Cuzco Cusco Qosqo

After spending 8 days in the mountains, in the jungle and on the seas respectively, I am really behind time with updating my blog (understandably there was next to no wifi in these remote areas). Let us rewind to 12 October when I went to Cuzco, Peru.

A brief history of Inca and Cuzco

The Incas (like the Romans) was one of the world's great civilisation. They were known to be highly organised, using large armies of soldiers and people and leaving behind legacies of huge agriculture and building projects.  They observed and respected nature - the stars, the river and the mountains.

Cuzco, 3399m above sea level, was the geographical and spiritual capital of the Incas (1400 - 1532). A fortress, Sacsayhuamán (“satisfied hawk” in Quechua, the Inca language), was built on a hill to protect Cuzco from the enemies. Away from Cuzco, the Incas demonstrated their organisation and architectural superiority through mysterious cities such as Machu Picchu, Choquequirao that were built for the kings' retreats. (Source: www.visitperu.com)

In a period of less than 100 years, the Incas expanded from Peru to modern day Bolivia, Ecuador, Columbia, Argentina and Chile. Remarkably, this was done with spoken Quechua, diplomacy and little force and without the use of a written language. (Source: www.adventurespecialists.org) Vital to the Inca expansion was the construction of thousands of kilometres of roads that maintained networks with Cuzco.

A sudden spread of small pox and other diseases, the sudden death of the Inca king Huayna Capac resulting in a feud between his 2 sons for the throne and the arrival of the Spanish led to the eventual demise of the Inca kingdom and Spanish colonisation from 1532 to 1821. 

Cathedral at Plaza de Armas

The Spanish brought with them, their language, European art, culture and Catholicism. Unfortunately, they also destroyed many of the Inca temples and properties and built their churches over these sites. Sites like Sacsayhuamán was also not spared - it was used as a quarry to provide stone for colonial buildings due to the fact that it was close to Cuzco.

What is remained of Sacsayhuamán

Church procession in Cuzco 

Present day Cuzco

The present day Cuzco is a tourist hub for those who want to visit the archaeological sites in the sacred valley, salt flats and most importantly, Machu Picchu. Needless to say, there are many hotels in the city and even more laundry shops and expensive restaurants. Spanish is the main spoken language and many hotel and restaurant operators also speak English. There are very few people in the traditional costumes and some of them will demand money if one wants to take a picture of them and/or their llama. 

How I got to Cuzco

Most would have arrive at Cuzco on a plane from Lima (most cities in Peru are connected via Lima), a bus from nearby cities or on the Andean Explorer, a tourist train from Puno.

I took a tourist bus from Puno to Cuzco, on which I saw my first snow-capped mountain in Peru (La Raya, 4335m), archaeological sites (Pukara and Raqchi) and one of the sources of Amazon River (Urubamba River). The bus ride was very comfortable and took about 10 hours (inclusive of lunch and sight-seeing).

La Raya pass

Human sacrifices evidenced in Pukara,
where statues with decapitated head
and dagger were found

Remains of Inca temple at Raqchi

My Cuzco

From what I saw on the bus trip into the city, I had rather low expectations of the Cuzco town centre. However, when I first walked into main square, Plaza de Armas, I was pleasantly surprised by the lights in the square and on the hills (one must understand, I have adapted to the dim/ lack of lights in Puno and Lake Titicaca). It was pretty.

Tourists are approached by sales people selling massages, crafts and restaurants but they are not pushy or threatening. With the number of policemen and tourists milling around, it felt very safe to walk about the main square at night. 

October is probably not within the high tourist season. Accommodation (ranging from basic hostels to high-end hotels) are therefore fairly easily available. 

Food-wise, most restaurants are expensive. My favourite 'restaurants' are found in the San Pedro market. The market is organised into sections such as crafts, clothes, home wares, raw food (vegetables, fruits, meat) and cooked food (rice, juice and dessert).

In the cooked food section, customers sit like packed sardines on benches in front of the stalls. Competition is stiff - in the juice section for example, there are at least 18 stalls (3 rows of 6) selling the same type of fruit juice at the same price. The more popular stalls are always crowded and would have 2 rows of benches in front of the stall (instead of just 1 row of benches). 

After having meals for at least 30 soles (about US$12) per meal, I was so happy to find this market. Needless to say, I had to join the locals at the most crowded stall. The damage for this huge bowl of pasta and drumstick in chicken soup? 3.50 soles and one can even ask for more pasta and soup at no extra cost! 

Like many, I was in Cuzco to acclimatise before my trek to Machu Picchu. I walked up the hill to Cristo Blanco and fortunately, I did not experience breathlessness nor altitude sickness. I guess the earlier acclimatisation at Puno had helped.

Cristo Blanco, a gift from Palestinians

View from Cristo Blanco - Cuzco city in the middle and Sacsayhuamán (terraces) on the right