Wednesday 17th April, 2019. Back in Cuzco and it’s catch up time with stuff like laundry and a final exploration of the city. Travel buddy Miss Wendy and Brunyfire are headed to the Mercado Central de San Pedro, the San Pedro market for some serious pottery purchasing. We meander past the now familiar Incan wall……
…….just opposite our hotel towards the Plaza De Armas.
The Great Inca Square that preceded Plaza de Armas, was twice the size of the modern day plaza and was home to regular ceremonies that were performed by the Inca nobility. These ceremonies were typically often emotional and ended in tears, giving the original square the name Huacaypata, which translates to ‘place of crying’ in Quechua. Despite the destruction by the Spanish of Huacaypata, that destroyed native temples and buildings in favour of churches and mansions…….
……the site has remained an important hub of social, political, and religious life for the people of Cusco. (Photo below by Miss Wendy).
The market is a hive of industry – even before we turn inside to check out the indoor section. Women in traditional dress line the side streets selling fresh flowers…..
…….precooked cuy (guinea pig), biscuits and vegetable dishes to go. 
Inside, all the vendors are competing for the passing trade of tourists and locals alike – from the ladies selling fresh fruit juices…..
……..to the bread sellers.
Cuzco consumers eat a lot of bread, much of which is still made artisanally and often in traditional ovens. There are several kinds of bread in Cuzco, each with their own distinctive taste and people buy it fresh daily. In the Quechua language, bread is called ‘t’anta’ and in Spanish pan’. One of the most popular breads in Cuzco is a sweet anise bread, pan ch’uta, which is widely recognized for its unique flavor, and is made every day in Cuzco’s Oropesa province in wood fired ovens with eucalyptus leaves of all things.*
The market also featured some of Peru’s many staples – corn……..
………..spuds………
……… quinoa and queso (cheese).
Whilst the variety of food produce was extensive, there was not so much in the way of cooking pots that Brunyfire had hoped for apart from the traditional stoves that were in obvious use on the reed islands of Lake Titicaca. Because of the scale of the stoves…….
……..Brunyfire had to be satisfied with a kid’s version and photos of the pieces in the dining room of our hotel.
*Eucalyptus trees came to Peru from Australia in the first half of the twentieth century, about the time the railway entered the highlands and made its way to Cuzco. Franciscan priests were among the first to plant eucalyptus because they were fast growing and could survive the harsh Andean climate. This was at a time when after almost four hundred years of European development, native Andean trees were disappearing. Source: Cuzco Eats.
brunyfire 