llama llama

here in cusco there is a huge beautiful plaza in the center of the city called plaza de armas.  it is truly truly gorgeous, and even though i've been there several times now, i still feel my spirit lifted every time i go there.  with that said, there is a downside to plaza de armas.  tourists.  who me?  yes me.  due to the overwhelming number of tourists in the plaza, you cannot walk through without being accosted by people trying to sell you jewelry, drag you into their restaurant, get you to buy a massage, etc etc.  i'd say in the time it takes to cross the plaza, you'd be getting off pretty easy if only three or four people ask you to buy something or partake in their services.

but sometimes i just can't resist.  the other day a little girl was selling these finger puppets and when i saw that there was a llama finger puppet i just had to buy it.  i am a sucker for odd animals portrayed in toys (i have bought my niece an emu beanie baby and a coatimundi stuffed animal)

the llama only cost a sole, which is a little less that 30 cents.  so no skin off my back, really.  but when the bolshevik questioned what i would possibly do with a llama finger puppet (aside from compose this lovely photo which itself is already worth more than 30 cents) i explained that when we go to lake titicaca (he he he) we are supposed to bring little toys for the children.  see, i am weeks ahead of the game!  i have a little toy for a child!

but then, later in the week another small child asked me to buy a finger puppet, and i had to put my foot down.  i mean, i can't buy finger puppets from everyone.  it went something like this:

boy: hey lady!  want to buy a finger puppet?

me: [waving him away] no gracias.

boy: [jogging after me] why no?  buy a finger puppet!

me: [quickening my pace] no gracias.  i already have one.

boy: [still following along my side] why no?  you have ten fingers and ten toes.  why no buy more?

me: [at a loss for words at such fine logic]

and then dear blog readers, just before i was about to break down and buy another finger puppet, the boy stopped dead in his tracks as though he had run into a force field.  i've actually seen this happen with other child vendors, and then i realized something.  we had reached a corner and he was not allowed to cross the street.  but it does seem likely that by the time i leave cusco i may have a puppet for each finger, and maybe even a few toes.