Ripoff

I've been very slack in my time so far in Cusco, because after 4 weeks here, I still haven't visited the Valle Sagrado ("Sacred Valley") at all. Lying about an hour north of Cusco (by public bus), and consisting of three principal towns — Pisac, Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo — it's one of the main tourist attractions in the area. This morning, I was planning to visit Pisac (and to continue on to Urubamba) on my own; but at the last minute, I ended up going with Jesus. We didn't quite make it up to the Inca Citadel, but we did have a colourful and relaxed morning at the markets.

Of all the ridiculous things that street vendors say in order to get your attention, this one peeves me off the most. "Hey amigo, you like this necklace? 100 pesos, 10 dollars — almost free!" It's tacky; it's insulting (to people's intelligence); and it's completely untrue. But I guess it does the job of luring in those American prey, and their almost smellable dollars.