I like the nightlife. I love to boogie.

Dinner at a funky little spot called Macondo (anybody? Ten points if you remembered that's the name of the village in A Hundred Years of Solitude) where I had an alpaca mignon that was so good I'm literally writing home about it.

Then I headed out to the Plaza to look for a little Saturday night action. The streets really weren't as jumping as I had been led to believe they would be, and consequently I stuck out (even more than usual) and was an easy target for all manner of street vendors. "Shine your shoes, meester? You sure? They look pretty dirty!" "Amigo, amigo, remember me? Pablo Picasso! Buy mi paintings!" "No quieres comprar? Quieres me regalar algunas monedas?" (Don't want to buy? How about gifting me some coins?) That got old real fast, and it looked like it might rain, so I ducked into the first bar/club whose name I recognized from the guidebook, Kamikase [sic]. Apparently the reason why there wasn't any action was because 9 o'clock is way too early to start partying. (I really should have known that, I don't get started before 10 at home, and this town is much more European than LA.) This was explained to me over (many) vodka-Sprites by the bar staff (I feel too weird ordering the usual here. For one thing, you have to say "Coca Cola Light" with a Latin accent instead of "Diet Coke", and for another, I'm sure I would get way more funny looks here than I do at bars at home.) Timo and Cruz.



The place has evidently been there for years, and entertains a much more local crowd than most of the clubs on the Plaza. They serve some ridiculous drinks there, by the way. I didn't try them, but I watched Timo mix up something called Camino a la Ruina which included pisco, rum, wine, and an egg white. Road to ruin, indeed. They also served somebody a Dialysis, which is gin and beer. Ecch. I don't know which is more gross, the name or the (imagined) taste. I rocked my barstool silently for a while, knocking 'em back for a good couple of hours, until Cruz said she could tell I was getting drunk because I was looking a little colorado, with which Timo agreed and added that I was also looking chino. In case I didn't understand what she meant, she then made the universally recognizable yet wholly offensive gesture for Chinese (see Italian Olympic Basketball team photo), so I politely paid my tab (8 cocktails for $14!) and struck out for some more adventure.



Now the Plaza was a whole different world. Reflections of streetlamps sparkling from fresh rain puddles, gaggles of giggling Cusqueñas, loud music pumping from every little alley off the square, THIS is what I was looking for. I allowed myself one night out on this trip and by gum I was gonna have it!



Paid the cover at a place called Ukuku's, and caught a live reggae show.



Trust me. You haven't heard reggae until you've heard Peruvian reggae. Actually, it's pretty much the same, but all the shout-outs are in Spanish. The lead singer (#66) was exclaiming the virtues of the "robe-a-dobe estyle," to give you an idea. Danced by myself for a while (don't cry, I do it all the time) and paid MUCH more for cocktails. They got this wacky system where first you go to the cashier, look at a menu, indicate your choice and pay her, then she writes your order on this little slip of paper, which you then take over to the bartender, who reads it and makes your drink. Certainly beats competing for the bartender's attention and then screaming over the din of the crowd.



After the band finished up, the club music started playing, and that's when things really got going.



And going. When I left around 3 AM, it was showing no signs of slowing down.



You guys aren't going to believe me (I can't really believe it myself), but I actually pulled digits from TWO different chicas last night! I don't mean to brag, but that's a record for me, worldwide. Anahi is a tour guide who has promised to show me the real Cusco when I come back through after Macchu Pichu, and Milen I didn't really get a chance to talk to that much. We were dancing up a storm and then her friends were leaving. In fact, I should probably go call her right now. Talk to you chumps later!