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We have four whole days to explore the Peruvian tourism epicentre of Cusco and we were immediately caught up in the whirlwind of its cobblestone charm. This sky-high city, sitting at 11,200 feet, has a 'high' possibility to leave you breathless from both altitude and awe — it is undoubtedly the most picturesque part of Peru I think we have seen.
We are told Cusco was once the heart of the Inca empire and today is the gateway to Machu Picchu. With Cusco as our base for the Inca Trail our time is however being taken up by pre trek administration and acclimatization. There were sleeping bags to be rented, knock-off North Faces to be purchased, altitude sickness tablets to purchase, tickets to be printed, snacks to be gathered, and trek meetings to be attended (tonight at 6:30!!) Between errands, we managed to sneak in some exploring, market bartering and a pre Inca nerve calming hot chocolate treat in a chocolate shop in the centre. Being able to say we start the Inca Trail TOMORROW is beginning to make me anxious/nervous/excited, so, I wonder if I am in for a tough going four days, we shall find out, on the flip side we are eager for the hiking challenge.
Like all cities in Peru, life in Cusco revolves around the Plaza del Armas. Here, local teenagers canoodle on benches, friends pose for photos, tourists look cross eyed at maps, and millions of touts assault passersby with everything from tacky paintings to Machu Picchu tours to cheap massages.
The city is a mix of Inca and Spanish influences. In the 1950's, a massive earthquake hit the city and many Spanish buildings crumbled, revealing sturdy Inca walls beneath them.
Wandering down the alleys leading off the Plaza, we found it hard to scrutinize between traditionally dressed locals purely going about their business and traditionally dressed locals hoping to pose for photos in exchange for a few coins. One dead giveaway to the latter — dressed baby llamas or sheep tucked under the arm.
As soon as I saw the cosy Llamas/sheep, im going to go with sheep??, the deal was made. Two traditionally dressed locals with cute little sheep-wearing hair bands!!!- tucking under their arms and a young lad posed/stood for a quick photo. Although, they couldn't grab the money and get away quick enough and were somewhat reluctant to smile but never mind.
- comments
Jody Exciting! This is going to be one amazing experience although cannot believe it's come round so quick. It's great how you can both relax a little and take in the atmosphere of the city before the trip begins although sounds like there are plenty of essentials needed to organise too and I'm not on about the hot chocolate although might be a great bonus. Great photo. Slightly worried that if Grandad David still had sheep you'd be dressing lambs in little outfits this Spring xx
l/m you really are a good writer and we lookm forward to your blogs.what some wonderful places you have seen and this is one place i would love to have seen.