Contents
Mostly true stories by a gringo who has had an ongoing love
affair with the town for 28 years. Laced throughout with interesting
and little-known tidbits of Inca history, as well as views of contemporary
and ancient Cusco culture.
1. Introduction.........................................Cusco,
Navel of the World
2. The Stone Wheel of Kachiqhata........A hair-raising and nearly disasterous
quest
3. El Loro.................................................The Parrot...and
the problem
4. The Balcony........................................Contemplating
the Navel
5. Flaco....................................................The woefully
inept drug-dealer
6. Popcorn Boy........................................Entrepreneural
Cusco
7. Wilfredo...............................................The barman
and his very pregnant wife
8. Happy Hour.........................................Risking a horrible
death in Cusco traffic to get there on time
9. The Professor......................................A physicist rants
against new-age crystal-gazers
10. The Wedding........................................Irish-Catholic, held
in an ancient cathedral, but hardly orthodox
11. Atlantis.................................................The mysterious
Cusco link. By a defrocked Archaeologist
12. Trucking to La Paz with Mad Max.....Brave and crazed blockade-running
13. Christmas in Cusco..............................Only two days to shop,
and watch where you step
14. On becoming a Cusco Guru.................Fantasies of free sex and fabulous
wealth
15. Paruro...................................................On first eating
a guinea-pig in the presence of its parents and siblings
16. El Senor de Los Temblores.................Ecstasy....not the drug
17. Brichera................................................Caveat Suitor
18. The things I lost...................................Embarassing admissions