but he was nice enough to just wait for me. Once I got ready we walked back to the place we dropped our laundry off at yesterday. The worker told me that they were running behind so our clothes wouldn't be ready until about 5pm now. I had a bad feeling about it but just figured they forgot and hadn't even started it yet. Afterward we went back down to the Plaza De Armas and shopped around in the local artisan areas. I really love seeing all the different souvenirs, crafts, and artwork they have for sale. Everything is so colorful and there are so many choices I don't know how I ever choose! John took some good stalker photos of some colorfully dressed locals, and we got some more soles out of an ATM on the very busy street of Avenida El Sol. The guide book told us not to go there because it is "too crowded and full of pickpockets", but I actually thought it was just lively and fun. Plus John and I were well armed against banditos because we each sewed hidden pockets into all of our pants where we store the bulk of our cash, and then the rest of it went into our backpacks, which we had locked with a small combination lock. There were many good shops there, and I bought some good souvenirs, including some bracelets for my many roommates in Lexington. We saw a wooden tram stop in the main plaza yesterday, and realized that it did city tours. This appealed to me because I could sit down, not aggravate my illness, and take in the sights. Unfortunately though it was full. We were going to try for it today so I asked a local shop owner what its schedule was, but she rambled on about something I didn't understand. She also gave me some confusing information about buying stamps and mailing postcards when I asked for information. Apparently in Peru it costs about 4$ US to mail out one little postcard! She then answered my initial question and told me the tram was closed for the holiday, yet a nearby police-woman said it stopped by every 1.5 hours. We had just missed the last one apparently. Conflicting stories, but we were glad the tram was up and running. To kill time before the next one we went and got lunch. Sadly I still couldn't eat.After we felt we had gotten a good feel for central Cuzco we decided to head uphill to the more artsy barrio of the town known as the San Blas area. On our way up the hill we stopped at this
narrow street where a crowd was gathered and a man was dressed up as an Incan King. We realized that the foundation of one of these buildings was an ancient Incan structure that they had built on top of, and that it was famous because it had a "12 sided stone" (in the photo)- something typical of Incan architecture. They would stack oddly shaped stones and they somehow all fit together like a giant jigsaw puzzle. We continued on 
and arrived to the main plaza in the San Blas area. There were many people selling crafts and items laid out on blankets. However, the whole area seemed somewhat quiet and most of the churches and shops were closed; maybe because everyone was sleeping in from too much partying the night before! We looked around at some art galleries and shops, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and John got some photos of the city since it provided a nice vantage point. I was feeling really pathetic because after going up about 5 steps I would start breathing loudly and gasp for air. I guess altitude and I don't get along so well.We headed back downhill from San Blas to the plaza. The Tram known as the Tranvia was running late and we were worried we had missed it, but luckily it showed up. It pulled up to the street and people (tourists) started running towards it trying to secure a spot. I was relieved we could get on. It was a 1.5 hour tour, and I was excited to get to sit and rest while enjoying the city. The tour drove us around to take in the sights and there was a guide explaining the history and significance of some of the places. Once
the Tranvia was done with central Cuzco it started going uphill into the poorer neighborhoods, and we had to see some of the poverty present in the city. John pointed out to me that many of the local homes had a little pig statue on the roof, and we wondered what its significance was. Once the bus had climbed up to the top of the hills we stopped at an overlook with a gigantic Jesus statue to take some photos of the city from above. It was really a beautiful sight to see the ancient city with its orange roofs and how it is all tucked away in the Andes mountains. Some local children were there with llamas hoping to get a tip for photos. It also started raining, thundering and lightning. It was neat from that high view because you could see the bolts of lightning all over the city.We returned to the Tranvia and drove past the famous ancient Incan ruins known as Sacsayhuamán. It appears to be just many giant stones, but it really was a community fortress
built in 1100 AD. If you read the title out loud it sounds hilariously like the English words "sexy woman". When the guides would be speaking rapid Spanish and then mention the name of the ruins you can't help but laugh a little. It is interesting to know that the stones are so close together a single piece of paper won't fit between them. According to my guide book, "This precision, and the way the walls lean inward, is thought to have helped the ruins survive devastating earthquakes." When the Spanish came they took many of the stones from the ancient structure and used it to build Catholic churches in Cuzco. How kind of them again! This is why the walls are in perfect 
condition up to a certain height, and then messed up above that point. It also has an extensive system of underground passages that connect it to other nearby ruins. We had thought about doing a half day trip to the ruin but we were glad we just drove past. It was definitely interesting and historically important, but it wasn't enough to occupy us for that long.The Tranvia took us on a narrow windy road back down to the Plaza. I was feeling better by this point and felt like I could try to eat something. The only thing that would be quick and bland was sadly, McDonald's. Hilariously, there was one in the main square. I felt like a horrible person for going there and ruining the cultural immersion experience, but I was sick and really hungry and it seemed like the best option. John cringed at the thought but he patiently sat with me while I scarfed down my meal- which shockingly was the most expensive meal I bought on the trip thus far (even though it was the worst and least amount of food). On our way back to the hostel we decided to check in on our laundry again. The
store worker told me that they had forgotten to start our wash, and it was because the laundry people didn't show up since they had been out partying last night (if only that excuse would fly in American companies! It would be awesome!) I told him, in Spanish, that we absolutely needed our laundry tonight and that we had brought it in about 30 hours ago, and that was plenty of time to get our clothes back to us. He told me that our clothes were at the laundry place their store used but that it had closed, so he had no way to access our clothes that night. I had a slight freak out moment because I figured something like this would happen, and John and I had a flight out of Cuzco very early the next morning. I started getting flustered, and a little angry. I explained our situation and started being a bit snippy with him, saying that it was not my fault they did not do their job properly, that he needed to find someone who would get our clothes tonight, and that we could pick it up later (the place was supposedly a 24 hour laundry service!). I think he got a little scared because he kept apologizing over and over. He wasn't solving the issue though. Finally I just laid it out straight to him. I said if he didn't bring it to our hostel by 6am the next morning there would be a major problem. I think I successfully scared him into doing his job. He got our names and the name of our hostel, and he promised that they would have someone run it there early in the morning. I didn't entirely believe him, but I hoped for the best. Then, back at the hostel, we gave money to the front desk for the laundry people when they were supposedly going to come tomorrow. We then met with the on-staff travel consultant who sold us bus tickets from Cuzco to Puno that we will be using once we get back from our rainforest trip!After taking care of all the chores we decided to just take it easy in the hostel. We both got on the internet for a little bit and sent out some emails to the friends and family. Then we set out into the streets of Cuzco to search for a place for dinner. I think John took pity on me being sick and worked up about the laundry issue and so allowed me to pick a restaurant. I picked a "chain" called Chez Maggy because they had calzones on the menu and that sounded delicious to me. They had hospitable and quick service, a new experience for Peru! I felt fine when I initially sat down, but then the illness came back, evil thing that it is. I ordered my calzone and then I was only able to eat a few bites. John had finished his meal, and then I ran into the back room. It was not fun. It was awful. I was so mad that I was still sick. I thought it was getting better, but no. We went back to the hostel and I went to bed, but could barely sleep the whole night since my stomach hurt so bad. I slept with a little bag by my bed, which was embarrassing, and I tossed and turned miserably all night.
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