Walking in the Non-Touristy Part of Cusco

On the day after our classes had ended, a group of us decided we wanted to go play basketball. We had one problem: we did not have a basketball. We looked up the nearest sports tienda and started walking. 

The closer we got to our destination, the more city-like the streets became. The massage ladies appeared less frequently until there were no more on the streets. The tourist shops turned into services and businesses. There were less hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions. It became a regular hustling city. I watched children coming back from school, people running errands, people working. It was so cool to see non-touristy Cusco. There were a few things that stood out to me.

All of the shops and services were organized in an unusual manner. All of the same shops and services were in buildings next to each other. For example, when walking down one street, I saw 5 different bakeries right next to each other. I thought that was a little strange. Then we kept walking, and I saw eyeglass store after eyeglass store. Then we arrived at a place that was all clothing. All the shoe stores were right next to each other, separate from the other clothes. The shops and the services were organized in a convenient way: all of the same types in the same place.

Another interesting thing was how all of the street vendors disappeared. They were only found in the touristy parts of Cusco because they are only meant for tourists. Walking through the streets without being constantly approached and yelled at was refreshing. This reminds me of New York. One will only find the street vendors in the touristy parts of New York like Times Square.

I enjoyed seeing a different side of Cusco. I enjoyed getting to see real people going about their daily lives in Cusco.