The Charm Of Cusco...

Il 10-13 aprile

Cusco, Peru

At an altitude of approximately 11,000 feet, this city in southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes Mountains, is best visited towards the end of one's trip as time in the Sacred Valley and at Machu Picchu (about 8,000 feet unless one is hiking the full Inca Trail) will have given one a chance to adjust to the altitude. The site of the historic capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco (also spelled Cuzco) is considered the Historical Capital of Peru and  was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO.

The capital of the Inca Empire from the 13^th century until 1533 with the arrival of the Spanish and their subsequent invasion was constructed according to a definite plan, although my research indicates that how it was built or how its stones were quarried is not fully known. The Spanish used the city as a center for its colonization and the spread of Christianity in the Andean world and built many of their churches and convents on the massive stone walls built by the Inca. Today, it's a lively city with traffic, hustle and bustle amid Incan walls and narrow cobble-stoned streets.

The indigenous people of the Kilke culture inhabited the city before the Incas and built the walled complex of Saqsayhuaman, a fortress simply remarkable for its construction; let alone in its  setting of natural beauty and rolling hills.

                                 

                               

                               

                               

                              
                           
                               

                               

Although the Spanish explorer, Pizarro destroyed much of the city in 1535, the curved outer wall and partial remains of Koricancha (Qurikancha), the Temple of the Sun, decorated with gold and precious stones, survived; the Spanish, who plundered the city with the goal of ridding it of “wealth, idolaters, and shrines” built the Convent of Santo Domingo over the temple's foundation.

  

The Plaza de Armas (“Square of the Warrior” in the Inca era) is a lovely main square surrounded by Spanish stone arcades and full of tree and flower-lined pathways; a charming spot to sit and enjoy the surroundings.

 Our three days in this historical setting were nonstop with history, culture, local customs, and food; a healing session with a shaman and a visit to the cemetery, the food market with its sites, scents, and tastes, a cooking demonstration, and a "Cusco By Night" tour followed by a show of song and dance. And, of course, a visit to Cusco would not be complete without a visit to Ilaria, a well-known silver shop in Peru and offering a “glorious” selection of “baubles, bangles, and beads.” A grand time was had!