Cusco is cold!

Trip Start Sep 28, 2007
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Trip End Oct 29, 2007


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Sunday, September 30, 2007

We werenŽt sure weŽd make it to Cusco as planned after an airplane mixup (somehow weŽd booked our flight for October!) but we are here and are slowly adjusting to the high altitude while taking in the beautiful city sites.  Cusco was once an incan settlement but was eventually colonized by Pizarro, the famous spanish general.  True to its spanish heritage, there are iglesias on every corner and colonial-style buildings everywhere we turn.  The city is centered around the Plaza de Armas, a beautiful place full of activity and good people watching. Our first item of business upon arrival was to purchase llama wool hats, as it is incredibly cold here!  yes, it is colder than Iowa, and probably Minnesota too. 

We spent today exploring the cobblestone streets and ended up in the Mercado Central for a lunch of local Andean cheese, bread and fruit.  Thus far we have been able to try many local peruvian dishes, including mata with coca leaves (tea), ceviche, lomo saltado (a kind of beef stir fry), grilled alpaca, and the famous cuy al horno-- fire roasted guinea pig! We have been practicing our spanish but tonight we went for a drink at a local bar and found an american tending bar.  He gave us the low down on bargaining (we paid too much for our hats), tipping, and other local customs.  Tomorrow we plan to hike to Sacsayhuayman ruins and the day after we will embark on a tour of the sacred valley ending in Macchu Piccu.  We have posted some pics of Cusco and will certainly post more after we return from the Sacred Valley.  Hasta luego!
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Comments

auntiepoot
auntiepoot on Oct 1, 2007 at 05:59AM

You ate a guinea pig?
I'm up late too, and received this immediately after you posted it! So, I'm imagining you two right now, at this very moment, sitting on the rooftop of your adorable little hostel! Reading your logs, and seeing your pics, sure makes me reminisce about our own trip to Cusco 30 years ago. Yes, the plaza de armas is good people watching, and yes, we got over charged for our first purchases. Had to learn how to bargain, as cheap as it made us sometimes feel. But we NEVER ate a guinea pig!!!!! Keep having great adventures!!!
Mom

gabrielandamy
gabrielandamy on Oct 1, 2007 at 02:12PM

From Amy & Gabe...
Pat sent us the link to your travel blog. Sounds like you're having a marvelous time! We look forward to hearing more. Enjoy yourselves!!

sarah0924
sarah0924 on Oct 1, 2007 at 08:44PM

Advice from Betsy
My friend Betsy at work made the same trip several years ago, so I showed her your pictures and your latest blog entry. She said they ate fish whenever they could get it, as the fish from the mountain streams are quite excellent. Enjoy!

srdixon6
srdixon6 on Oct 1, 2007 at 09:38PM

Colder than Minnesota? Wowza!
Liz and Andrew - glad to hear you made it safely to South America! Sounds like you've had a wonderful time so far - can't wait to hear/see more. Take care!

Love,
-Sarah and Cam

loubartholome
loubartholome on Oct 2, 2007 at 07:01PM

if you're still in cuzco
If you're still there; go to see Sacsawaman (I'm butchering the spelling), a ruin up above the city; you can get any taxi driver to bring you up there. The stonework is actually more impressive even than Machu Pichu, and the view of the rooftops from there is amazing.

If you can stay overnight at Machu Pichu, it's worth it; it's incredibly peaceful, beautiful and powerful in the morning. The train ride there is an amazing treat, along the Urubamba river.

In some ways, it doesn't seem like that long ago that we were there, but it's actually thirty years ago. If you have time to go to Arequippa, that's a whole different view of Peru. The Galapagos will be like being in paradise. Have a great time.

Lou

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