Cusco, Peru

Cusco used to be the capital of the Inca Empire. It continues to be an important city as it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With an elevation of around 3400 meters, it is significantly higher than Machu Picchu. We didn't have any scheduled tours here - there was an option to pay an additional fee for a city tour but I didn't take it - so my mom and I spent about two days just walking around and visiting some of the sights recommended online. The city center is quite compact, with most places of interest within walking distance of each other. Plaza de Armas is Cusco's main square and it was only a couple of blocks from our hotel so we went here a few times.

Plaza de Armas in Cusco

Cusco Cathedral, or officially the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin, is the most imposing structure in Plaza De Armas. It also has a magnificent interior which we got to see on our second day there.

Cusco Cathedral

Tourists are not allowed to enter during mass. You also need a ticket to get in. Entrance is 25 Peruvian Soles but the integrated ticket costs 40 Peruvian Soles according to the website. (Since we planned on visiting the Archbishop Palace as well, we got the integrated ticket.) I saw a negative review on tripadvisor saying that the Cusco Cathedral ticket was too expensive but my mom and I both thought it was worth the entrance fee and we thoroughly enjoyed looking at, and being surrounded by, all the incredible religious artifacts, memorabilia, and displays. Photos are not allowed inside.

I managed to take this photo of the interior while the main doors were open during early morning mass

The Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, or the Church of the Society of Jesus, is another church in Plaza de Armas, You also need to pay an entrance fee to go in but it isn't part of the integrated ticket so we didn't enter. My mom did buy a couple of souvenirs in the church shop. 

Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús or Church of the Society of Jesus

There was a lot of activity in Plaza de Armas on our first day there but I didn't know what it was about. A lot of people lined the streets... 

 

 ... to view parades of people walking through the square. 

 There were also kids dancing in the large open space in front of Cusco Cathedral. 

My mom and also visited the Archbishop Palace which was about a block away from the main square. It was built on the ruins of an Inca palace and houses several rooms that feature religious displays. The cool thing about the rooms here, along with the chapel, is that they all had motion sensor lights that would turn on when visitors would enter and turn off automatically shortly after visitors left. What a good way to conserve energy! Photos are also not allowed inside except in the main patio.

Main Patio of the Archbishop Palace

The wall outside the Archbishop Palace also features the 12-angle stone. I wasn't sure what this stone was since I couldn't find it online when I searched for it; I just kept seeing the stone wall of the palace. Since my map indicated that this stone was outside the Archbishop Palace, I just took a few photos of the wall itself. A man passing by gave me an unusual look as I was taking photos and I think he figured out that I was interested in the 12-angle stone because he stopped and told me that the 12-angle stone was further down the wall. He pointed to a spot where several people were gathered. My mom and I walked over there and we finally figured out what this 12-angle stone was. Here it is. It's a huge stone on the wall has 12 angles and 12 edges. This stone is proof yet again that the the Incas were exceptional stone masons.

The 12-angle stone

Another place we visited that further showcased the mastery of the Incas when it came to stone masonry was Sacsayhuaman, a UNESCO World Heritage site which is on the outskirts of Cusco. It was initially thought to have been a fortress but is now believed to have been a ceremonial center.

Sacsayhuaman

The views at the top were glorious. It was lightly drizzling a few minutes before I took this next photo so I'm happy the skies cleared. 

There were these really interesting rock formations.

Sacsayhuaman was about 1 kilometer from our hotel so we thought it would be manageable to walk all the way there. As it turns out, that was definitely not a good idea since it was a long uphill walk on cobblestone streets and rocky paths at an elevation of 3400 meters. Instead, it is recommended that you take a taxi to the top. You can ask your taxi to wait for you or you can hail a taxi there to head back down (which is what we did since we were already tired). There seems to always be quite a few taxis waiting for passengers at the top. Or you could also just walk back down. Just make sure that if you decide to walk, you have footwear that will make it easy to head downhill.

View of Cusco from Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park

Museo Quechua is a nice little museum right next to our hotel. Entrance is free so we decided to pay it a visit. Quechua refers to the indigenous people of Peru and other South American countries and this charming museum showcases the life and history of the Quechua people and of Peru. We were guided through the museum by Erika. She was very friendly and pleasant and she shared a lot of information about the beautiful displays. If you plan on visiting Qorikancha and the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo or if you are staying at the Palacio del Inka, I definitely recommend at least a quick visit here. There is also a shop and a cafe at the end of the museum. 

Beautiful wall display at the entrance of Museo Quechua

The Church and Convent of Santo Domingo is right in front of Palacio del Inka so we visited this church on our last day. It is built on the ruins of Qorikancha or the Inca Temple of the Sun, which was the most important temple in the Inca Empire. We only went into the church and not into the rest of the convent/temple grounds.

Church and Convent of Santo Domingo

My mom and I also got to have a fun photo op with a man dressed in traditional Inca attire. On our way back to the hotel to rest a bit, we saw this man in Inca attire step out of the hotel. He was too far away from us and walking quite quickly so we weren't have our photo taken with him at that point. However, on our way out of the hotel to get some food and do some souvenir shopping, we spotted him again in our hotel lobby. We asked him if we could take photos with him and he agreed and even did several poses with both me and my mom. (We of course handed him a tip.)

Cool photo op at the lobby of our hotel

We left Cusco in the evening of our second day there and although we boarded on time, our departure was delayed. We were on the plane but it didn't move for maybe an hour. We got back to Lima at close to 11pm and arrived at our hotel at close to midnight. We then needed to get ready because our flight from Lima to Rio de Janeiro was at around 9am the next day. This meant we had to be at the Lima airport by 6am which also meant we had to be up by 4am. As such, we had only a couple of hours sleep that night and we slept a bit more on the flight. Still, by the time we arrived in Rio the next day, we were quite tired so we just had a quick dinner next to the hotel and rested.

Next: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Aguas Calientes and Getting to Machu Picchu

We took the Inca Rail to get to and from Machu Picchu. There are three train stations where you can get on the Inca Rail: Ollantaytambo, Poroy, and Cusco. We were instructed to bring our passport with us since we may need it to board the train - I guess to confirm our identity - but on the train to Machu Picchu and on the train heading out, we only had to show our train tickets.

Inca Rail station at Ollantaytambo

Important: you can only bring a small bag with you on the train. Inca Rail doesn’t accept big luggage because they don't have luggage racks or storage space on the train. Their policy is posted on their website and it indicates that passengers can travel with only one piece of hand luggage (backpack, handbag, or briefcase) weighing no more than 8 kg/11lb and with dimensions of no more 62 inches/157 cm (height + length + width). I was actually able to get in with a small suitcase (I think my bag was the smallest standard size of a carry-on suitcase) and a backpack that contained just my cameras and sunglasses.

On the train heading to Machu Picchu

Inca Rail does provide a custody service for big luggage. I'm not sure how this works or how much it costs. The great thing about our tour, which was organized by Condor Travel and Journeyou, was that we didn't have to worry about this because they managed our big luggage. We left our bags with Condor Travel and Journeyou when we checked out of Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba and they took our bags to Cusco. In fact, when we arrived at our hotel in Cusco, our luggage had already been checked into our rooms. I thought that was fantastic service.

The train station in Machu Picchu Pueblo or Aguas Calientes

The train ride to and from Machu Picchu passes through some pretty awesome views. I am not sure what this river is that runs right alongside the train tracks - I initially thought it was the Urubamba River but it could be Vilcanota River. In any case, the river and its rapids are quite scenic so try to be on the left side of the train on the way to Machu Picchu and on the right side on the way back so you can get a better look at the river from the train. My mom and I were seated on the right side of the train both times so it was only on the train ride leaving Machu Picchu that I was able to take photos of the river. Interesting tidbit: the people sitting next to us on the train on the way there were the exact same people with whom we sat on the way to back (and I believe they were from Mexico).

Great view of rapids on the train

Our tour guide told us we would get a good view of Veronica, one of the mountains of the Peruvian Andes, on the train. The peak is absolutely stunning.

Peak of Veronica, as seem from our train

I wasn't ready to take photos of it on the way to Machu Picchu so the first set of shots I took were blurry and you can't really see the amazing detail. Naturally, I made sure to be ready with my digital camera with its 30x zoom on the way back. As a result, I was able to take some pretty decent shots of Veronica (this next one was taken through the glass ceiling of our train).

The cool thing about the Inca Rail is that you get served free food and drinks. The snack is standard but you have a choice of a hot or cold beverage.

Inca Rail train service includes a free snack and drink

We stayed in Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo, which is closest access point to Machu Picchu. As mentioned in my previous post, we checked into Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel for one night. It's too bad we checked into this hotel after 6pm and we checked out at around 730 to 8am the next day right before heading to Machu Picchu because I would have loved to see and experience more of it (check out this video of the hotel). The good thing about Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo is that they provide a service to bring your bags to the train station. Once we checked out, we attached tags to our bags indicating what time our train was leaving and the hotel staff brought them to the station 30 minutes before train departure. True enough, when we got there, our bags were waiting for us. Once again, great service!

The lobby of Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

Aguas Calientes is also where people get on the buses to take them to Machu Picchu.

Aguas Calientes or Machu Picchu Pueblo

We were a bit lucky on our way to the bus. There were many people already ahead of us in line when we arrived but it got significantly longer once we were there. We waited maybe just 20 minutes for our bus which wasn't too bad. It was actually our way back down that took a while. The queue was tremendously long and we waited in line for I think an hour. Of course, because we were so euphoric about the Machu Picchu trip, waiting in line didn't feel too bad. It gave us an opportunity to chat a bit more with some of the other people who were touring with us.

The queue of people waiting to get on the bus that would take us to Machu Picchu

We got back to Aguas Calientes from Machu Picchu at around 1:30 or 2pm. We had a late buffet lunch at El Mapi. I thought the food was good and nourishing, and I loved that brewed coffee was included in the buffet. At around 230pm, we headed to the Machu Picchu market where my mom bought shirts and postcards and I bought refrigerator magnets as souvenirs. We then walked back to Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel to buy a small book about Machu Picchu that my mom saw before we checked out. It was in Spanish - they didn't have an English version of the book - but it had some stunning photos so my mom decided to get it anyway.

A nice place to relax at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

By 4pm we were back at the station, getting ready to board our train to Machu Picchu. We were supposed to get off at Poroy which is very near Cusco but there was a bit of a snag (I'm not sure why). We had to get off at Ollantaytambo then Inca Rail provided shuttles that took us to Plaza de Armas in Cusco. It was close to 9pm when we arrived at Cusco.

Next: Cusco

Machu Picchu!

A friend of mine told me about Machu Picchu around 14 years ago. I didn't know what it was back then so I looked it up online. When I saw images of it in the internet, I immediately knew that I had to visit this incredible place at least once in my life. Needless to say, Machu Picchu was one of the places I was looking forward to seeing the most during my South American trip.

We checked out or our hotel that morning after breakfast and our tour guide picked us up at the lobby of our hotel at around 830am, if I recall correctly. We walked around 10 to 15 minutes to the place where we would get on the bus. There was a long queue of people when we got there but thankfully we didn't have to wait too long. Our bus ride was only about 20 minutes, if I recall correctly. On the way up, I caught glimpses of Machu Picchu and I started to get more excited. As soon as we entered the gate and started walking towards the ruins, I almost couldn't contain myself.

When we finally got to the first main viewing point, I was blown away. It was absolutely awe-inspiring! Thankfully, when we got to the main viewing area, there was no one at the far edge which is where our tour guide took us. This meant we had that area practically to ourselves so we ended up spending a lot of time there taking photos.

Machu Picchu was built in 1450 and was previously and inaccurately believed to have been the Lost City of the Incas. It remained unknown to most of the outside world for centuries and even the Spanish didn't discover it during their colonization of Peru and South America. There is still no definitive proof as to what Machu Picchu was supposed to be but many archaeologists believe it to have been an estate or retreat of Inca ruler Pachacuti. Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Peruvian Historic Sanctuary. It was also voted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

While it was amazing to see panoramic views of Machu Picchu from afar, it was equally amazing to walk amidst the ruins.

One thing I learned about the Incas during my trip to Peru is that they were excellent stone masons. As you will see in the next photo, the stones fit perfectly with each other. As such, no mortar is needed.

The surreal experience of seeing and walking through these Inca ruins was made even better by the stunning mountain scenery.

The tall mountain that provides a magnificent backdrop to Machu Picchu is called Huayna Picchu. Guests can hike up this mountain but the number of visitors is strictly controlled.

Our tour guide walked us through many different parts of the ruins and talked to us in detail about the history of Machu Picchu. I admit I don't recall much of what she said because I was in awe of where we were and I was continually taking photos.

I do remember her talking to us about the Temple of the Condor. She pointed out the big rock formation that formed the wings...

...and she also pointed out the head of the condor that was on the ground in front of the wings.

Oh and we also got to see a couple of free-roaming llamas!

This was the fourth day that our tour group had been together and by now we were all getting along quite well. It was great that our guide recommended that we take a big group photo.

I also only learned during this visit that you can get your passport stamped at Machu Picchu. When we were told we needed to bring our passports here, I thought it was for proper documentation but as it turns out, it was just so that we could get them stamped. So cool!

I am also grateful that the sun was up and the weather was great when we were there. Truth be told, it was actually quite hot but I was wearing a plain black shirt which didn't look great in photos. As such, I kept putting on my jacket each time I had my photo taken. Here's what I would have looked like with just my black shirt (quite bland in my opinion LOL):

We spent about 3 hours in Machu Picchu; we arrived at around 930am and we left at about 1230pm. I initially thought that a half-day visit here wouldn't be enough but as it turned out, it was. I wouldn't have minded spending more time here but that said, I didn't feel cheated that our tour lasted just three hours . I can't believe that I have now visited Machu Picchu. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity and experience.

Next: Traveling to Machu Picchu

Sacred Valley, Peru

The Sacred Valley of the Incas, or Urubamba Valley, is a culturally and historically significant area that lies in the midst of the Peruvian Andes, around 15 to 20 kilometers from Cusco. Our tour here included two key stops: Chinchero and Ollantaytambo. It was also the first full-day tour of our South America trip.

View of the Sacred Valley from Taray lookout point

Chinchero is a picturesque Andean village that is famous for Peruvian weaving. When we got here, we first went into Centro Cultural Parwa where we learned a bit about textile-making from local artisans.

Centro Cultural Parwa

We then walked across the street to see and feed some alpacas, llamas, and vicunas.

Feeding some alpacas

We were also given a brief talk about local produce by our tour guide. I didn't realize that there are thousands of different potato varieties!

We then walked towards Plaza de Chinchero, which is their main square. You need a ticket to visit this area (it was included in our tour, of course). My research indicates that you can get in with the Cusco Tourist Ticket which costs 130 Peruvian Soles and is valid for 10 days or you can get a partial ticket at 70 Peruvian Soles which is valid for 2 days and will allow you to visit Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, and Moray, all of which are in the Sacred Valley.

View of the Sacred Valley from Chinchero

Chinchero has an altitude of 3800 meters, making it the highest place we visited during our trip. Our tour guide told us that to get to the main square, we had to walk up some steps and it may be challenging because of the altitude (it was). Once we walked through the archway that leads to the main square, the view that greeted us was pretty awesome. The main square is where you can find the Chinchero Market or the Mercado de Artesanias.

Mercado de Artesanias (Chinchero Market)

On one side of the plaza stands the Chinchero Colonial Church, which was built by the Spanish around 1607 on top of the remains of an Incan Palace. Our guide told us that the paintings on the ceiling of this church haven't been retouched since they were painted centuries ago. Visitors are allowed to go inside the church but are not allowed to take photos.

I really loved this place, not only because of the market, the church, and the ruins, but also because it was so expansive. It helped that the skies were clear and the weather was great while we were there.

Once our guided tour of the main square was done, we were given about 15 minutes to go around and take pictures. While I maximized that time, I could easily have spent many more hours here walking around and appreciating (and taking photos of) the panoramic views and the Incan ruins.

We then left Chinchero and made our way to our lunch stop. Along the road, we stopped briefly at a viewing point of the Peruvian Andes.

Peruvian Andes

We also saw some women in traditional attire with some ornately dressed llamas. We just had to have photos taken with them too. :) Peruvian people often agree to have their photos taken with you but you do need to tip them for it.

After a satisfying buffet lunch, we then headed to our final stop that day: Ollantaytambo. Once again, tourists need a Cusco Tourist Ticket to visit this place. Ollantaytambo is known for being the starting point of the famous Inca Trail, which is the four-day hike to Machu Picchu. We weren't here for that though; instead, we were here to visit Temple Hill.

Temple Hill in Ollantaytambo

Apparently, there are more than 300 mostly uneven steps that lead to the top of  Temple Hill, which is where you will find the Temple of the Sun. Our tour guide asked us if we felt up to the challenge of going up. 300+ steps is normally not that difficult, but Ollantaytambo has an elevation of almost 2,800 meters so even minor physical activity would be difficult because of the thinner air. Still, everyone in our tour group was up for the challenge. Cool!

Of course, with everyone filled with so much energy and excitement, we all made it to the top. There were some really great views of the town from the Temple of the Sun.

This is also where you will find the Wall of the Six Monoliths. Apparently, each of these stones weighs at least 50 tons! I can't even imagine the effort required to bring them all the way up here from a nearby quarry.

Our tour of Sacred Valley was now complete and we headed to the train station in Ollantaytambo to catch the 4:36 PM train to Machu Picchu.

Next: Machu Picchu