L O O K I N G T O G E T L O S T: Mercado Central in Cusco

Much of South America seems to be a land of backwards living and logic. It is a place where milk is kept in the cupboard and doesn't expire for two months. Eggs are kept unrefrigerated next to the cash register and can be purchased individually. Toilet paper is thrown not in the toilet, but in a small garbage next to the toilet. Because apparently they can handle massive turds, but not single-ply toilet tissue. Lawnmowers are minimally used because an old woman with 10-20 sheep comes around and keeps the grass at a perfectly manageable length. Typically, the cheaper the food, the more you get. So anybody who says the US has obnoxiously big portions has never been anywhere in South America. Depending on the city and country, $3 can get you a one pound steak, half a pound of rice, potatoes, salad and vegetables (quality not guaranteed). In the mercados (markets) large chunks of meat, fish and everything else you can imagine, sit out all day being attacked by flies and nibbled on by sneaky stray dogs. Safety and health standards in many aspects of life are largely ignored (dependent upon the area of course). It doesn't matter how many people should fit on a bus, they will fit as many as physically possible. The bus may sag, creak and groan and max out at 50 km/hr and it may even break down. Yet, at $2 for a 5 hour bus ride you really can't complain. One might assume there would be a bathroom on a 24 hour bus ride along dirt roads. But no, not in Bolivia. You'll be lucky if it stops once or twice so you can go on the side of the street. This is South America, and it is awesome, even if sometimes inconvenient.

Mercados are the lifeblood of practically every city and town in most South American countries. They are cheap and offer a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, grains and everything else you can imagine. Sure, the US has markets, but they aren't quite the same and they don't seem to be nearly as popular. The mercado in Cusco was one of the bigger and more interesting ones I have come across. It's broken down into sections for meat, fish, pork, vegetables etc. There are piles of every piece of every regional animal you could imagine from the intestines and testicles to entire heads. The smells may nauseate and the sights may be even worse. Yet, if seeing how locals purchase their food interests you this is a not to be missed experience.

Warning! If butchered animals and their insides aren't something you want to see I suggest not viewing the below images.