Jim & Barbara Burton Travel: Cusco, Peru

Cusco

February 17, 2014, we left the Peru Star early in the morning and flew to Cusco. Cusco, at an elevation of 3,400 metres (11,200 ft) above sea level, is a city of around half a million people, in southeastern Peru. It lies in a valley of the Andes mountains and our hotel was situated in a narrow street where no vehicles could venture. It was high on a hill above the town with amazing rooftop views. Many of the streets in Cusco cannot accommodate motorised vehicles as they were purposely built to accommodate Llamas. Even a horse and cart cannot manoeuvre some of these tight spaces.

The Killke culture occupied the area from 900 - 1200 AD followed by the Incas in the 13th century. Cusco was the capital city of the Incas and was planned in the effigy of a puma, which was one of the sacred animals of these ancient cultures. It should be noted that the Inca rule was less than one hundred years, from 1438 - 1533.

Even when the sun was shining, Cusco was cool and in the evening quite chilly to say the least.

As we arrived around lunchtime, we spent the afternoon strolling around and seeing the old city, with all its magnificent buildings. We first went to a little cafe along the road from our hotel where everything was organic and delicious. After we were rejuvenated we started to walk down the hill. At the water wall in San Blas we encountered some ladies with a baby Llama taking a quick shower, fully clothed. From there we descended into the San Blas square and the Temple of San Blas. The doorway was ornately decorated and inserted with little mirrors. Next were more very narrow cobbled streets and the famous Inca wall with the even more famous stone of twelve angles.

More cobbled streets took us to the main square, the Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral of Santo Domingo. The clouds were looking ominous and the temperature was dropping quickly. The next minute the skies opened to a deluge of rain. The square was like a river. The rain was absolutely torrential. What did we expect!!!! It was the rainy season afterall. Luckily we were able to shelter under cover in one of the nice shops in the square, opposite the Cathedral.

Once the rain had stopped and we felt that it was over, we headed down the main street, Avenida el Sol to the artisans market, passing the impressive monument to Pachakutiq. Pachas were water sources in Inca times and Pachakutiq was the governor during those times after defeating the Chankas. The waterfall monument was dedicated to Pachakutiq Inka Yupanki 1438 - 1471.

We visited the artisans market with all their colourful wares (indoors) and bought a woven holdall which came in very handy, then walked back through town, back "UP" the cobbled streets, passing more ruins, beautiful courtyards and finally back to our hotel. Later that evening we went to Pachapapas restaurant and had the local speciality "Cuy" (guinea pig). It was very good, not unlike chicken but more gamey.

Before we left for the Sacred Valley the next day, we had the opportunity to visit the Plaza San Francisco......................