City Tour

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Went on a tour of Cusco and surrounding area today on a proper tourist bus with English-speaking guide. First stop: the Cathedral, where we saw the famous Christ statue that is credited with ending a huge earthquake in the city (weren´t allowed to take photos inside). Second Stop: Qoricancha, where we saw original Incan walls of a temple that had been partially destroyed by the Spanish invaders building on top of it. Then drove outside of Cusco, up to 3700metres, to see four archeological sites. They brought us back via a clothing factory where they explained how to distinguish real alpaca wool from fake versions. Chatted to three of the women on the tour - two sisters from South Africa and an engineer from Scotland called Ally, who we´ll see again tomorrow when we go to the Sacred Valley.

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Photos

stone
they bore holes in the rock and filled it with water in the winter so that when it turned to ice and expanded, the stone would be weaked and easier to break (in the summer they used wood, which also expands when wet with water)

maria and ally
note no cement used for the walls

Q´engo
meaning zigzag because of the patterns in the stone

saqsaywaman
tooth-like three-tiered stone structure. Heaviest stone is 125 cubic tonnes. There is also an 11-sided stone

Comments

[Kate]

You look unfeasibly gorgeous in that photo on the hill. Incas are amazing, I am so jealous. Miss you xx

[Vas]

Hey Maeve!
Glad to see that you're having fun on elective! Ian and I have gotten used to having cold showers - can't remember the last time I had a warm one! Your ward sounds quite similar to the ones here in Tanzania, though we quite often have patients on the floor as well, and about 20 medical students on one ward round! Love, Vas x

[Miguel]

Ditto
Yes, you do look unfeasibly gorgeous. come back! quickly.