Cusco is a very touristy town, all the restaurants around the plaza is geared towards stripping every penny off the tourists. (well, I'm exaggerating) The point is, where do locals go? SAN PEDRO MARKET (and surrounding area)
San Pedro is THE place to do all your grocery shopping, meals and desserts. Allen (a travel buddy I met in the hostel and will talk more about afterwards) and I went there numerous times to get cheap meals and fruit salads. There are seared fish, grilled beef, chicken soup, yogourt salad with fruits, peruvian sushi etc etc etc. It's by far, the best place to experience traditional Peruvian cuisine at a very reasonable price. My favourite is a big plate of rice, fried potato, fresh salad and a fried egg with spicy sauces at a stunning 5 pesos, which is about $2. If you aren't full by the massive meals, get a massive cup of salad would be around 5 pesos or a classic Peruvian coffee.
Here's a few tip to get around the market,
- You can bargain everything except the warm food sector. A little Spanish will be an advantage.
- Take care of your belongings because it gets crowded and thus pickpocketing is not uncommon.
- Observe, observe! Watch how the locals do it and copy them! It's SO fun!
If you feel ultra adventurous, trek out the market and head opposite direction of the city centre plaza, you'll find open market streets (day and night). You can also purchase grocery and street food here but the hygienics level is probably a notch down. There's also local Peruvian dessert shops, bakeries, ridiculously cheap hamburger shops and the best churros in town. This is where the Peruvian culture hits.
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| the lunch crowd in the food sector |
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| meat & cheese section |
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| SPICES, in massive amounts! |
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