Cusco/Cuzco- Day 1

Today is our first day in the Peruvian city of Cusco, or Cuzco.
(There is a large discrepancy on the spelling of the city name, but for the purposes of this blog, let's say Cusco.)

This city is breathtakingly beautiful. It is built on the side of a small mountain and has epic views from just about every direction. There are winding cobblestone streets with the most vibrant blue doors on just about every building. The colors alone in this city will make your head spin. Every few blocks you may need to stop and take a deep breath. (This is also partly due to the incredible elevation of the city which comes in at just over 10,000 ft.)

Coca leaf tea and candy is prescribed by the locals to combat elevation sickness. Yes, the same coca leafs that are used to make cocaine, but let me assure you they have a very different affect in this form, and make you about as jittery as a good cup of coffee:)

In just one day we happened upon a street fair complete with foosball and "shoot the super hero," a second to none fresh fruit and vegetable market, miles of clothing made from alpaca, and an amazing street show which, although we couldn't understand the performer, seemed to be an elaborate stretching competition.

But despite all these amazing happenings, the highlight of my day was stumbling across a music store run by a man named Arturro who makes all the instruments by hand. Here I found some of the most interesting pieces I have ever seen. The woodworking skill and musicianship is second to none. I ended up buying an instrument I had never heard of before, called a Marmacho. It has four strings, but each string section has four strings within that section all tuned to the same note, making it 16 all together.
This odd set up produces such a unique sound that Arturro was kind enough to demonstrate for us. This is my favorite city of the trip so far! More to come!
Sincerely,
Nora