Cusco & Machu Picchu

Tom and I were sad to say farewell to our friends in Arequipa, and I must admit I had a couple of tears when saying goodbye to the little ones at Manantiales, but we were also excited about the next stage of our travels.

Our journey from Arequipa to Cusco took around 12 hours.  We arrived early morning and were greeted warmly by our hosts at Hostel Llipimpac.  It felt like such luxury to be provided with a room which had hot showers and a proper duvet cover on the bed, rather than sheets and wool blankets.

Exploring around Cusco, we found the main plaza.  It was very pretty, with many flowers and looking up and around we could see the green landscape and mountains.  Cusco has a much more old world feel than Arequipa, the buildings all of different stone, darker and weathered.  In the sun, it feels hot, but in the shade much cooler, as Cusco stands at a higher altitude than Arequipa.

During our stay, which crossed partly with Holy Week, we saw a procession of police and military staff carrying a huge cross with a replica of Jesus Christ.  The procession started at the enormous, grand church and gradually wound its way around the plaza, local people throwing red flower petals as it passed by.

We visited the Choco Museo, where we learnt about the origins of cacao, myths of chocolate and the uses it has had through time (and of course we ate some chocolate, too).  The cacao plant does not bear fruit until it reaches maturity at 5 years, then it is fruitful for another 20 years.  The flowers that flourish near the bottom of the tree are pinkish white and have 5 petals.  It is believed that the cacao plant was originally discovered in the foothills of the Andes.  The Mayan people used to use chocolate in sacrifical ceremonies.

The highlight of our time in Cusco was visiting Machu Picchu.  Early one morning, we travelled by train to Ollantaytambo, a small town.  From there, we boarded another train to Aguas Calientes, the town at the bottom of Machu Picchu.  Our train journey wound alongside the river.  As we approached Aguas Calientes, the plantlife and vegetation became more and more lush and green.  Finally, a 20 minute bus journey brought us to the gates of Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu, which comes from the Quechua language meaning 'Old Peak' is also known as the 'Lost City of the Incas'.  It was built around 1450, during the height of the Inca Empire.  It is believed that it was abandoned around 100 years later, following the Spanish Conquest.  It is also possible that many of the Inca inhabitants died from Smallpox.

It is difficult to convey what an incredible sight it is and even more amazing to think of the time and effort invested in establishing such a well built and structured estate.  The Incas who created it were incredible people, in terms of both physical and mental ability.

The site was split into two main sectors, one for agricultural purposes and the other for more urban use, where the inhabitants built their homes with specific areas for the nobility and for religious places of worship.  The Incas built using a technique called ashlar, involving dry-stone walling without mortar.

Whilst our time in Cusco was brief, we saw many interesting and amazing things and we feel really lucky to have seen one of the seven wonders of the world.

Next post:  Travelling to Ecuador.