Country: Peru
City: Cusco
Duration: 4 days
Accommodation: Milhouse Hostel
Cusco in Peru is the ancient Inca capital and is steeped in Inca and Spanish history and culture. It is a beautiful city and has a lot to offer tourists including striking churches, markets and shops, restaurants and bars and it is also the place where people prepare for and rest after the Inca Trail.
When we got to Cusco, we too had to get ready for the Inca Trail. We paid for the remainder of our trip and collected the empty bags that we needed for the trek in the Llama Path office. We also adjusted to the altitude by strolling around the city, jumping in and out of different shops and markets buying souvenirs and paintings.
We enjoyed the Free Walking Tour in La Paz so much that we decided to do one again here in Cusco. Unfortunately it was not as good or as informative. I did enjoy wandering through the cobbled streets though and being shown the good viewpoints. We saw the Cristo Blanco (White Christ) who overlooks the city and the ancient carved stone walls of the city. We also stopped in a small shop selling local instruments. It was lovely to hear some cultural music.
The main square in Cusco, Plaza de Armas, has many Spanish colonial buildings but this square used to part of the area that was once the Great Inca Square, called Haukaypata. It was lovely to walk around and there were nice gardens and a fountain in the centre of the square. The cathedral sat impressively at one end and there were some lovely restaurants surrounding the square, including one of my favourites, Inka Grill. Just off the square was Bambu, a gorgeous sushi and noodle bar which I would recommend also. And close by was Jack's Cafe Bar, a must for breakfast.
We also went to Choco Museo, a chocolate museum, factory and cafeteria and enjoyed some yummy cake and hot chocolate. You could also participate in a chocolate workshop there.
After the Inca Trail we were dropped back to Cusco where we rested for a day before heading on to Arequipa to do another trek, the Colca Canyon Trek!
