Welcome to Cuzco
After our side trip down to Nasca, we headed back up into the Andes for what is quickly becoming one of the highlights of our trip: Cuzco. This city's claim to fame is that it was the seat and origin of the Incan empire of Tahuantinsuyu.
Of course, not a whole lot remains of the original Andean architecture in Cuzco since the city naturally attracted the brunt of the Spanish invasion and plenty of special attention in the first years of the colony. The Inca palaces and temples were systematically torn down and their foundations used to build grand Spanish residences and Catholic churches, while warfare took care of the rest.
However, the city was not particularly well placed for the colonial Spanish needs, and they soon lost interest in their destructive program, leaving Cuzco in relative obscurity. The result is that the city is a jewel caught in a time capsule. It is a remarkably well preserved and beautiful colonial city, with white buildings, ornate balconies and arcades lining every square.
Further, the Inca built the valley in which Cuzco lies into a veritable megalopolis, and the Spanish could never quite destroy the traces of the city's past. This valley, known as the Sacred Valley, is awash with ruins of Precolumbian cities, outposts, inns, and country palaces for the elite, all waiting to be explored. Even in the city itself, the uniquely styled foundations of Inca buildings form the walls of colonial buildings and the city itself preserves its Precolumbian layout in the form of a Puma.
On the down side, Cusco is pretty much a tourist town today, with all of the problems that this situation entails. The prices are high, access to actual Peruvian culture is limited and aggressive salespeople and touts abound. The city also seems to be suffering a rather strange crisis of overproduction in the message-parlor business (not the happy end kind, unfortunately...) and you can't cross the street without touts accosting you with massage coupons. But, the tourist presence has its advantages: the food is varied and excellent, the city boasts a dozen wonderful museums and transportation is well above average.
We hope that these pictures give a decent idea of what this nice place brings to the table!
