Cusco is an interesting city….It’s population has nearly doubled over the last decade (think about that mind boggling stat for a second) and boasts a beautiful historic city center, emanating from the Plaza de Armas, where many prominent Incas were executed by the Conquistadores in the 1500’s. But it’s the the commerce-driven outskirts that truly represent the sprawl of Cusco. When i say “commerce-driven”, what i really mean, is that people are selling EVERYTHING, often times aggressively and there is no better example of this commercial cesspool than the Baratio market on Saturday mornings.

Thousands of vendors line narrow streets, up and down hills with everything from textiles and jewelry to auto parts, toys and food…lots and lots of food. Everything is squeezed together and these vendors have some of the most random items for sale you could ever imagine. I spent a fine little Saturday morning at the Baratio tagging along with some friends buying household items while i looked for gifts and souvenirs. But at every corner, there were amusing items skewed from weird to weirder. Here’s a list of 7 that stood out:

7. A remote control for every TV I’ve ever owned:

6. This fax machine:

5. This hat that says “I Love Haters”:

4. Drew Barrymore in Never Been Kissed….in Spanish….on VHS:

3. Freaky dolls…Lots of freaky dolls:

2. A down jacket on an inappropriate mannequin:

1. Finally, my favorite…A gooey donkey head: