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Published: August 16th 2008
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Cusco
We have been in Cusco since arriving on Wednesday, 6 August from BA. The first two to three days were cold and rainy, and we generally acclimatised to the high altitude by chilling and having lots of coca tea.
For us, Cusco is the most amazing place in the world at the moment. But reserve judgement from us, as we have not been everywhere in the world... yet.
Cusco is a mix of Inca ruins and old Spanish colonial buildings, with narrow cobblestone streets, lively cafes and a bustling vibe. We really think that anyone would fall in love with Cusco after being here for a while. The vibe is just magic.
We are and have been staying at Casa de la Gringa in San Blas for our time in Cusco, which is a very cosy and friendly hostel, run by an ex-South African named Lesley.
We went to the Cusco market, which is an eclectic mix of local products, produce and crafts. We had amazing fresh juice for almost nothing. We did not get to go to the market or the district in which the market is on our previous trip to Cusco, so
it was great.
On Sunday, we spent the day up in the mountains at Lesley's mountain home. It's a very beautiful space, right next to the old Incan Temple of the Moon. The Incas used this space for religious purposes (hence the name) and for offerings to their deities, the sun and the moon. It is a little cave in a hill, with many ruins next to the hill that pre-date the Incas. Apparently the temple itself was also made before the Incas started building their empire.
The mountains and valleys surrounding this temple are astoundingly beautiful. Our photos cannot do justice to how it really looks, one just has to be there to appreciate the magic of the Andes.
We went horse riding in the mountains the next day, which was also very cool. The horses where quite lazy, though; I had to be really enthusiastic with my horse to get it to even do a slow trot. There was absolutely no chance for a nice gallop. LM's horse was a little difficult at some point and kicked the guide's horse while we were riding alongside a cliff.
We went out one evening with a
bunch of people we met at Casa de la Gringa. Another South African woman, Kim, who has been living in London the past six years. Simon, who is Lesley's son, an Australian named Hans, two Scots (their names escape us now) and an American from Colorado named Roberto. We spent the night out at Mandelas, which Lesley used to own. Mandelas is a lovely bar/restaurant with a nice deck overlooking Cusco. We had a few too many Cuba Libre's (Rum & Cokes), but it was a great evening out. Simon, who used to run Mandelas, organised "special" Cuba Libres for everyone on their first round. These were basically a tot of coke with rum. We had to say goodbye to all these wonderful people this week as they are all moving along.
The next day we went on a tour of the Sacred Valley. This valley was sacred to the Incas as agriculture formed the entire backbone of their "economy". They did not use money, and traded primarily with produce. Metals like gold and silver were used only for decorative purposes of religious sites. The Sacred Valley is very fertile land and there are many farms there, still using
Casa de la Gringa
Communal living area irrigation systems as they were used hundreds of years ago. The Urubamba river runs through the valley and these are diverted into many small channels that run through the lands.
We first visited the Inca ruins at Pisac (the second largest citadel after Machu Picchu). The ruins are very beautiful, but the valley next to the ruins are absolutely breathtaking. Once again, photos just do not do justice to this place.
Secondly we visited Ollantaytambo, where we saw yet more Incan ruins. This was the place where the Incas took their last stand against the Spanish Conquistadors before being ultimately defeated. This piece of history is quite interesting, as the Conquistadors managed to defeat the Incas with quite a small force, as the Incas thought that the Spanish were gods, and accepted them at first. Only later they started realising that they did not have good intentions and started fighting.
This wraps up today's history lesson.
Ollantaytambo is a very charming town and a world heritage site. It is a prime example of Incan city planning, as it was pretty much left the way that they built it. The local Indians may live inside the original
houses, but they may not modify them at all.
Lastly we visited Chinchero, a small village in the mountains on the way back to Cusco. Here the indigenous people showed us how they use plants to dye their fabrics and how they weave their products. It was quite interesting.
Furthermore we have been eating very well and walking around Cusco a lot. There are two stunning restaurants here, one run by an Australian that serves a lovely tapas menu and great dishes, the other is run by a Swiss couple, serving healthy, wholesome food.
We are on our way next week to Lima, where we will organise visas for Venezuela and Colombia.
¡Adios y hasta luego!
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Ciska
non-member comment
Gorgeous
Hi, Looks stunning! Very jealous! Would rather be there than here!