The Zoo

As part of my language and cultural immersion, today I was taken to the zoo. It is a small zoo at the University of Cusco.  There were several species native to Peru, especially a species of condor.  They are absolutely huge birds. There were many different birds, monkeys, white tailed deer, an ostrich, ocelots, foxes which are larger than ours and brown/grey in colour, spectacled bears, a species of pig with a razor back, and 2 panthers.  The panther is a sacred animal in the Inca culture. It would appear that the animals are well looked after as all the birds go into a different enclosure for the night to protect them from the cold, but it is not well maintained. If you have been checking out the weather forecasts for Cusco, you might have seen that the forecast was for rain and cool temperatures every day. Not even close! It hasn't rained since a last Thursday when there was a quick shower. Most days it is hot during the day, around twenty to twenty five degrees, and the temperature starts to drop around four pm. It is cold enough at night that you can wear a winter jacket. This makes dressing in Cusco a challenge, as you can wear shorts and short sleeves during the day and heavy clothes at night. Most people here seem to cover up and wear jackets and sweaters all the time. Re. the comment section: if you are having trouble posting comments, just send me an email. I love mail! Chau.