Cusco was blessed with magnificent weather while I was there. The town is easy to explore on foot and that is exactly what I did, outside of my trip to Machu Picchu.
Landed safely in Cusco … 3400 meters altitude. Now what am I doing here? Well, Cusco is the gateway to one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World, Machu Picchu … Another one on my (and many others’) Bucket List. 4-day trek along the Inca Trail. Just finished orientation with my fellow group members. A couple from Arkansas (USA), two ladies from Denmark and yours truly 🙂 Have to carry significant weight (Did not go for porter option, to save the costs from ballooning way too much) … Hope my body (and mind) hold up … It promises to be cold … Quite cold and windy. I have never slept in a sleeping bag before (Not an outdoor camping kind of guy). There will be guides and a cook (Also the porters). So nice to see the Sun after a few days of rain and fog … Cusco is overrun by Americans. In my flight, there was a large high-school student group and their chaperone teachers. As luck would have it, I got to sit smack in their midst 🙂 Always nice to hear “I was like …”, “I know …”, “Come on man …” … The teachers were shouting “Cut it out …” regularly Coricancha … Depiction of Spanish conquering Inca Empire …There was this cute children’s group on a field trip … At Coricancha … Originally, Incan. Then Spanish took over …Bought scarf, gloves, woolen socks Etc. from this delighted lady … 🙂The buildings in Cusco look very nice …Cusco Cathedral … In full glory.Cobble-stoned streets are everywhere …Bought 3 amazingly beautiful carved gourds from this lady …San Blas has nice cobbled streets …San Blas Temple … The entry fee was so exorbitant that I skipped going inside.Had a large omelette for lunch … Had a slight headache (Altitude sickness) …San Blas has nice cobbled streets …A tourist haggling with a vendor … No one was there to take my picture when I was haggling … 🙂Climbing up to Sacsayhuaman, which is an ancient Inca Citadel … Actually, Killke civilization built in this area around 900 AD, long before the Inca Empire.In the San Blas area, people allow guests to stay with them. Tourists get a feel of local life and the locals get some extra cash …What a waste of space!!!? Could you park any closer???Panoramic view of Cusco from Sacsayhuaman peak …Pastries at a Bakery … Had one of them, Yum!This is the one I had 🙂
