Alpaca my stuff up and go to Cuzco

Feb 28th was another early start for the SHS crew.  Breakfast 5:45, rolling on the bus at 6:30 in order to avoid the traffic in Lima.  With a group as large as ours a little extra time in boarding and security didn’t hurt anyone.  Our destination the ancient Incan capital of Cuzco.

On our flight from Lima, my traveling companion was a Norwegian gentleman.  After breaking down the societal value of lefsa and Lutefisk we settle into our seats.  He was kind enough to give me the breakdown on Cuzco and some of the ruins around the area.  He like everyone else advices that I drink plenty of water.  His best quote was stolen from his Peruvian guide.  It went something like this, “Any day here in Cuzco and the Sacred Valley, you can experience all 4 seasons in one day.  Winter at night, Spring in the morning, Summer in the afternoon and Fall in the evening.”  Turns out that is not far from the truth.

Organizing the masses at Cuzco airport

Cuzco is an amazing city.  Cuzco also spelled Qosq’o in the native language of Quechua.  It is made up of tight cobblestone streets many now lined with shops supported by tourism.  Historically Spanish cathedrals dominate the skyline in place.  Many of them constructed from the stone used by the Incas in creating their temples.  One empire cannot rise unless the other one false, I guess.

At little history, Cuzco consider the “navel of the earth”.  Again this was the capital of the Incan empire. We learned from our guide Patricia, Patty, about the 9th Inca king 👑, Pachacutec.  Although not chosen for the thrown by his aging father when the time came he behave like a king.  With an enemy army just on the  other side of the valley the aging king and his oldest son fled.  Pachacutec organized the Incan army an defeated their adversary.  He appointed himself king and oversaw the largest expansion of the Incan empire.  He ordered the construction of Sacsaywaman just outside of Cuzco.

The streets of Cuzco

Looking for lunch in Cuzco

We had a traditional lunch in Cuzco.  Everyone tried everything without complaint, except for Megan who had anything she ate verified by about 4 people that it was OK.

Quina soup 

Alpaca kabobs with potatoes and red onions

Salsa a la huancaina not pictured 

Chocolate cake.  This is Katie’s, cause I ate mine to fast.

Here are a few views of the skyline.

Here is the gang of 40 at lunch

#proofoflife

From lunch we departed for Sacsaywaman.  The Quechua name means satisfied falcon.  Sacsaywaman is the head of the puma and Cuzco was the body.  This was the vision of Pachacutec.  The 22 zigzagging walls are the teeth.  The temple/observatory represented the eye.

Entering Sacsaywaman 

Katie with a Peruvian woman 

The girls at Sacsaywaman.  Amara is hiding her identity. #proofoflife

All the Hornets at Sacsaywaman 

The foundations of the temple 

Checkout how tightly these stones fit together.  Carved in place in like 1450s

Katie and me

Enough said on this one

The Virgin Mary over looking Cuzco.

From Cuzco we drove to Pisac.  We visited a fabulous market the kids could shop at.  Most importantly everyone could use the bathroom.  Drinking that much water has consequences.

This one is a little blurry cause this street is so narrow I thought the bus might get stuck 

The Blue Llama bathrooms and hot chocolate 🍫 

The market at Pisac.  No Gracias 

All around the valley you see house with bulls on top.  Originally the animals were llamas but after the Spanish invasion they were change to bulls.  The cross and bulls are a symbol for protection and blessings on the house and it is put on when the House is complete.

From Pisac, it was to our fabulous hotel a little diner and then bed.  Tomorrow we will explore the Sacred Valley.  It is Sacred because the waters in these rivers run to the Amazon 

Buenos noches