We found a different hotel in Ayacucho Sunday morning. This one has hot water, internet and breakfast included, and is so much more comfortable than our other hotel (albeit equally more expensive). The hotel also has laundry service, so all of our basic needs have been met in one place. Once we were settled into the new hotel, Ayacucho felt like a new town to us, full of churches to see and crafts to buy!
Heather and I set out after lunch to an artisan market called Shosaku Nagase. Unfortunately, over half of the stalls were closed. We figured this was because it was Sunday, but when we went back again the next day we found the same situation. We ended up going back a third time later in the day on Monday (as suggested by the security guard). This time we were in luck and really scored on some amazing artisan goods. (Note: I’ve already started my Christmas shopping! Hoping to be done before school starts.)
By the way, I tried to look up more information on the Shosaku Nagase artisan market because it has such a Japanese sounding name. I couldn’t find anything beyond tourist information sites recommending it on the internet. There was a plaque inside the door with a Japanese flag and some information about it’s inauguration by President Fujimori, who was Japanese.
We also visited a neighborhood on the outskirts of town called Barrio Santa Ana, where there are a number of handicraft workshops that you can visit. There was one really nice place whose pieces are exhibited all over the world. Needless to say, the goods here were too expensive for us! Seeing the craftsmen at work was great though.
Other than searching out artisan goods, we’ve been wandering the streets taking in the 33 different churches in the city. See if you can count them in the panorama.
We’ve also taken a few moto taxis just for the fun of it. And found some amazing churros on the street.
Ayacucho has turned out to be, as the guide books say, quite the gem.
