Cusco - Ancient Capitol of the Inkas

The JetBlue 3 1/2hr flight from Austin to JFK was, fortunately, uneventful and on time – what more can you ask from an airline? Oh, and, no charge for my checked baggage!

I wasn't thrilled about the 7hr layover in JFK before my midnight flight to Lima but preferred that over a tight connection. A pleasant surprise awaited me when I checked in at the LAN Airlines counter. They are members of the One World Alliance with American Airlines and had a complimentary pass to the Admiral's Club for the agents going on this fam (familiarization trip for travel agents.) We met in the Lounge and spent a relaxing evening before the flight. I'll probably always remember watching the Obama/Romney debate in the middle of the JFK Admiral's Club. My other debate memory was listening to the Reagan/Mondale debate in 1984 from the back of our boat cruising down the Yangtze!

A glass of wine, 2 meals, an Ambien, and 6 hours later I was  landing in Lima feeling pretty good after only 4-hours sleep. 

One more short flight and we were landing in Cusco.  The sight was beautiful as I could see the cathedral and Plaza de Armas and the city  surrounded by mountains.

A major enticement to joining this fam was the fact that we would be staying in Orient Express properties in Peru.  I book them frequently and felt it was my turn to experience these unique places that my clients love.  We are staying at The Monasterio Hotel in Cusco.  The building was a former monastery built in the 1500's by the Spanish, and I soon learned why my clients enjoyed their stay. The ambiance made me feel as though I was in a Spanish monastery but with all the modern updates I could possibly want including Wifi!  One unique amenity is their oxygenated rooms designed to help travelers adjust to the 10,000 ft altitude. I can't wait to see if this extra oxygen gives me a boost in my sleep-deprived condition!

Our flight to Cusco was delayed so time didn't permit the lunch and a short rest we supposed to have upon arrival.  Instead, our hearty ban headed out on a tour of the region.  High in the Andes  Cusco was the capital of the Incas. The Incan word cusco  means “navel” or “center”as this was where the Incas began their powerful empire. Cusco has grown somewhat since I was here over 10 years ago, but it still has a charming historical section with beautiful Spanish colonial architecture andtouches of the Inca civilization still present.

We drove to a site, known as Sacsayhuaman, an ancient Inka structure high above Cusco,  Built for largely ceremonial purposes, it was used as a fortress in 1556 when Manco Inka laid seige to Cusco. 

What is so incredible about the structure is the huge stones which were transported from a quarry 5 miles away long before the wheel was invented and were stacked together without mortar but fit so tight a blade of grass cannot fit between them. Note the photo showing how a stone was carved to fit exactly with the lower one. 

The name is pronounced “Sexy Woman,” and I just couldn't resist getting my picture taken in front of the ruins!!

By now the weather had turned windy and much cooler.  Drastic changes in temperature are not unusual in the mountain/valley region.  Next stop was at the Q'enqo Ruins which were only recently uncovered beneath soil that had been the foundations for Spanish structures.  Earthquakes destroyed the Spanish buildings but the Incas remained intact.  A passageway led to a cave in the Q'engo site where the priests sacrificed animals to their gods.

The sun was now setting on our first day in Peru so our final stop was back in the old city at the Santo Domingo Convent Monastery, previously the Koricancha Temple, one of the most important temples devoted to the Inka worship of the sun.  So many of the sites in the Cusco area are a combination of Inka and Spanish religions.  According to history, the Inkas had built a huge plate covered in gold leaf that was so bright in sunlight its reflection was seen for miles away.  The Spaniards were thrilled with this discovery as well as many other gold plated walls in the temple as evidenced by the holes the made removing the gold.

The Sales Manager at the Monastery Hotel hosted us for a beautiful dinner tonight in their lovely dining room.  The meal was delicious and truly gourmet.  Cusco is certainly giving Lima competition in the culinary category. I'm afraid our eyelids were really drooping as it had been 2 days since we'd slept in a bed. It was definitely time to try them out!

Tomorrow is an early and wonderful but long day as we board a train u in the morning bound for this mystical site.
More from Peru tomorrow.. 

Linda