Go To A Futbol Game In South America

I knew when traveling to South America I wanted to attend a futbol game.  I had flipped the channels enough to catch a few futbol games and hear the distinct "GOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!" be hollered through my TV speakers.  Luckily, while I was in Cusco, Peru I got the opportunity to attend a game.   We got our tickets at the stadium, but before entering we decided to pre-drink at a small bar nearby.  Since I was about to witness a local futbol game I thought that I should probably try a local beer as well...

After having a few drinks we headed into the stadium, and since it was open seating we decided to sit by the home team.  It only took a few minutes for us to realize that it was going to be a very chilly evening.  We quickly bought some team gear to help keep ourselves warm.  Since we were the only non-locals in the entire stadium we undoubtedly became the tourist attraction.  News cameras immediately started to focus on us, and pretty much kept their camera on us for the majority of the game!    I felt like I was a celebrity with all the attention.

The stadium was lined with police dressed up in protective gear.  I did say I wanted a true local experience, but I didn't want to be arrested or trampled to death over it.    On the other side of the stadium resided the hard core fans.  There was a huge group of fans dancing, singing, and running hysterically all over the stands.  Who completely surrounded them?  The Police!    The fans were the most exciting part of the entire experience, and I spent more time watching them than the actual game.  

 

GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAL!

The enthusiasm of the crazy fans got us pumped up as well.  After every goal the local kids would go crazily running through the stadium.  The fans are who kept me going even when every inch of my body was suffering from an early stage of frost bite.  Would I go to another futbol game?  Yep...and purely for the fans!

Date Accomplished: October 4th, 2009

Pet A Llama

Llamas are the camels of South America.  

Llamas are prevalent in Peru, and can live up to 30 years.  The Peruvian people rely on their wool to make clothing, and because of their relation to the camel they are used to carry loads of almost 75 pounds for long distances.  Before leaving for South America I had several llama obsessed friends.  I personally think Tina the Llama from Napoleon Dynamite made their existence more known in America.  My roommate at the time even asked me to bring a live llama back for her.  I wish I could have.

 My friend Steph in Cusco

If you walk around Cusco you are bound to come across Quechua children dressed up in native attire asking you to take photos with their pet llamas.  Of course, they ask you for an exuberant amount of money afterwards, so negotiate a price before taking the photo! 

During an all day hike through Inca Ruins we made it to Tambomachay.  On our way down from our hike I saw cute little llamas on the side of the path.  The lady was asking for money but only about $1USD.  

I caved in, and went in for my touristy shot.

P.S.  I mentally named him Zoolander due to his Blue Steel look.  

Date Accomplished:   October 5th, 2009

Ride A Horse

While in Cusco, Peru, I had the opportunity to go horseback riding to visit some Inca Ruins.  I thought it would be a unique way to see the ruins, but was a tad hesitant since I had never rode a horse before.

When we got to the horse stable they asked us if anyone had any experience riding horses.  One person was very comfortable, while a few others had done it once or twice.  I was one of the last ones to hop on a horse, and my horse's name was Lightning.  Contrary to his name, he was from being fast, and we spent most of the time in the back of the pack.  He was also the most stubborn and constantly veered off the path, and because of this I had to have one of the stable boys alongside me for most of the ride.  

A few minutes into our ride I saw one of my friends go FLYING off her horse.  Luckily all she suffered was a large bruise, but it was the last thing I wanted to see at the beginning of my horseback riding experience.

We went up and down very narrow hills, and at one point, Lightning decided to go down a hill while everyone was going up.  I was screaming, and one of the stable boys had to run after us to get us back on track.  This happened quite a few more times.  Our path was not flat, and consisted of several steep hills.  Have you ever rode a horse going downhill?  It hurts like a mofo!  Midway through we got off our horses to visit some ruins.  It was such a nice break for my thighs.  At this point, I was used to my horse being deliberately uncooperative so I began to just laugh anytime he cruised over to a different direction than everyone else.

My friend, Patsy was not used to an uncooperative horse, so when her horse began to do similar things she became very frantic and angry at her horse.  My favorite part of the ride was going through a Forest with tall trees.  My horse thought it would be funny to get real close to the trees so that my legs would jam into the tree trunk, despite the brief spouts of pain it was still beautiful.

When we passed the Forest, we were at our final stretch of our journey before reaching the stable.  We were confronted with the steepest hill of the day,  and the most uneven and rocky.  It was SO PAINFUL!  At this point, my friend, Patsy and I were on the verge of tears so we decided to get off our horses and just walk the rest of the way down to the stable.  It was the best decision we made that day.

Remind me that if I ever decide to go horseback riding again to make sure the entire path is FLAT!

Date Accomplished:  October 5th, 2009

Drink A Pisco Sour

A Pisco Sour is a South American cocktail that contains Pisco (a liquor distilled from grapes), sugar or syrup, lemon or lime, egg whites and a few other things.  It is a popular drink in both Peru and Chile, and there is an ongoing national debate to where the drink originated from.  Peruvian Pisco Sours use syrup, while the Chilean Pisco Sours use sugar.

I had the chance to try both the Peruvian and Chilean version.  The Winner?  I personally enjoyed the Peruvian one much better.  The drink is refreshing after a long day, and frothy at the top due to the egg whites.

In Peru I also got a chance to learn how to make a Pisco Sour at a local bar in Cusco....

Date Accomplished:  October 5th, 2009