Cuzco, Day 6

I haven`t done a whole lot the last couple days so there`s not much to write home about. Jen (from Birmingham, England, by the way, for Mum who asked) is leaving for Bolivia later today, so I`ve decided to spend tomorrow night and the next at a different hostel that I think I`ll like more. It`s a bit pricier, but is worth it because it includes breakfast, free coffee, tea, and buns all day, and free internet. And it`s more social, with lots of different people, and I just think I`ll like the environment better once I`m on my own again.

I had a conversation with a Peruvian woman today who was selling her paintings. I started off by saying I couldn`t buy them cuz I was travelling for so long, but she stayed anyway and I enjoyed talking to her. She has 6 young kids, her husband doesn`t work, she gets by on her paintings alone, has friends in Montreal and other parts of Québec, and has been able to visit them once or twice. Her name is Julia. It was nice to talk to her, up till the point when I asked to see her work (even though I wasn`t buying), and she ended up pressing me to buy something. Gah! I don`t think I`ll ever get used to people asking me for money here. She said at one point, ¨But US$7 is nothing for you!¨ How could I explain that I didn`t have the money for something like that? It`s not fair.

Anyway not much else is going on right now. I`m just wandering the city, sending the odd postcard, taking some pictures... In just 3 days I start my trek for Machu Picchu though! I´m so so excited for that. I`ll write one more blog entry before then just so everyone knows what`s going on, but after that I`ll be internet-less for about 5 days.