Cuzco

Ancient Andean culture meets modern high-end tourism.

Cuzco is an amazing place.  It is part indigenous community, part Spanish colonial town, and part playground for tourists from around the world.

If you want a taste of Peru without leaving behind the comforts of home, Cuzco is your spot.  There are boutique hotels, great restaurants and a compact tourist center that is safe and clean.

The restaurants rival the best in Boston and we had the best Pisco sours since Eastern Standard (no small feat!).  All for the price of dinner at TGI Fridays. 

And you can poke your nose outside the center for a taste of local life, without worrying about finding your way home.

Here, more than any other place along my route so far, you can see the history of South America as it was played out.  There are Spanish churches on top of Inca ruins.  Terracing runs up the sides of valleys.  There are dozens of Inca ruins within a few hours drive.

On the other hand, Cuzco and the surrounding area feels much less Spanish than you´d expect.  Nominally, people are Catholic.  But just under the surface the old Inca beliefs are still very much a part of life.  Local farmers still worship the mountains.

Churches built with Inca stones, with a local soundtrack. 
This far into the mountains, it´s hard to find Kei$ha on the radio.  Bye bye Chile.



You can go high-end...



...peaceful balcony views...

 

...cherry tomatoes in caramel and coca sugar cookies...



...or maybe you really miss the taste of Guinness...

...or you can take a 10 minute stroll into the local market.  Hogs.



Ribs, with a side of dubious health regulations.


 

It´s ok if you cook it, right?



Cuzco is strategically located to get produce from both the highlands and the rainforest.  You get staples like potatoes, corn and quinoa and some of the more exotic stuff from the jungle like mangos, papaya and pineapple.

I sense a smoothie waiting to happen.

Marketing local spices.

And here are the smoothies!  Amazing that everyone stays in business - there are about two dozen stalls, all with the same menus.  Feels like a low margin business.

Impressive Spanish architecture.

Cuzco is situated in a very narrow and steep valley.  Sadly, the government doesn´t have the resources to enforce building regulations.  Every rainy season, dozens of houses get washed away by mudslides.

The theme of the highlands is churches and mountains.

The Plaza del Armas from above.  One of the most impressive in Latin America.

A different angle.

There is a fairly sizable Jesus statue overlooking the city.  And, again, there´s a local guy playing a local version of the guitar.  There are women selling local crafts.  And local folks relaxing and passing the time.

It´s a serene place.  For me, it sort of captured everything about Cuzco.

 

Holy Week processions.