I arrived back from a 5 day trek yesterday and have a few posts to catch up on. This one is from Friday, my last day in Cusco before leaving for the Salkantay. So again I’m being naughty and departing from my running theme. Unofficially I’m extending the theme to exercise in general, but  rosagentlyexercisingaway  doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.

Last Friday, the first sunny afternoon there had been in Cusco since I had arrived, I bumped into some guys from my hostel at the Plaza del Armas. They had been chatting to some local artists, who sell traditional paintings to tourists around the city. The painters meet every Friday afternoon to play football for a few soles and a bit of fun, and had invited the guys from the hostel to play against them. I declined their offer to join team gringo, but happily agreed to go along and be the official photographer for the afternoon. After a short taxi ride up from the Plaza we arrived up at the football pitch, a small concrete yard nestled in the favela-style houses of the locals which sprawl up the hills above the city. The views from the spot made it a pretty special place for a casual game of footy.

The football kicked off and team gringo started off well, despite the high temperature and altitude. I had some fun snapping some action shots of the first game from the rocks above the pitch.

When the ball got kicked over into one of the surrounding houses, it was retrieved by a painter who found another ball presumably lost on another Friday afternoon. The spare ball was given to the kids who were watching the game and they invited me to play with them. Just next to the pitch was a disused swimming pool, which became the kids’ (and Rosa’s) pitch for the afternoon. The pool was littered with broken glass and empty bottles but despite taking a fair few tumbles, the kids gave our little game their best efforts. And so did I!

Cusco’s altitude was still affecting my aerobic abilities, but I had such a great time playing with these local kids. It certainly highlighted my need to improve my Spanish skills, but also showed me how leaving the beaten track and meeting the locals can be one of the best things to do in an unfamiliar place. I hope to do this a lot more on my travels! I asked Bill, Rafael and Liseth for a photo before they had to head home for tea, they certainly have their cool poses perfected:

After a great afternoon the scores were in, Rosa and Bill beat Rafael and Liseth 8-5 and team gringo had won their first game and lost their second. A mint day in Cusco topped off with a curry and a few drinks before I hit the hay, ready for the impending trek. The best day of my travels so far.