Peru Day 2: Cusco
Day 2: Cusco–This entry was written on May 10, 2006
We got up early Tuesday morning and flew to Cusco. Cusco was the capital of the Incan empire and still boasts one of Peru’s strongest cities. I was expecting a back-woods tourist town, and, although it is a tourist town, it also has a thriving population of 400k in the city itself, and many more in the vicinity. Thus, to call Cusco a tourist town is much like calling Boston a college town.
After arriving in town, we met with our facilitator, who took us to our hotel and introduced us to our guide, Omar. Over some coca tea, we discussed the plan for our hike along the trail, went over some basics, and made arrangements for a tour of Cusco. We saw so much that it’s hard to remember everything.
We first visited Koricancha, the cite of an ancient Incan temple on top of which the Spanish had built a monastery. 
Up until 1950, it was presumed that the temple had been completely destroyed, but after an earthquake razed the monastery, the remains of temple were exposed underneath. Although much of the temple was indeed destroyed by the Spanish, some of the interior rooms and foundation withstood both the Spanish and quake. The sanctuaries inside were amazingly built–the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Moon, and the Temple of hte Stars.
Afterwards, we visited the main cathedral, just off the Plaza de Armas in Cusco. 
The chapels and rectories inside were truly amazing. There was so much gold leaf and silver everywhere–stolen from the Incas and melted down by the Spanish. We also saw the Black Christ, but I can’t remember the historical significance.
Next, we visited Sacsayhuaman, another ancient temple that is so magnificent that it must be seen. The walls are constructed like a 3D jigsaw puzzle, with pieves the perfectly interlock to millimeter precision, and with stones that weigh as much as 120 tons … and which were quarries 3km away! Those Incas were crazy!
Our guide really is great. When Isabel expressed an interest in Alpaca wool, he took us to one of the reputable dealers–actually, the outlet for an Alpaca wholesaler–who taught us all about the natural dyes and how to tell real baby alpaca from the synthetics or blends or not-so-baby-alpaca. 
Hint: you can’t trust the label. As we entered the store, Omar emphasised to us that, whatever happens, we should not feel in any way obligated or pressured to buy. We, of course, did buy. I found this great scarf that I think Becky will enjoy.
By the time we got back to the hotel, I started feeling pretty sick. I’m not sure if it was the effects of the altitude sickness, since I was feeling a bit queasy when we were in Lima, along the coast. The symptoms of altitude sickness resemble the symptoms of the flu, so it really could have been either. Cusco is at about 11k feet, so my body was probably not ready for the thinner air. After having to explain to the poor waitress that my food was delicious (I assume it would have been) and that I just wasn’t hungry, I went back to the hotel and took some anti-nausea medicine. By morning, I felt much better.