After leaving the boarder town of Tacna, Peru, we took an overnight bus ride in a Semi Cama to Cusco. We spent 3 days in Cusco before starting the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and 3 days post the trek (this post includes all 6 days). The first part of the visit was spent getting acclimated to the elevation change but what a beautiful colorful city Cusco is. We immediately headed to find a hostel. We had found a really unique place online (and we ended up staying there) called Niños Hotel, where your cash goes to a great cause in its efforts to help street children of Cusco. Many boys have been adopted permanently by Jolanda, the Dutch owner of the hotel. All profits from the hotel go into helping street children. they run two soup kitchens for children where everyday 300 get a free meal.
After checking in and getting our room, we headed out around town. With the elevation change (11152 ft) I could barely walk a few minutes without panting. It didn't help that the city was very hilly. Matthew was totally OK, but I had a severe headache for two days. Still, that did not stop us. We headed to Plaza De Armas to see the local art, architecture , and Cusco Cathedral. There we met Yuri, our guide for the rest of our stay in Cusco. He works at the church as a as a tour guide but offered to take us around town on private tours. It was a great option that we decided to go with. Getting away from the tourist trap (big companies, packed in basses with 50 other tourists) instead, we had a private friendly guide, who called up his friend (driver) to take us around Cusco and the sacred valley. Yuri did speak (decent to little) English , but we pretty much communicated in Spanish.
Yuri, along with his driver friend, took as all around. We had to get the tourist general ticket to have access to all the sites in the Sacred Valley (http://www.cosituc.gob.pe/tarifas.php). We pretty much visited all them all, with a few more location that were not included on the general ticket like The Salinas (Salt pools) and local indigenous family homes (where they raised guinea pigs for food) Cuy in the Quechua Language, and yes we had to eat some.
I will say, Cusco had the friendliest people, and warmest culture out of all our previous stops. We loved every part of it. Check out "some" of the many photos taken during these few days (look for captions). Stay tuned for the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu blog coming up in the next post. Enjoy :D
Cabbing it to the hotel
posing infront of one of the largest stones used to build the Inca walls
Cusco's colorful flag
Our guide Yuri prepping the Cuy (Guinea Pig)
views all around the Sacred Valley
Inside a cave where they used to offer sacrifices
Looking down onto Cusco's Plaza De Armas
Cultural Dance performances
Cusco Plaza De Armas Panorama
Restaurant Cafe and our bedroom at the Ninos Hotel
Hotel Dining area/Plaza
With an artist (I got one of her creations)
Cutest dogs all around
In front of the hotel
Political elections and their demonstrators
View from Chicha Restaurant and Drinking Chicha Morada
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicha_morada
MMMMMM Dessert at Chicha Restaurant
Locals around Cusco and the Sacred Valley
At the animal rescue Sanctuary. Near Cusco, Peru
Condor
Comianos and Condors
Sacred Valley
Guinea Pigs raised for food
Pre-Inca Maras Salt Pools
Bought the hat from these ladies
Saqsaywaman site
Last night at the Hotel with a hot dinner (curried chicken and Pumpkin soup)
Goodbye Cusco
