After some considerations we decided to join the crowds and visit the famous Pisac Sunday market. Many organized tours include Pisac in their itinerary before continuing on to Machu Picchu. This small city is only an hour from Cusco and collectivos run the route constantly for 2 Soles, so we decided to do a day trip.
Only a tiny part of this huge market serves local trade, the vast part is aimed at tourists. Everything is sold there, from blankets, Alpaca knitting, jewelry, pottery or any other souvenir … It is a bit of a zoo, especially in front of the church where local “senores” dressed in traditional costumes pose for photographs. This spectacle causes a major congestion at the very place, with people taking photos, others simply wanting to pass and local worshippers trying to get into church. Mass is read in Quechua, it was our first experience to listen to this language which to us had a familiar and harmonious sound.
Although small, the local market is quite a sight because there are lots of villagers shopping and the many different dresses are everything from colorful, authentic to weird combinations of plaited skirts worn with woolen knee stockings, lots of colorful pullovers and the obligatory hat.
Of course Pisac’s main attraction is the Inca ruins, a citadel and temple high up the mountain with spectacular terraces plunging down towards the village. We spent three hours exploring the sight and regretted deeply not taking a guide to explain it to us in detail.
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