Cusco

The Cathedral built on an ancient Inca temple

Ah Cusco, Cusco, Cusco ... overpriced, touristy to boot and so fortunate that Macchu Picchu is around! Cusco was the capital of the Inca civilization but after the Spanish had finished their business with this inland city, they set it to sleep so to say. It stayed like this for a few centuries until the re-discovery of Macchu Picchu. With this Cusco was propelled onto the front scenes again. We embraced Cusco like we embraced Lima. We took up everything the city had to throw at us and there was a lot. 

Street Celebrations

Today Cusco is a city of under 1 million people having tripled in size in something like 20 years. Infrastructure has not kept pace : it does not have a big shopping centre nor a cinema theatre, and traffic is horrendous, yet it is fully geared up for tourism – and sometimes too much so. Touts will try to get your custom at every street corner, selling tours, massages, soft and hard drugs, meals at their restaurants, rooms at their hostels, and every piece of handicraft imaginable. Some ladies even roam the city with llamas asking for money in exchange of a picture. And everything costs more here than anywhere else we’ve been in Peru.

Cusco by night from our hostel in San Blas

We HAD to get the 10-day Boleto Turistico worth 130 Soles (US$50) each to gain access to some of the sites we wanted to visit. All other combo tickets we bought so far were much cheaper. We soon realised that most of the sites included in the Boleto in Cusco were not worth it and the nice ones still had a separate admission fee. That reminded us that the authorities in Peru and Cusco treat the city and its function as the launch pad for Macchu Picchu as a very serious money making machine.  

Pisco Sour making is an art ... that I have not yet mastered!

But fortunately there were still very nice things in Cusco. We took a “free” walking tour. First thing the guide said was that an acceptable tip was 15-30 soles (US$6-12) per person. That was an unusual start. Anyway we went on the tour and it  was fine. Besides, I did get to show off my cocktail making skills by shaking some Pisco Sour in a bar.  

Arty bar/restaurant

And we visited some other interesting places in Cusco that do not usually feature on the traditional tourist route : such as a very “Alternative” Bar  where the tables are bath tubs filled with water and real goldfish and covered with a glass pane.

Just to get you in the mood ... 

We saw that too. Apparently it is a young Inca boy who peeed on an explosive canon ball that the Spaniards shot at Cusco to breach the wall. In doing so he saved the city ... hmm "déjà vu?" 

Folklore dance at the Centre of Native Art

We also had a taste of Peruvian folklore dance. It was more colourful than technically impressive but entertaining nevertheless. 

Then we went to yet another Inca ruin, Pisaq. Now why would the Inca build all these cities so high up on far away mountains? At first I naively thought that it was for defense. But as the Spaniards demonstrated, it did not do much. I think they did this to annoy tourists, especially at 3000m+. The place was poorly signalised and no written information could be found around any of the buildings. I can't help thinking that all this is done to force the unsuspecting tourist to hire a guide.  

For more pictures on : Cusco

The other things we really enjoyed in Cusco were the amazing Chocolate Museum, the cooking class and the restaurants where we tasted our first guinea pig …. More on that in the next post.