Cusco, Capital of the Inca Empire

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I was woken up before 0600hr this morning by a symphony of sounds from a variety of birds, some of which sound electronic, as well as the gutteral and throat-clearing sounds of nearby howler monkeys.

Shortly after breakfast we made the long canoe+bus ride back to Puerto Maldonado. On the one hand I was happy to get out of the stiffling jungle heat, but on the other hand I think I would miss the tranquility and serenity (even though many things happen behind the scenes in the jungle).

A short flight later we were back in Cusco. Many, if not all, Peruvian cities have a central square, Plaza de Armas, and our hotel was only a short walk away. The streets are extremely narrow in most places, only wide enough for a single vehicle. Needless to say most drivers have no patience so in addition to sucking in diesel fumes we are forced to listen to incessant honking.

We were told to have a light meal and take it easy the first day to more easily get acclimitized. However, our first meal was rather generous portion of chicken with humongous kernels of corn. Of course, there was cocoa tea to follow, for me anyway. The weather here was a welcoming change compared to the jungle, much drier and cooler, and I needed a fleece for the evening.

I didn't feel like taking it easy so I went for a walk to the main square to cehck out the Cathedral with 2 other people. The cathedral was constructed with rocks from the nearby Inca ruin, Saqsaywaman, or to the gringos, ¨sexywoman¨. We wandered around the church for a bit and then sat down for a recital. The one thing that stood out about churches in Peru is the use of mirrors, which I didn´t think I noticed in churches in Europe. The organ player was mediocre at best, and the notes were off several times.

Before we left the hotel, we were hounded by this boy selling postcards. I was cold-hearted enough to ignore him, but someone in the group felt guilty turning down the boy so she became a prime target. We thought he would go elsewhere after we entered the cathedral, but lo and behold, there was the boy as we turned the corner after visiting the cathedral. He wanted 40 soles for 6 postcards, but lucky for us we found out that most places sell a postcard for 1 sol. He did eventually agreed to 6 for 6 soles but wanted commission for supposedly showing us around. Í didn't buy any but someone else did. She also gave in to a shoe-shine person while picking out the postcards. Later that evening she also bought a finger puppet from another little girl. I joked that I should walk around Cusco with her the rest of the time so I won´t get hassled.

I've heard that altitude sickness is an idiosyncratic reaction and usually happens to fit and healthy young men. But I felt great before going to sleep that night, perhaps the cocoa tea is working?

lessons of the day: everyone is out to rip you off until proven otherwise and you are a sucker if you don´t bargain

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Photos

Cusco
cathedral

Cusco-2
Plaza de Armas