March 30, 2019
Capital of the Incan Empire
Crown Jewel of the Spanish Conquest
Ground Zero for Inca Trail hikes
And home to quite possibly the world’s best churros
Welcome to Cusco, Peru
I’ve been in Cusco for a few days now. Peru has been such an easier journey than Ecuador in the week I’ve been here. For one, they’ve got Uber, which eliminates all of my taxi related issues, and two, the English/Spanish hurdle is much easier here than Ecuador. Even if both sides aren’t great at the other’s language, there is enough overlap to get the job done. I’ve also got a friend from Austin visiting for the hike to Machu Picchu which has been nice for many reasons but probably most importantly, the trip has stepped it up a notch from my budget travel itinerary to a taste of the good life.
Most travelers make their way to Cusco (elev about 10,000 ft), the travel capital of Peru, to get used to the higher altitude before embarking on a journey to Machu Picchu. While Machu Picchu itself is at an altitude of 7,873 ft, the trek takes you over a peak at nearly 14,000 ft so a little acclimatization is a good idea before setting off. Thankfully so far it’s been an easier transition here for me than Quito, though I do find it a little harder to catch my breath at times as I wander around.
Sidenote: if you are at all interested in Machu Picchu I highly recommend reading Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams. Great fusion of modern day adventures with historical accounts, and gives you lots of alternative Inca Trail trek options.
Our arrival to Cusco seemed straightforward enough – having planned a good part of this leg of the trip with a travel agent. However, as things go, Cusco was not without it’s hiccups. Our car didn’t arrive at the airport to take us to the hotel, our contact at the hotel was on vacation for a month and when we finally got to the hotel, El Balcon (via Uber), they couldn’t find our reservation but eventually it all got sorted out.
El Balcon is a historical hotel set just off the main square. Its balconies and gardens are charming, its fresh food and flowers fabulous, but the road noise and internet has made the stay a little less amazing than it could have been. Still a total upgrade for me and a good spot to explore the city.
Cusco’s history is so long and storied that I’d miss more than would be fair if I tried to tell the whole thing – but in a nutshell it was the capital of the Inca Empire until Pizarro arrived, took over, killed a bunch of people and ran off a bunch more. There were a bunch of burnings, quarterings, executions, lies, treason but eventually rebellion (headed by Tupac Amaru II – who was the inspiration for Tupac Shakur’s name) which finally lead to Peru proclaiming independence from Spain in 1821. By then, almost 90% of the Incan people were gone – the usual story of conquest, disease and greed. However, today the spirit of the city continues to embrace the history of the Incas and more importantly, drive Cusco’s economy.
As with all really old cities there are the large town squares, Plaza de Armas being the grandest in Cusco. Home to the controversial fountain of Pachacuti and surrounded by cathedrals, the two-tiered Cathedral Basilica of Cusco (considered ‘ugly’ by many ‘cathedral experts’ because it only had two-tiers..?) and the more proper three-tiered Compania de Jesus. (I think I will excuse myself from that discussion.)
It’s also a fabulous place to watch sunset, followed by the sweetest evening twinkle from the surrounding houses.
In addition to the design controversy surrounding the Pachacuti fountain, our fantastic walking tour guide Able added this to the lore: apparently this fountain was originally intended for Mexico City (as the mermaids/water symbols at the bottom of the fountain have no tie to Incan lore) but was misdelivered. If you search pictures of the fountain before/around 1950 the statue at the top is also different – which ties back to the recent controversy about the new guy in town).
Cathedral Basilica of Cusco’s design inadequacies are offset by intrigue of the door below which is the entrance to the Cathedrals inquisition room. So much for love and unity in the church – story goes this was the last stop if you refused to accept Catholicism during the Inquisition. (Check out the skull over the door). Before the Spanish conquest, the population of the area was estimated to be 13-14 million people. After – about a million. The history of Catholicism in South American is one hell of a story that just keeps going through my travels. Thankfully it’s not all doom and gloom in Cusco.
If Galapagos was all about the lava, Cusco is all about the masonry. Everywhere you look there are examples of the famed Incan stone construction. Straight lines, tight joints, huge stones and no mortar. The theories are countless as to how they were able to achieve this level of engineering, but my favorite really is extraterrestrial assistance. I mean, why not have some fun with it? The precision and alignment really is wild.
And with history and culture reviewed, let’s move on to the real goodies: the food.
Pizza por favor!
I’d been told the food in Peru was something special, but I really wasn’t prepared. From the incredible Nuna Raymi, where every bite was followed by OMG this is so good, a laugh and a small cry (and they even had silverware rests, I’ve dreamt of these but never actually seen one!) to the fun Chicha Morada (boiled purple corn drink) there has been an endless amount of amazing food but my favorite hands down has been the San Pedro Mercado.
Where to begin…to start it’s organized. Like a department store for Mercados. I guess Ecuador was organized too but San Pedro really took it up a notch. There was a souvenir section, the juice section, the pudding (with real gelatin) section, the fruit section, the vegetables section, the meat section, the cheese section, the coffee and chocolate section and the prepared food/restaurant section. It was so easy to get around and fun to explore, that the small tourist premium was entirely worth it.
There are something like 4,000 kinds of potatoes in Peru.
These are five of them.
So many fruits!!
Veggie plate and snack – $3.00
My favorite memory of Cusco without a doubt though will be this beauty discovered right outside the market:
The Churro Stand.
And this is THE Churro stand – I couldn’t find one better (and I tried).
Now I thought this trip was going to be all about helado (ice cream) after Ecuador, but the Churro beat Helado by a mile. For $0.60 you get the yummiest, chocolate filled crispy churro that you will ever have. Apparently the trick is using sweet potato in the batter to make them crispier and sweeter. Way to hack churros Peru!
Leaving you with sweet visions of Churros – I am off to do this hike to Machu Picchu! See you on the other side ~
Oh, and here’s some cute Vicuna statues. Enjoy!
Buddha & Boots 