Cusco, Peruvian Andes


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South America » Peru
November 15th 2015
Published: June 22nd 2017
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Hotel AranwaHotel AranwaHotel Aranwa

The hotel is a heritage-listed, 400 year-old converted mansion. It boasts an "intelligent oxygen" system that introduces oxygen to the room to counter the effects of altitude. I'm not convinced that it's not simply marketing - the effects are imperceptible. Our heritage room is windowless (yikes!) but the bathroom is the most modern opulence we have seen in a hotel bathroom.
Geo: -13.52, -71.99

LAN 767-300 to Lima, then a three-hour connection for a LAN A320 to Cusco, landing at 1535 (two hours behind Argentina). Cusco's elevation is 3,400m (11,150ft) so we'll need to adjust to the altitude. Machu Picchu is at 8,000ft and Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, is the highest at 12,500ft. Cusco was the Incan capital until conquered and plundered by Pizzaro in the 1530s. Today the population is a little under 450,000 and Cusco is recognised as Peru's Historical Capital.

It was rainy and bleak on Sat. We borrowed umbrellas from the hotel and walked around the shops and had a happy hour Pisco Sour cocktail. After a light room-service snack we went to bed early and wrestled to adjust with the two-hour time difference.

On Sun we had a quiet morning of acclimatising and a city tour in the afternoon.


Additional photos below
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Street foodStreet food
Street food

Guinea pigs used to be an Incan delicacy but are now routinely eaten. We passed! On Sundays there are all sorts of activities in the plazas: street vendors, acrobats, marching bands, weddings and various groups of unknown purpose. It was lively and fun.
Plaza de ArmasPlaza de Armas
Plaza de Armas

This plaza was the main city square in Incan times. The Spaniards demolished most of the Incan buildings and rebuilt (churches, often) on the foundations.
Layered buildingsLayered buildings
Layered buildings

A massive Incan temple complex was here. Their masonry was much superior to the Spanish and they used no mortar, just stone mortise and tenon joints. The Spanish used mortar and mostly recycled Incan stones in their buildings. Incan roofs were thatched so they didn't last long.
Lightning TempleLightning Temple
Lightning Temple

Underneath the Catholic buildings in the previous photo were a number of Incan temples. The massive earthquakes of 1650 and 1950 stripped away some of the Spanish superstructure, and in the recent more enlightened times, the Incan structures were restored. Oddly, Incans built in trapezoids, not squares or rectangles. Even the walls were not built vertical.
Incan water pointIncan water point
Incan water point

This structure was built on top of a spring over 600 years ago. It still delivers water for local use.


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