Cusco, Peru

Cusco, Peru

We arrived in rainy Cusco and took a taxi to the city center. We found a beautiful hotel, which had a classic style with modern touches. After settling in, we went to the center to get our Machu Picchu tickets. There were many tour offices offering tickets, so we had to choose carefully. We followed our instincts and went into an office where we talked to the salesman and negotiated a good price. We paid 80 francs for the Machu Picchu entrance, transportation to Aguas Calientes (the closest village to Machu Picchu) which was 6 hours away, and entrance to Machu Picchu Montana. Some people pay even more just for the entrance, depending on where they book their tickets. It's said that there are limited spots, and many people advise booking the tickets 3-4 months in advance as they only let in 2500 visitors per day, but we've never heard of anyone actually being turned away. We were happy to have our tickets and then relaxed while having some food. We found a great restaurant where I ordered a delicious Alpaca fillet on a hot stone. It was so tender, but unfortunately we couldn't cut it properly because the knives were very dull.

The next day, we went to the city center at 10 o'clock to join the free walking tour. We had already thought that Cusco was one of the most beautiful cities we had visited in South America, but after the tour, it definitely became the most beautiful.

There are many old buildings (Spanish architecture) that have been renovated in a modern style.

There are also traditional buildings and many with inner courtyards.

We walked around and we were followed by two dogs. We entered an inner courtyard where there was a musician dressed like an Inca from the past. He had unusual instruments that he played for us. The dogs sat down and watched with curiosity. He played more "natural" sounds and also some kind of drum, it was very special.

Meanwhile, I took a photo with my colleague, Fredy.

Then we went to visit an Inca ruin. We had to go through a checkpoint, of course the dog couldn't come in, so we said goodbye. But once we were inside, he suddenly ran straight across the square to us. He had gone through a open back entrance. He waited, but when we had to go to the next place, the security guard scared him off... Maybe it's not the best idea for him to visit these old ruins, haha. He ran off like a rocket and unfortunately, he didn't come back. He realized it was serious.

We then walked around the city, admiring the impressive Inca stone walls and their precise craftsmanship.

At the end of the tour, we reached a viewpoint high up. We admired Cusco from above but noticed that there was a Christ statue even higher up, which surely offered better views. So we left the group and walked up there because we were already halfway exhausted. It was a small taste of what to expect at Machu Picchu since it involved climbing a lot of stairs.

We were rewarded with a stunning view.

Further away, we saw enormous ancient stone terraces built by the Incas.

We slowly made our way back to the hotel. We wanted to go to bed early because the next morning we would be leaving for Aguas Calientes. The next blog will be about Machu Picchu and the final two days in Cusco. So, until the next blog.

See you soon,

Ernesto and Muriel

Next Stop: Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu