PISAC - Blog, Relaxation and a Beer

Accommodation

Our accommodation "Hospedaje Catalina" was really good. We paid 124 soles for the first three nights (= 30.63 euros, or 41 soles per night), 110 soles for the next three nights, and only 60 soles for the last two nights. Yes, you need negotiating skills (and a poorly Spanish-speaking Pascal who always confused the numbers 60 and 70). We had a shared bathroom with other travelers, and unfortunately, one of our roommates was of the disgusting sort. In the end, the nice receptionist told us that he left without paying...
We made good use of the rooftop kitchen; it had a juice blender (with which I had a small accident), a stove, and everything else you need. Unfortunately, the cleaning lady threw away our food - she probably thought that someone had forgotten it :(

Sights

Plaza Constitución
Sunday Market with locals in traditional attire
"Felipe Marín Moreno" Botanical Garden with the adjacent Potato Museum and one of the most beautiful known cactus collections We also rented a motorcycle. We paid 60 soles per day and received impressively bad equipment. Pascal’s helmet looked more like a riding helmet, and mine looked like a ski helmet. On the second day, we got "slightly" better full-face helmets, although mine was missing the buckle for fastening.
On the first day, we made a trip to nearby Calca. There we had "Sopa de Cemola" and "Frejol con Milaneza" for lunch. Before that, we bathed in hot springs. It was nice, but the time was limited to one hour in the pool (of course, I didn’t stick to this limit, it was just too relaxing). The entrance fee to the "Baños de Machacancha" was 5 soles per person. On the way into town, we also saw a small parade by the local school children. Was there a particular holiday? After lunch, I treated myself to a small ice cream from the ice cream lady at "Plaza de Armas." After enjoying the sun, we went over the "Mercado de Calca" to the "Ritual Café Cultural" and had hot chocolate, green tea, and "Torta de Chocolate."
Through the "Plazoleta María Camara" and the "Plaza Sondor" with the "Iglesia San Pedro de Calca" we went back to the motorcycle.
On the second day, we set off quite late, passed the "Khinti Muyurina" viewpoint, and reached our destination "Kinsa Ccocha" (a small reservoir) shortly before closing time at 3:50 PM. We paid a few soles for the entrance and then quickly drove to the other lagoon "Azul Cocha." Unfortunately, we didn’t reach "Puma Cocha" in time. On the way back, we passed the "Parque de la Papa," but it was already closed. And as it had to happen, we also got into a police check. Our idiotic landlord, of course, only sent us the SOAT (insurance) and forgot the vehicle papers. The police were satisfied with the insurance and Pascal’s driver's license, probably too much paperwork otherwise...

Transportation

On foot and by motorcycle.

Food and Drink

Quesadilla from the taco man behind the bridge on the right
Sopa y Trucha frita
"Sopa de Quinoa y Pollo al Maní" + "Seco a la Norteña"
"Sopa de Trigo y Locro de Pecho"
Anticucho
"Pollo a la Brasa" + French fries + "Arros Chaufa" + salad buffet + mate + "Auadito"
Hawaiian burger (10.50 S) and a "Jarra de Maracuya" (10 S)
Salad and spaghetti bolognese
Empanadas (3 pieces for 12 S)
Beer "Dark Charlie" and "Roja con Ayrampo"
Ice cream (chocolate, copoazú, chocochip)
- 1 scoop (4 S)
- 2 scoops (7 S)
- 3 scoops (9 S)
Empanadas, cookies, …
Bulletproof coffee and creole cocoa In Pisac, we also made some juices (with strawberries, papaya, etc.) and tried Valentina’s Mbeju recipe. In case you can’t remember: Valentina was our host mom in Asunción (Paraguay).
Here is her recipe to make it yourself: Ingredients: × one kilogram of starch / manioc flour × half a kilogram of cheese × 3 to 4 tablespoons fat or butter × a quarter liter of milk × salt to taste You need to mix all this together. It does not have to be very wet. Ingredientes: × un kilo de almidón / harina de mandioca × medio kilo de queso × 3 a 4 cucharadas grasa o mantequilla × un cuarto litro de leche × sal al gusto
Estos tenés que mezclar todos juntos hasta que se unan todos. No tiene que ser muy mojados.
And here is a little video: Link

Cafés and Restaurants

Mama Coca
Restaurante Rocio
El Sabor
La Frontera
Horno San Francisco
Cervecería del Valle Sagrado - Taproom Pisac
Empaletados - Helados Artesanales
Panadería & Pastelería Bocaditos
Ta‘nta Wasi - Panadería & Pastelería Artesanal
Kula Café

Plants and Animals

In the botanical garden, we saw all kinds of beautiful plants and even a hummingbird. Here is an album with the plants we saw there. We observed, among others:

Bockshorn-Sternkaktus
Moon cactus
Golden barrel cactus
Golden rat tail cactus
Echinopsis bridgesii
Silver torch cactus
Pig’s ear or round-leaved jade plant
Grannen aloe
Bolivian fuchsia
Bunny ears cactus
Quisco
Mexican lime cactus or ferocactus pilosus
Feather cactus
Echinocereus engelmannii
Echinopsis bridgesii
Monk’s hood
Parodia magnifica
Golden lace cactus
Rainbow pincushion or mammillaria rhodantha
Stenocereus pruinosus
Canary Island spurge
White stonecrop
Thistle pear
Common cane cholla
Dragon fruit cactus
Golden pothos
Wandering Jew
Castor plant
Poinsettia
Autumn crocus Of course, the list is far from complete, and sometimes the German name is missing.

Number of Germans in Town

A tour group was spotted at the market. Their guide was explaining which types of fruit and vegetables were being sold there.

Contact with Locals

On site, I chatted with a few people in their shops. Among them were the daughter of a weaver, a Turkish woman who works in a fabric shop, a painter in his studio, and Paula, an Indigenous woman from whom I bought a ribbon.

People We Met

In the kitchen, we had a very pleasant conversation with another traveler from the USA who is traveling around Peru to find relaxation and healing. He has already participated in a few ceremonies.

Expenses

At the numerous small stalls, I bought all sorts of beautiful things:

Natural dyes (25)
Ribbons (10+7+20+10+9+15 S)
Hats (6+4+2+2+3 S)
Cushion cover (30+25+25 S)
Buttons (18+26 S)
Pouches (20+8 S)
Sandals made from car tires (15 S) We also got some groceries:
1 kg organic strawberries (10 S)
small mango (3.50 S)
chocolate-dipped fruit (10 S)
2 l milk (about 10 S)
eggs (about 4 S)
Manioc flour (16 S)
Potatoes, Oca, avocado, purple corn, onions, zucchini, spices, pineapple, tuna, orange juice, grapefruit (total about 20 S) And we also bought the miracle remedy that Richard (our host dad) recommended:
Sangre de Grado (9+9 S)

Standard Stand Offer

Cushion covers, Christmas tree ornaments, ribbons, calabashes, backpacks, belts, stone figures, ceremonial items, oils, dried fruit, medicinal herbs, hand-crocheted alpacas, …

Laundry

We had our laundry done super quickly and cheaply in "Lavandería Manuel's."

Bus to Cusco

We organized the minibus to Cusco quite spontaneously. Everything went well, but because it was Sunday, the price rose from 5 to 6 soles per person. A price increase we can just about handle ;) Unfortunately, I felt quite sick on the ride and the rest of the day was somehow ruined for me. We checked into Saul's Airbnb in the afternoon and went to eat at "El Mordisco." I slept for the rest of the day.