We arrive in Cusco in the early afternoon after a flight from Lima. The altitude here is going to be an interesting factor, with it's 3300 meters above sea level it will be like nothing we ever experienced before. Altitude sickness, or 'soroche' as it is called here, can mean headaches, nausea, nosebleed and insomnia. And off course you're out of breath just thinking about doing any physical activity. The remedy is to take it easy, breathe deeply, drink enough water and coca tea. We get our first cup on the plane, and it seems to be an acquired taste. We're told to drink several cups a day and not to lift anything heavy, not even our packs, as we might faint. So when I get off the plain I'm half expecting to feel dizzy and hardly be able to breathe. It's no problem at all, I just feel that my legs are a bit wobbly. Again, we're picked up by someone from our hotel at the airport. A man working with guided tours wants to give us some suggestions but we have to just take it easy for a couple of days. He points out the sun temple on the way, and our curiosity is tickled so much that we want to talk to him later. When we check in at the Royal Inca we're given another dose of coca tea, this time with a teaspoon of honey and that makes all the difference. But as time passes, the lack of oxygen takes over and we spend about two days walking very slowly, having endless siestas, doing very little, and just sitting on a bench in the Plaza de Armas, waiting to regain some clarity. Even pushing the button on the thermos to pour the coca tea is a challenge. It feels like my scull is too small for my brain. I miss my clarity and energy, and the headache is awful. We feel like zombies.

On the third morning we're good as new, and we continue to drink coca tea to make sure we're not heading for headache land again. So now we can start exploring this beautiful town and the surrounding Sacred Valley.

Cusco is the place that everybody visits or travels through on their way to Machu Picchu or the Sacred Valley. The centre of town is very well looked after and Plaza de Armas is filled with flower beds, benches and a large water fountain. On all four sides there are restaurants, cafés and shops, and on the second floor all the eateries have balconies to dine in, some with windows and others just with open air. The wooden balconies have carved exteriors and look great. There are three churches here, all next to each other, the Cathedral being the largest. And the best thing is the view. Surrounding the city is the most beautiful mountains and we never get tired of looking at them. Against the blue sky and the white clouds all the colours of the mountains make a spectacular sight. We realize that the colours in the traditional garments are a reflection of these colours. We go to a couple of museums and when we have enough strength we wander uphill to the area of San Blas which is a great place for shopping and lunching - and again for looking at the view.

Later we sign up for a guided tour and are awed by the Inca sights we get to visit. First though, we have a look at the Cathedral. This is a Catholic church and the country was converted when the Spaniards came here. The church was decorated by local artists, and the end result became a mix of Inca traditions and Catholicism. We all enjoy the anecdotes from our guide when we look at the artwork. The artist had for example never seen a camel before, so we can see the holy men riding on llamas instead. The baby Jesus is held in his mother's embrace sporting very rosy cheeks - the trademark of children living in the Andes mountains. And very interestingly, the Virgin Mary is always wearing a dress shaped as a capital A. For the Incas, the mountains were of great importance, they were like gods and a vital representation of Pacha Mama, Mother Earth.

The Temple of the Sun shows us how the Incas built their walls. They are slanting slightly, which meant that after various earthquakes they were still standing, whereas the layers of Spanish work on top of it crumbled away. Each rock in the wall was made to fit perfectly with the surrounding rocks, and you can't even get a paper in between the cracks. The Incas were also astronomers and their important buildings shows this - the first ray of sun on the solstices hit a certain point of significance, and there were also references and markings that corresponded to where in the sky one could see the Pleades.

In Saqsaywaman we see a hug zigzag wall, a place were battles were fought against the Spaniards. The zigzag pattern represented the lightning, another important symbol. In this place, to this day - rituals to the sun is held on the solstice.

Further afield we go to see a real market opposed to the touristy markets, in the town of Pisac. I regret we only got to spend a short time here. After we behold the amazing Inca ruins of this region and the terraces we have a look around it. Potatoes and chocla (maize or corn) is found in many varieties, it is a staple in the diet here. Roasted guinea pig is another charming addition to the menu, next to alpaca meat.

Moray is one of our favourite sites. This is a place that used to be a laboratory to find out what types of plants should be planted at what time, in what kind of soil etc. The terraces make a bowl in the earth so in addition to having been very useful, it is also a beautiful place. Because of the work they did here, the Incas could harvest two crops in one year sometimes. Today work is being done to make the site into a living museum.

In Ollantaytambo we find another imposing ruin from the times of the Incas. This was the place where the Inca ruler Patchacutech had his residence. It also served as a stronghold when the Spaniards invaded, and being situated between three valleys it was in the perfect spot.

Chinchero is a small town complete with colonial buildings and Inca ruins - and a wonderful Sunday market. But before we get to have a look at the colourful wares we stop at a place were traditional fabric is made and get to see how natural dyes are used and were they are taken from. The favourite is off course the colour red - taken from the small insect on the cactus plant. Fascinating. But the absolute best thing is the stunning mountain. I know. A piece of large rock. But it takes my breath away, and I even want to return the next day, just so I can get some more time to behold it. And take a picture. My camera has run out of battery...

We spend several sunny days in this wonderful place of Cusco and very much feel the mountain climate change when night falls. We're 13 degrees from the equator and at such a high altitude, the sun is very strong during the day and so is the radiation. Just after the sun disappears from sight around six, it gets a lot colder, and what felt like a summer's day suddenly seems like winter. The sun also gets up at six all year long, and the temperature is very stable through the seasons too.

We take a look around the square and everywhere we go there are barkers that wants us to eat in their restaurants. There is a stiff competition between the restaurants and everybody wants the tourists to leave their money with them. The barkers show people the menus in the street and tries to persuade them through the doors, they get 10 % of what people spend inside. Other people want to sell postcards, paintings, llama sweaters, finger puppets, massages and beauty treatments (once even an offer for a free massage) and trips to Machu Picchu. A lot of people want our attention and it's hard to always be polite, but we usually smile and say no gracias. One evening we're approached by a man that wants us to eat in the Emperador Grill. We tell him we are vegetarians and he is deterred from his mission, but not for long. Where are we from? Norway! Ah yes, he knows about fjords, Loke, Tor and other Viking Gods, Leiv Erikson and even about bokmaal and nynorsk. He sure gets our attention. This is more knowledge than tourists usually leave behind in a country and certainly more than any foreigner have known about Norway that I have met. We bump into him on the corner of Plaza de Armas every day and slowly get to know him better. He finds us a place to eat vegetarian food and we get to taste a traditional dish involving - potatoes. Maybe we could come in for salads - soups? Juan Carlos used to be a fisherman in Lima, but came to Cusco five years ago. We end up spending some time together and it's great to have an insider to ask questions to and we have a good time. Another Peruvian salesman that leaves a lasting impression is the young boy that claims to be Pablo Picasso, he wants to sell us his paintings. We are not interested. Looking is free. OK, we leaf through them and have a little chat with him. When we uphold that we don't want to buy anything, he lets us know that we are bad tourists and tells us to f... off. Brat.