Cusco

Today’s theme was alpaca. We saw them in the wild, petted a domesticated alpaca, shopped for alpaca wool products at the open air market, and ate alpaca steak tips for lunch. Cusco is wonderful! There is so much history, color, and culture packed into one city. How can I begin?

We started the day at an Incan temple built to worship Mother Nature, Sacsayhuaman. 

It was destroyed by the Spanish when bricks were painstakingly removed to build churches and homes down in the valley; today’s ruins are home to a pack of alpacas. 

From there we drove to an area used by the Incans to capture spring water and served as a bath.

And then this! I have wanted this exact picture and it happened today! 

Downtown Cusco is home to Qorikancha, the ruins of an Incan temple that the Spanish built a convent on top of. It was discovered in 1950 when an earthquake destroyed the walls of the church but not the Incan walls. 

Downtown Cusco was delightful. The city’s bright colors, vibrant culture, and history is evident on every street. 

This month is celebration month. The locals are dressed in custom costume, dancing in the streets, and marching in parades. 

Our alarms went off at 0400 this morning so we could catch our 0700 flight. We are exhausted, but we are having the best time! Tomorrow we take the train to Machu Picchu!