On our journey back to the airport we made a brief stop at The Butterfly Farm, a small facility with several varieties of colorful butterflies. They flitted around, settling on flowers and grasses, and sometimes on people too!
Cusco, Peru.
Cusco sits high in the Andes Mountains and is the starting point for visitors to Machu Pichu and The Sacred Valley. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded in 1100 AD and is the oldest continually inhabited city in the Western hemisphere. It sits at over 11,000 feet above sea level and visitors must be prepared for the possibility of altitude sickness. This means having a day or two to ease into things and drinking lots of Coca tea.
It was once the capital of the Inca Empire and now is a beautiful and remarkable mix of Incan and Spanish colonial architecture and history.
We arrived around noon and settled into our hotel. Ascending the stairs to the third floor we could feel the effects of the high altitude, shortness of breath, heaviness in the chest, like we had run a marathon rather a climbed three flights of stairs.
After resting for a bit we decided to head out to discover Cusco. We are near historic Plaza de Armas bordered with three stunning historic cathedrals and monasteries.
Here is what we discovered on our walk.
Heading left from our hotel along the old cobblestone street we are heading toward the Plaza. We can see the domes of the cathedral and the monastery. They beckon us.
As we near the monastery we see this beautiful fountain with the cathedral in the distance.
Following the narrow cobblestone alleyway we stumble across a little courtyard where there is local Peruvian market or festival underway. We spot llamas and children playing in the grassy courtyard. A small market is set up around the courtyard and local are wearing their traditional garb.
This woman in traditional colorful Peruvian costume holds a tiny baby goat.
We continue down the alleyway meeting more locals. I am surprised how many people we see wearing the traditional clothing and how integrated the Incan customs and seem to be into the current way of life.
A tiny Incan nun walking from the cathedral.
The dome of the Monastery rising above the ancient brick walls.
We head to The Plaza de Armes, the main square of Cusco, an ancient meeting place with a large fountain and bordered by the Cathedral and churches.
The Monastery. The Church of La Compania.
The Main Cathedral which consists of the Church of Jesus Maria
and The Church of El Triounfo.
Evening in the district near our hotel.
I am excited. Cusco is beautiful, the history, the culture, the people. We have 9 days here, including a train trip and an overnight visit to Machu PIchu.
Come with me......
No comments:
Post a Comment