Perhaps this entry’s title is a misnomer, since over the past two days, we did get a chance to do some good exploring around Cuzco’s main Plaza de Armas. Much of the first day, arriving around 12:30 in the afternoon after our hour-long flight from Lima, we spent in careful slow motion—heeding the multiple warnings from guide books, friends who have traveled here and Limenos and Cuzcenos alike. The adjustment to the quick altitude gain (Cuzco sits at nearly 3400 meters above sea level) is no joke. We dutifully took our meds, drank the local coca tea, and did a whole lot of sleeping and slow moving the rest of the day.
Incredible view in flight from Lima to Cuzco
The city of Cuzco is a primary destination in Peru for loads of foreigners as the former Inca capital and is one of the most popular destinations in South America. It’s also the jumping off point in the Sacred Valley for making one’s way to Maccu Picchu. In our planning, we decided to stay one initial evening in Cuzco to acclimatize, to head off to a less bustling city in the Sacred Valley (from which we will visit Machu Picchu), and then to return to Cuzco for another few days. S. picked a really good one, the Amaru I hostel, which is located right along the narrow alleyways of the San Blas area of Cuzco, the traditional artist’s area. A nice tucked away spot with some lovely views and right outside its front gate along the street, the sounds of so many tourists and locals interacting.
Our first hostel in Cuzco-- Amaru I
Great view from our tiny room
Narrow stonelaid streets of Cuesta San Blas
The following morning, after picking up a very exciting load of clean laundry which we had dropped off the previous evening, we spent the day walking the streets and exploring shops, visiting with street venders, poking into courtyards and finding places to eat along the way. A pretty amazing place to stock up on some warmer gear in preparation for cool mornings and evenings here (not to mention the colder weather of Bolivia), and to find gifts.
One of many, many clothing and handicraft stalls
Soft alpaca fur dolls for sale
Shops alongside original Incan stonework
Navigating the streets in Cuzco
S posing with weaver off of San Blas street
Woman in traditional Peruvian dress
Cuzco's Plaza de Armas
Also, a perfect place to do some of the extremely touristy things that had irresistible appeal, nonetheless. Posing with animals and some folks in local dress? Absolutely—bring it on.
Posing with animals part one
Posing with animals part two
Boarding our bus to Huaran in the Sacred Valley
So after our exploration and consumer-binge, we made our way to the local bus station to make the one and a half hour journey towards our next destination in Huaran, also in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Refreshing, actually, to take the local transportation with workers and families heading out of the city to the various small neighborhoods and country beyond this main city—winding our slow way up out of the city in the evening dusk, stars starting to come out and leaving the concentration of lights of Cuzco below us.
We pretty much got dropped off at the side of a dark (and rather abandoned) road (except for the cacophony of barking dogs) around 9PM and slowly made the walk to the Green House, where we are going to be staying for the next three days. Looking forward to a bit of a slower pace near the base of some low mountains and a wide, southern-hemispheric sky.
Travels and Transitions: Making it to and from Cuzco
Perhaps this entry’s title is a misnomer, since over the past two days, we did get a chance to do some good exploring around Cuzco’s main Plaza de Armas. Much of the first day, arriving around 12:30 in the afternoon after our hour-long flight from Lima, we spent in careful slow motion—heeding the multiple warnings from guide books, friends who have traveled here and Limenos and Cuzcenos alike. The adjustment to the quick altitude gain (Cuzco sits at nearly 3400 meters above sea level) is no joke. We dutifully took our meds, drank the local coca tea, and did a whole lot of sleeping and slow moving the rest of the day.
Incredible view in flight from Lima to Cuzco
The city of Cuzco is a primary destination in Peru for loads of foreigners as the former Inca capital and is one of the most popular destinations in South America. It’s also the jumping off point in the Sacred Valley for making one’s way to Maccu Picchu. In our planning, we decided to stay one initial evening in Cuzco to acclimatize, to head off to a less bustling city in the Sacred Valley (from which we will visit Machu Picchu), and then to return to Cuzco for another few days. S. picked a really good one, the Amaru I hostel, which is located right along the narrow alleyways of the San Blas area of Cuzco, the traditional artist’s area. A nice tucked away spot with some lovely views and right outside its front gate along the street, the sounds of so many tourists and locals interacting.
Our first hostel in Cuzco-- Amaru I
Great view from our tiny room
Narrow stonelaid streets of Cuesta San Blas
The following morning, after picking up a very exciting load of clean laundry which we had dropped off the previous evening, we spent the day walking the streets and exploring shops, visiting with street venders, poking into courtyards and finding places to eat along the way. A pretty amazing place to stock up on some warmer gear in preparation for cool mornings and evenings here (not to mention the colder weather of Bolivia), and to find gifts.
One of many, many clothing and handicraft stalls
Soft alpaca fur dolls for sale
Shops alongside original Incan stonework
Navigating the streets in Cuzco
S posing with weaver off of San Blas street
Woman in traditional Peruvian dress
Cuzco's Plaza de Armas
Also, a perfect place to do some of the extremely touristy things that had irresistible appeal, nonetheless. Posing with animals and some folks in local dress? Absolutely—bring it on.
Posing with animals part one
Posing with animals part two
Boarding our bus to Huaran in the Sacred Valley
So after our exploration and consumer-binge, we made our way to the local bus station to make the one and a half hour journey towards our next destination in Huaran, also in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Refreshing, actually, to take the local transportation with workers and families heading out of the city to the various small neighborhoods and country beyond this main city—winding our slow way up out of the city in the evening dusk, stars starting to come out and leaving the concentration of lights of Cuzco below us.
We pretty much got dropped off at the side of a dark (and rather abandoned) road (except for the cacophony of barking dogs) around 9PM and slowly made the walk to the Green House, where we are going to be staying for the next three days. Looking forward to a bit of a slower pace near the base of some low mountains and a wide, southern-hemispheric sky.