Friday photo – the lady at McDonalds in Cusco – in Peru
January 30, 2009 by HeatherCowper
This is the lady that my friend Joanne saw in the main square in Cuzco. She was sitting on the steps outside McDonalds begging from those who came out having got their fast food fix. I think she has a lovely dignified face, don’t you?
I found there’s a campaign on Facebook and on Youtube to keep McDonald’s out of one of the most historic squares of the old Inca capital of Cusco. Read about it in the news here and here. what do you think? Do you eat at fast food chains when travelling?
See all the other Friday photos over at Delicious Baby here
Related Posts
A grown up backpacker at Machu Picchu
Meeting Margariette in Lima
Defending the rainforest in Ecuador
See more of Joanne’s photos on Flickr here
www.flickr.com
|
Don’t miss out – get all my articles through your reader
 |
soultravelers3@hotmail.com on Fri, 30th Jan 2009 8:07 am
Sometimes,Micky Dees, is the only place that we can find free wifi, so we definitely stop in those cases. It it was up to me I would just buy a drink or coffee for hubs, but with kidlet we often succumb to more.
Lovely picture!
When I went to USSR in 1988, the trip was so rough & I remember being one of the grateful 100 peace participants on the trip, totally thrilled to find a Macdonald’s there.
Peter Carey on Fri, 30th Jan 2009 3:36 pm
Heather, great shot. I’m confused about the campaign as there already is a McD’s in the main square. Are they trying to get it removed?
Debbie Dubrow on Fri, 30th Jan 2009 4:51 pm
What a lovely shot! We try not to eat fast food when we travel – I’d much rather have local food. Every once in a while we find ourselves in a pinch (everything’s closed, etc) or with a craving (milkshakes in Japan) but when there are so many new foods to savor, wasting a meal on McDonalds seems like, well, a waste.
Angela Nickerson on Fri, 30th Jan 2009 5:49 pm
I love the reflection of the church in the window behind her. As for McDonald’s… the one across the piazza from the Pantheon grieves my soul every time I see it (though I have used the bathroom there more than once).
Motherofalltrips on Fri, 30th Jan 2009 9:35 pm
Such brilliant colors she is wearing! She looks resigned to me.
I don’t eat at McDonald’s in my own hometown let alone on the road, much to my childrens’ chagrin. I used to rely on them and then I read Fast Food Nation. So much for that.
Jen on Fri, 30th Jan 2009 11:53 pm
We try to avoid fast food while on vacation eating at local restaurants that we can’t get at home (even on our road trips…we pack lunches if we can) and at home we try to support mom and pop restaurants…that being said my children ate chicken nuggets at McDonald’s in three different countries on our last trip.
Dominique on Sat, 31st Jan 2009 1:10 am
I love the colors in this photo as well…beautiful.
Last time I remember being in a Micky Ds was a year or so back when we were on the road and needed a couple of bottles of water for a hike (we’d forgotten our water bottle back home). We didn’t see any convenience stores or grocery stores where we were, and I knew Micky Ds carried bottled water, so we went in and ordered two bottles of water. You should have seen the clerk’s face when we said ‘no’ after being asked if we wanted anything else. She couldn’t believe someone would go in to the place for just water. I’m not much for buying bottled water either, but we were in a bind that day for it…
jen laceda on Sat, 31st Jan 2009 5:27 am
if it were just up to me…no fastfood. but i have a husband and little girl who like the occasional KFC.
jen laceda on Sat, 31st Jan 2009 5:29 am
great photo, by the way. i love how the cathedral is reflected on the glass door behind the peruvian lady. i love her hat as well!
Barbara on Mon, 2nd Feb 2009 2:38 am
Peter — yes, the group’s name is confusing. I believe that they are trying to draw awareness now to the KFC and Starbucks that plan to move into the plaza de armas. Originally, the group rallied around the McD’s invasion, but that effort didn’t stop the hamburger chain from moving it, so the group just kept up with the other chains’ efforts.
My opposition to Starbucks in particular moving there is that the coffee chain will outst Cafe Ayllu, one of the oldest and most traditional coffee houses in Cusco. The Ayllu was an important meeting place for members of the indigenista movement in Cuzco, and played a vital role in affirming the value of Andean culture. What a terrible irony that the Ayllu — a symbol of cultural pride — would be replaced by the epitome of American corporate business interests.
Ah, but I know that these concerns probably don’t matter much to U.S. tourists in Cusco, many of whom are suffering from the disorienting effects of high alititude and are craving a bit of “normalcy” from home!
Jon on Thu, 5th Feb 2009 6:06 pm
It’s a great photo of that woman. And no, I never eat American fast food when traveling. Though I might pick up some local street food, but never American fast food.
Personally I think that McDonalds, Starbucks, KFC, and all the other American chains should be banned from all historical areas. I mean really now, do we need a McDonald’s across the street from the Colosseum in Rome or next-door to the Taj Mahal?
Olga on Tue, 10th Feb 2009 2:06 am
I have to admit, I’ve been to McDonalds in different countries just to see what the menu is like. To be fair, though, I did work at the esteemed Golden Arches as a teenager for four years; as an alumnus, I feel almost obligated to see (and if it’s interesting enough, taste) the difference!
admin on Tue, 10th Feb 2009 8:18 am
I have to admit there are a lot of places I’d eat before Macdonalds, but I guess if I were desperate for some familiar food and too tired to seek out somewhere else, or travelling with my kids I might be tempted occasionally.
But if we all try and use the local cafes, then they wouldn’t be pushed out of the prime spots by the big boys.
Joanne’s cycle tour of Lima - in Peru : Heather on her travels on Sun, 15th Feb 2009 11:14 pm
[...] Related Posts A grown-up backpacker at Machu Picchu Meeting Margariette in Lima The lady at Mcdonalds at Cusco in Peru [...]
Christmas dancers in Cusco - in Peru : Heather on her travels on Wed, 18th Feb 2009 7:29 am
[...] related posts The lady at Macdonalds in Cusco A grown-up backpacker at Machu Picchu Joanne’s cycle tour of [...]
Gloria on Thu, 9th Apr 2009 9:44 pm
The picture is truly beautiful, the bright colors are a very significant ingredient of the andean culture. However I must clarify Cuzco was never part of the Aztec Culture, the aztecs were in Mexico and didn´t even come close to Venezuela, let alone, Cuzco.
Cuzco was the capital of the Incas´ Empire who extended up to Colombia and Ecuator to the north and Chile, Bolivia and Nortwestern territory of Argentina to the south, it was actually the most extensive territory an american empire ever had in the Pre-hispanic world.
Having said that, I hardly ever eat on a Mc Donalds when traveling, why doing so, when what I want is to get to know the culture, tradition, flavours and so forth..
James Byrne on Sat, 23rd May 2009 3:13 pm
A MacDonald’s at the Plaza de Armas in Cuzco Peru???
SACRILEGE!!!