We have been in Cusco for 9 days. It has been exciting, exhilarating and exhausting all at once. We have seen a culture and a way of life that is steeped in tradition, walked in ancient villages and complexes that date back centuries. We have seen and been invited in to the homes of people who live a simple life, rich in family and faith. People who wear the same traditional dress they have since the 17th century, who grow everything they eat, weave their own fabrics, live in small adobe shacks, yet are some of the happiest, richest people I have met.
Today we will visit some of these places, small villages outside Cusco with rich history.
Tipon.
First we head to Tipon and the aquaducts. These date back hundreds of years, built with such precision that they still work today. An underground well or stream brings water to the surface where it is channelled through a series of ditches and channels to bring water to the crops growing on the terraced hillsides. 
Today these terraces are used for agriculture research, then they were used for producing foods for the families. Foods such as maize, quinoa, fava beans, etc.
Around the aqua ducts and terraces are the ruins of buildings where long ago the farmers stored their crops.
Our next stop is the village of Andahuaylillas with its beautiful Andean Baroque church from the 16th century, It is called the Sistine Chapel of South America because of the beautifully frescoed paintings on the ceiling of the church. A huge ornate alter is clad in gold, intricately carved and adorned with statues of the Virgin Mary and saints.
The Church is San Pedro de Apostle. In front of the Church are three wooden crosses depicting the three crosses on Calvary. Again, no pictures are allowed in side to preserve the beautiful artwork.
As usual, locals have set up booths of handicrafts in the courtyard for visiting tourists.
Pikillaqta
And, finally we stop at Pikillqcta, ruins dating back before the time of the Incas. It dates back to about 1000 AD, the time of the Wari Indians. It is an immense structure depicting great organization of the people. Red rock stuccoed walls outline what would have been the town. Roads and steps showing the paths these people would have taken in their daily routine. 1000 years later most of the walls still stand, although parts are crumbled. As we wander through the settlement it is easy to visualize a life here, people living, going about their daily tasks. The walled town covers a large area, the walls undulating over the rolling land, surrounded by the green of the Andes.
We pack our bags, ready for an early morning flight to Lima, where we will spend the day before heading home. Come With Me....
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