Day 28 -- Cusco

Cusco, altitude 11000 feet and population -- is the historic capital of Peru, and was HQ of the Inca Empire.  After breakfast I went out walking to see the city square and visit the Dominican Church.  I am going to have to buy an illustrated book before I leave, as none of the churches or main tourist sites allow photographs,  Here they maintain the tradition of dressing all their religious statuary in elaborate and expensive robes and dresses.

At 1pm my Chimu guide arrived with tickets for today's City Tour.  Most of the streets in the old part of city here are one way and one vehicle wide.  So the tour bus phones ahead to get the pickups on the footpath so that he can load them quickly without causing a major traffic jam.  First stop was the Cathedral where we were divided into different language groups.  Our English guide was excellent, and gave her commentary via radio: we each had a receiver around our neck and an earpiece to hear her.  The Cathedral dates from the Spanish period and inbuilt over the site of the Inca Temple to the Sun God.  Actually the Cathedral comprises three churches side by side and opening into each other.  The left side dates from 1800s and is gold in its ornamentation.  Favoured for weddings.  Still being restored after the earthquake of 1950.  The middle church is the cathedral itself.  There is a silver-plated car which has a throne on it for the Corpus Christi procession.  The main chapel is the Christ's of the Earthquakes, a black carved figure in local artistic style. The right hand church is the oldest, also being restored from earthquake damage and used mainly for baptisms.

Colourful mural in Cusco car park

Next we visited the convent of the Dominican Sisters.  After earthquake it was discovered that it had been built over a series of Incan temples which h ave now been partly restored.  They feature the beautifully smooth and perfectly shaped buiding blocks that fit together without  mortar, and form a wall that "leans" so that it withstood the earthquake whereas the Convent buildings didn't.  There are very elaborate astronomical calculations associated with this series of small buildings, especially involving Equinox and Solstice.  From the central point of this complex 24 inca trails radiated out into the surrounding countryside, dividing the city and surrounds into administrative areas.  

In the centre of the city is another Incan excavation which we wandered through, but the details of which escape me.  It was a case of information overload on things Incan today!  Next we drove out of the city and up to a pass in the surrounding hills at 13000 feet level.  Here they are continuing to excavate a huge temple complex that was related to the Incan kings.  John Paul II said Mass  up here during a visit where 200000 gathered on the main platform.  Further on we visited the temple to the Mother Earth.  It is guarded by a large statue of a puma (symbol of power, and the city was laid out in shape of a puma).  You go down into a cave which represents the womb of Mother Earth, and here sacrificial offerings were left to ensure good harvests etc.    Finally further up the pass we stopped to walk a section of the Royal inca trail that leads past still functioning aqueducts and water supply channels.  Only the kings and their suppliers used this trail which led to the royal Palace and tombs. 

Tour went from 1-6.30 pm, so was quite demanding.  It was easily the best city tour I have been on during this trip. Ate out locally, and am ready for bed as we have an early start tomorrow to visit the sacred Valley. 

Today's photos can be viewed here.