a sort of path explaining all the way since the recollection of the fruit in the rainforest (I tried it in my days out there) until it becomes the brown delicious thing we die for. There's even workshops but you have to sign in and pay a fee for that. On the other hand, the meal I had was a bit disappointing. As the good fatty I am, I asked for a hot chocolate that would have made my grandma very proud, and a brownie. Let's say that the only thing it had of a brownie was its name. I mean, it was a very good chocolate cake, but it wasn't a brownie (it hurts to say this, but Starbucks' brownies were way better). And that's the story of how I went back to the hostel, with a full stomach but a bit disappointed to finish packing my carry on, before I headed back for a last supper at Jack's. Why is it that I have this impulse of remembering every single thing I ate, huh?

This is one of the churches that appear in the photo through the Arch.

The main square with its orange lights and the city lights on the hill is simply magic. As a bonus, there's the moon.

The second procession I could catch with the camera. Judging by the amount of people and their looks, this one was more important than the other ones I saw.

The ending is coming.

2:30 am. Hostel. The taxi I called for from an app doesn't arrive because the app or my gps isn't working properly. The guys at the hostel call another one for me. I arrived at the airport and it looked like a ghost town -as the lady in the hostel had predicted and I didn't want to listen-. When I finally managed to do my chek-in, the desk lady tells me that my flight from Lima to Santiago is completely booked, but that it would be solved in Lima. Of course I didn't believe it, would you? I had a mini panic attack mixed with home sickness. I got to Lima and there's a huuuge line in the airline desks. I managed to get wifi and checked in online, that's when I finally calmed down. But the story doesn't end here. A Chilean guy and myself had the same seat. The stewardess gave the seat to me and the guy's girlfriend was about to burst into flames because they had to take a 4 hour flight apart. I can't believe these people. When we finally landed on Santiago I had to literally run to catch my connection home.

6pm, I step on Uruguayan land, finally.

7 pm. I'm home, with my furry babies.

As an ending, here's this photo with Santa Clara's Arch, but at night. And I survived to tell it.

-End of the adventure-

*You can read the original version of this post in Spanish here.