Cusco - formerly the capital of the Incas and now of tourism

Next, we went to the world-famous former capital of the Inca Empire: Cusco. Most travelers use this as a starting point for Machu Picchu, which is also our plan. However, as with most of our stops, we didn't just plan a short transit here, but a few nights on site. This made sense, especially considering the altitude and the unusually colder climate, which affected me (Tabea) a little. Unfortunately, on the first full day in Cusco, I was quite flat with circulatory problems and headaches, and Tim was not sure if he was getting a cold. Consequently, we couldn't explore much of the city at first. We also decided not to book a hike for the next day.

However, we were able to use this first day and the rest of the time in Cusco to visit numerous cafes and restaurants. The prices here are noticeably higher (about Berlin level), but the quality of most of the places we tested is really top-notch. Peru continually surprises us gastronomically - there is a lot on offer for every taste. In addition, we took care of exciting things such as laundry, picking up our train tickets to Machu Picchu, and further travel planning. By now, we have booked all accommodations until the end of the trip, which is a strange feeling. So far, we have still been quite flexible in the design of the next weeks or months, and of course, that changes the closer we get to the departure at the end of March.

On the second day, we already felt much better and therefore climbed a viewpoint in the city, where, just like in Rio, there is a statue of Christ - although certainly to a much lesser extent. For the quite steep ascent, we were rewarded with a great overview of the entire city. In particular, the uniform cityscape of terracotta-colored roofs and houses is really beautiful to look at. The path down then took us to the alternative neighborhood of San Blas with its own main square, market, and many small streets that we strolled along. The closer we got back to the heart of the old town (Plaza de Armas) from there, the more aggressive and frequent we were once again approached by restaurants, tour operators, and massage salons. We had already experienced this in Arequipa and Puno, but not in such concentrated form. The city center of Cusco is simply completely overrun by tourists, and unfortunately, this also affects the behavior of the locals. In no other country of our South America trip have we experienced anything comparable, and we had to remind each other not to let it spoil our mood. We simply hate being seen (only) as walking wallets.

Despite the mixed impressions of Cusco, we will come back and spend another two days here. Because as a starting point for excursions, as well as a culinary hotspot and transport hub, this place is simply predestined.