Today started slowly. Went up to breakfast and found 4 of our group looking a little bit pale. Interesting night with Anne requiring oxygen a couple of themessage and Jacquie feeling nauseous. A decision is made to delay our tour until the afternoon to give everyone more time to rest. We are feeling a bit better. I have a headache and we did have a restless night but we are I think better off than some.
With the morning free we head out to explore Cusco.
Cusco was once the capital of the Inca Empire and still has archaeological remains and exhibits of Spanish Architecture.
There is a market everyday from 6am and 6pm in San Pedro so we walk to explore this area. Up and down the streets lined with the local people selling their fruit, vegetables and meat we walk amongst the local people doing their shopping. Very interesting smells but such a great atmosphere. There is a very heavy police presence here today as there is a planned protest expected. There are various groups of people walking enmasse through the narrow streets but there didn't appear to be a violent situation.
It is a beautiful sunny day and the clear skies mean that the sun will be quite intense. We decide to buy wide brim hats to protect us. Plaza de Armas is the central square in the old city with arcades, carved wooden balconies and Incan Wall ruins.
The Church and Convent of Santa Catalina was founded in 1605 but had to be rebuilt after 1650 earthquake. It has a fabulous museum of works of art and life like depictions of the daily life of the nuns.
We find a coffee shop above the shops on the square and enjoy a great coffee and a view.
The next place we visit is the history museum Casa Garcilaso. This museum has an interesting collection of archaeological objects from pre Inca and Inca culture. It also chronicles a brief Incan/Spanish history.
Lunch today is at a little cafe we stumbled across good food and friendly staff. We have time to get back to regroup before our tour.
Only 6 have chosen to do the tour so we start by walking up across the square to The Cathedral of Cusco. It has altars of both Renaissance and Baroque style and neoclassical style. The choir stalls are all hand carved cedar and there is an important collection of paintings by local artists. While the main religion in Peru is Catholic, in Cusco there is a fusion of religion evident by the last supper painting depicting the meal as roast guinea pig! We have never seen such ornate altars and such an opulent basilica. Unfortunately photography is not allowed.
We are picked up by a people mover and taken to our next stop.
The baroque Santo Domingo Convent. It was built on top of the Incan Temple of the Sun (Qoricancha), and has archaeological remains of Inca stonework.
Next we head up the mountain to Sacsayhuaman which is a citadel on the outskirts of Cusco. The first sections were built by the Killke culture about 1100 and was expanded and added to by the Inca from 13th century. they built a construction of dry stone walls using huge stones. The site is at an altitude of 3701m. It was known as the Temple of the Sun and was covered in plates of gold which the Spanish had removed when they came.
Even though there was only 6 of us we still managed to lose 2 who had gone off in the wrong direction! Oops. Now back together we visit a Llama farm and meet the different breeds of Llama and Alpaca before going into the customary sales area. Thankfully some purchases were made.
It's now dark so we go to the statue of Jedus that overlooks the city to view the city at night. Very pretty.
Back at the hotel a dinner/buffet has been arranged to see traditional dancing but we opt not to go and enjoyed a quiet dinner and my first ever Pisco Sour (yum).