We got home quite late to our hotel after we spent a long day at Machu Picchu. We checked in at Hotel Abittare (more details about our stay will be written). We had a very tiring day of exploring and traveling, so we opted to start our day in Cusco quite late. I worked on publishing my MP blog entry, while Nancy went upstairs to the 3rd floor and had breakfast.
We spent our Saturday with our 1pm tour group (around 10 of us). Our fearless tour guide was Manuel, and he guided us through the different churches filled rich history. It was a combination of visiting Sagrada Familia, Iglesia el Triunfo, and Catedral del Cusco. Pictures weren’t allowed during the visit.
We also went to Iglesia del Santo Domingo and saw the original architecture dating back in the 1400s. We also saw the Jardin Sagrado where an earthquake claimed many of the houses, and the remaining rubbles stayed as part of the garden.
To be honest, just walking around these churches was quite taxing. Cusco, known for its high elevation, and the buildings around Cusco weren’t exactly on a flat surface. We found ourselves taking little breaks from all the walking and climbing.
For the rest of our tour, Manuel took us to many different ruins just outside Cusco – Tambomachay, Puka Pukara, Q’enqo, and Saqsayhuaman. It was one historical place after another, each giving us a sense of craftsmanship of the time. We were able to chat with a few other tour group members from California and India. It’s always so interesting to meet new people, and how traveling somehow binds all of us in search of that ever-growing need to be enlightened.
Cusco, you’re cold
Well, weather-wise, Cusco can be cold. For this time of year, we had a mixture of sun where all I needed was just a plain t-shirt, and then all of a sudden, it was chilly. I was prepared with my North Face windbreaker along with my North Face black jacket, and even wearing those weren’t enough. I wish I had brought with me a scarf and a beanie.
Restaurante Apu Koricancha
Let’s get out of Cusco Sunday
Moray
Moray is an archaeological site in Peru approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) northwest of Cuzco on a high plateau at about 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) and just west of the village of Maras. The site contains unusual Inca ruins, mostly consisting of several terraced circular depressions, the largest of which is approximately 30 m (98 ft) deep. As with many other Inca sites, it also has an irrigation system (Info from Wikipedia)
Salinas de Maras (salt mine)
Chinchero
Chinchero is a small Andean Indian village located high up on the windswept plains of Anta at 3765m about 30km from Cusco. There are beautiful views overlooking the Sacred Valley of the Incas, with the Cordillera Vilcabamba and the snow-capped peak of Salkantay dominating the western horizon. Chinchero is believed to be the mythical birthplace of the rainbow (Source – andeantravelweb.com)
Visiting Inca Design Village
