We slept well in our soft bed in spite of the Quinciera celebration upstairs that ran until 10:30 pm.

On the way to Pisac we stopped at a wildlife refuge where abused/harmed animals are rehabilitated and then released. Many of the birds we saw had been crammed into PVC pipes in order to smuggle them out of Peru. The ones we saw were fortunate to have been discovered before being smuggled out of Peru but were badly injured and were in various stages of rehabilitation. We saw three Andean Condors, the earth’s largest birds. Our guide, Dante, was a wealth of information.

We arrived at the Pisac market around noon and spent the next three hours wandering the colorful stalls and snapping photos. A truly authentic market, high recommended and worth the trip.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch of corn soup and trout with creamy garlic sauce at the restaurant Cuchara de Palo at the Pisac Inn, served to us by a young girl from New Mexico who was spending several months in Peru. We sat up the balcony overlooking the lively market and snapped photos.

After our savory lunch our driver took us tack to Cusco, and it was Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. At one point we nearly had a head-on collision as the driver swerved to miss something in the road, but we made it back to Plaza de Armas in one piece and promptly kissed the ground.

After resting for a while, we toured the grand and majestic Cathedral of Santo Domingo, full of incredible art, icons and relics. (The wood carvings alone are worth the price of admission.)

Then we window-shopped in and out of stalls around the plaza until the sky opened up and a deluge of rain and hail inundated the area. We took refuge in Limo, one of the restaurants that circle the square in the quaint Spanish colonial style.

Carol had read about this restaurant and their delicious ceviche and pisco sours. This was probably our best meal in three weeks. We enjoyed ceviche, tuna tataki, shrimp skewers with potatoes and corn and Andean local catch carpaccio. As a starter they brought us (gratis) delicious potato fries with 3 sauces – a garlicky sauce, a pepper sauce and an herb sauce. All the flavors in each dish were outstanding and unique – a true feast for the palette. (The pisco sours weren’t bad either!)

Back at the hotel by 8 pm after a full day of adventure, we crashed into bed at 10 pm. It’s sad to say adios to Cusco. Tomorrow we fly to Lima.

Next Day