Cusco is full of and surrounded by history, culture and tradition. Despite the Spanish's attempts at squashing out the Inca Empire, much of their civilisation exists, in culture, food, language and especially in the many Inca sites and artefacts that survive today.
And Cusco makes it easy to see it all, grouping sites and attractions and selling tourist tickets (known as the Boleta) to get around to them all. So it was that Jade and I purchased a ten-day tourist ticket and embarked on the challenge of seeing 14 sites in and around Cusco.
Day 1
When we bought the Boleta, we planned out a schedule that would allow us to see everything without exhausting ourselves. We had planned to visit the Saqsaywoman (pronounced, "Sexy Woman", no joke!) circuit, four Inca sites situated along a winding hilltop road, just outside of Cusco.
That didn't happen.
The night before Day 1, we were invited by the teacher of the school we volunteer at to join him and some friends on a road trip through the Cusco countryside. We couldn't resist. So, rather than exploring the Saqsaywoman circuit, we drove the Circuito Cuatro Lagunas (Circuit of Four Lakes) before crossing the hand-woven Inca bridge known as the Q'eswachaka Rope Bridge.
Day 2
After we were invited to join our friends on their road trip, we re-scheduled our visit to Saqsaywoman to Day 2. After a relaxed day exploring the beauty of the Cusco countryside, we would get up early and go.
That didn't happen. Again.
We were exhausted. Despite having a relaxed day the day before, it had been a long day and our bodies craved rest. We decided to do the Saqsaywoman circuit on Day 3.
Day 3
This was the day we would finally visit Saqsaywoman and the surrounding Inca sites just outside of Cusco.
That didn't happen. Are you sensing the recurring theme here?
Instead, we visited the four museums in Cusco itself that are part of the 10-day tourist pass. The first museum was the History Museum. It provides a detailed look at the history of Inca civilisation, exploring the smaller civilisations that eventually came together to form the impressive Inca empire. This museum also hosts a large collection of post-Colonial art, painted by local artists. It's impressive work, but also shocking how quickly the Spanish asserted their influence, especially in art style and content.
The second museum we visited was the Museum of National Art. Now, I'm sure we missed something because there was barely any art there. I'm not sure if there were stairs to another floor, or if there is a room hidden away somewhere but we were in and out in less than ten minutes. Don't get me wrong, there were some nice artworks displayed, just not enough!
At this point, we took a break from our museum-hop to walk up the hill to St Cristobal Catholic Church. It sits high above Plaza de Armas, overlooking the town. Surprisingly, it was only a short walk up the hill before being met with stunning panoramic views of Cusco. The red-roofs and paved streets spread far and wide before giving way to the modern parts of Cusco city.
We resumed our Boleta-explorations at the Korikancha museum. To me, this one felt like a small-scale replica of the Museum of History, displaying much of the same relics and artefacts and histories of the early Peruvian cultures. The difference, however, is that this museum opens up to a large, grassy plain. Without a tour guide to inform us, it was hard to know just what this field represented but we took the opportunity for the first time in months to laze in the sun in the middle of Cusco!
Our day finished with what was my highlight - the Monument to Pachacuteq. Pachacuteq was the Inca leader who united many of the Peruvian cultures to create a true empire in South America. The stories, if true, are impressive and speak of an insightful and intelligent politician and strategist. The Monument is a towering structure, a tower with a massive statue in Pachacuteq's image. The displays within do a good job of illustrating the magnificent memory of this man - but if history and information aren't your things, this attraction will still impress. The exhibits twist their way up a staircase, opening to a viewing area proving 360-degree views of Cusco.
Day 4
After a full day exploring Cusco, Day 4 featured our first booked experience on the Boleta, taking us out of the city limits. We booked ourselves in for a Quad-Bike tour of Moray and the Maras Salt Mines!
Moray is a large site featuring concentric circular terraces. It's believed that Moray was the Incas food science lab, where they would experiment growing different types of plants and crops. The different heights, levels and constructs of each terrace provided different micro-climates and conditions, allowing the Incas to perfect the growing process. As stunning as it is, you really can see everything the site has to offer in about ten minutes, so we were grateful for the quad-bike ride to and from the site, which features stunning scenery of mountains and fields as far as the eye could see.
The Maras Salt Mines, on the other hand, required and indeed, deserved more time. Similar to the Moray, the Salt Mines are a sign of the Incas engineering expertise. Channelling naturally salty streams running from the top of the mountain into numerous small pools on a plateau, the Incas designed a salt catchment. So ingenious was this design that not only are the pools still in operation, they have recently been replicated by locals to expand the salt operation. Maras is one of the few places in the world that produces pink salt. Though not part of the Tourist ticket, this was definitely worth the (10 sol) price of admission.
Day 7
Saqsaywoman circuit - this would be the day that we would actually do it! We caught the bus to the furthest site, Tambomachay, which was thought to have been the Incas spa bath as well as a hunting grounds. A short walk across the road is Pucapucara, a lodging for Incas travelling in and out of Cusco. Both were small sites, viewed easily in 5-10 minutes but it's the setting which makes these truly fabulous. The mountain valleys, stretching away from Cusco, give the sense of an enchanted land waiting to be adventured.
The third site, Qenko, was a 30-45 minute walk down the hillside, with green fields sloping down until they reached the city. The walk is barely exerting and the scenery makes time irrelevant. Qenko itself is a vexing construction. From above, the etched lines in the stone give the illusion of a maze, while tunnels through the rock lead to sites of religious practice.
The final and best site of all, Saqsaywoman, was worth saving until last. Saqsaywoman is really several sites on the one plot. It's one of Cusco's ultimate draw cards, the place was swarming with people, locals and tourists alike. Saqsaywoman served as a military fortress and religious site, and you can't help but picture the buzz and activity in this place nearly 600 years prior. Peru does the weird and wonderful well, so it should come as no surprise that in the middle of this archaeological marvel, a steep and smooth rock is used as a natural slide. All you can do is shrug and hurl yourself down!
In all the sites - and particularly this one - the rocks aren't just leftovers of a time long forgotten. Rather, they stand as testament to a legacy of an industrious and ingenious people. Everything serves a purpose, crafted and placed in a specific place. Yet, despite these fortress testimonies, very little is known of the Incan people or way. When you look at what they accomplished and at what they contributed to society (e.g. over 60% of the world's fruit and vegetables were originally cultivated by the Incas) - it's a shame we cannot see the world as they saw it.
Day 8
This was the big one: Sacred Valley. The Sacred Valley is sacred because it has a sacred river running through it. But throughout the valley are littered some of the most beautiful - and important - Inca sites that simply cannot be skipped!
Our morning started with a view of the opening of the valley. It is majestic.
We then hopped back in the bus to drive to Pisac, a Colonial town that possesses Inca mystique. Pisac has a busy marketplace, which all sorts of handcrafted wares. It is the ultimate souvenir shop! Before exploring the markets, however, we visited the Inca site that sits high above the town itself. If you're wondering why Inca sites are always on hillsides, it's because the Incas knew the valleys flooded so they built high to be safe. The site itself offers amazing views, more ingenious terraces and even a hillside cemetery. What is for certain is that the Incas did not do things in half measures!
Following lunch, the tour wound its way to Ollantaytambo, perhaps the most authentic Inca town remaining, in that the Spanish never made it here. What remains of the town today is much of what the Incas had built. We'd been here before for our Inca trail tour but hadn't explored this Inca site featured as part of the Boleta. We were glad we returned. The Inca site itself is a marvel, used for military and religious purposes. The stonework is remarkable. Words do not do justice to this place - or to the brilliance of the Incas.
Our last stop was Chincherro, a place permanently stained into our brains thanks to the bus station opposite our homestay, where sellers yell at all hours of the day, "Chincherro, Chincherro!" Their shouting does not provide an accurate reflection of the peace and stillness found at the Catholic Church atop Chinecherro. The Church itself is a feast for the eyes. Every inch of wall and ceiling features artwork from Spanish-trained Cusco artists. What makes this visit peculiar is that the Church is built on top of an old Incan temple. Remains of the Temple lie exposed next to the Church. It speaks of the duality of Cusco itself, somewhat Incan, somewhat Spanish, somewhat Catholic, somewhat all of the above but none at the same time.
Day 9
Not part of the Boleta pass but definitely a must-do if ever in Cusco: Rainbow Mountain. This is a geological marvel. The day begins with an early morning, 4 am to be precise. Three hours on a bus takes you to base camp, where a simple breakfast of bread and a hot drink. Then begins the arduous trek through the valley leading to Winicunca, the Quechan name for the mountain.
The path is deceptive. It starts off gentle and flat, with the slightest of inclines. This eventually gives way to steep slopes, requiring long, deep breaths. It's worth the 1.5-2 hour climb though. Even before you reach the summit, the views along the way are spectacular. And at the top, you are greeted by the many colours of the mountain, to which it owes its name.
We were fortunate enough to spend close to 15 minutes at the summit before the blistering winds swept in thick clouds which surrounded us like a fog. The illusion was mystical but we were glad to have taken our photos before it arrived!
Day 10
This left just one day to do the two remaining sites: Tipon (which is the home of Cuy, or roasted/fried guinea pig) and Pikkilacta. These are situated just outside of Cusco, in the opposite direction to the Sacred Valley. The plan was to get up early, catch a bus out to the sites and spend the day exploring - and possibly even try Cuy. Alas, three days in a row if adventuring and trekking left our bodies and our minds drained. There was little motivation to drag our bodies out of bed.
Ultimately, we had to remind ourselves that our purpose for being in Cusco is not solely travelling, but also to teach at our volunteer placement. Further, we have months of travel ahead of us. When our bodies are that tired we need to let them rest and recover. We'll get to those sites - and maybe the Cuy - on another day.
