Peruvian
Adventure - Cuzco
Home Page
Lima Page Nazca
Page Paracas Marine Reserve
Cuzco,
Be sure to take it slow on your day of arrival to this city, as the altitude takes some time to get used to.
A few cups of Mate De Coca* (see below) tea will definitely help you acclimate to the altitude.
Cuzco is our jumping off point for the Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, The Urubamba Valley, Pisaq
- Sacsayhuaman, Quenco, and Salumpuncu
- A day hike round Cusco. Sacsayhuaman is a massive Inca fortress overlooking Cuzco, and one of the finest ruins in the area. The fortress was built in the form of three enormous parallel zigzag walls, designed so that the enemy had to expose his flank to the defender.
- Chinchero
- Chinchero is known for its Sunday market which is the best in the region. Some very finely woven skirts and mantas (shawls) and typical Indian costumes can be seen here. This is a produce market, although handicrafts have been added for the tourists' benefit.
- The Inca trail to Machu Picchu
- Not all Inca ruins are hidden in the jungle. The appeal of this particular path is the rich variety of Inca stonework. There are Inca steps, an Inca tunnel, and of course the ruins: Runkuracay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca, Huinay Huayna, and Machu Picchu itself. Even without the Inca parts, this trail would be breathtaking; it goes over high passes with excellent views, through cloud forest, and finally into subtropical vegetation. Over ninety species of orchid have been counted in the Parque Arqueologico Nacional de Machu Picchu. The usual starting point for the Inca trail is the train stop known as km. 88. An estimated 5,000 people a year walk the Inca trail.
*******
Below is a photo of the Church of the Society
of Jesus in Cuzco, Peru.
It was in this square that Tupac Amaru was beheaded, and cut into quarters
after revolting against the Spanish Conquistadors
that had enslaved his people for more then 200 years,
forcing them to work the gold
mines of the Andes.
Below is my friend George Priola at the famous "Gringo Alley". Take note of the stone work on the foundations of the structures in the alley, these are the original foundations built by Incan tradesmen with just stone age tools.
While in Cuzco check out Momma Africa's and Rosie
O'Grady's for a chance to trade notes with other tourist and trekkers
over drinks. They are both located to the right of the Church of the Society
of Jesus when facing the church. There are also a few cyber cafes in the
square to check your e-mail or send messages home.
Cost = .75 cents $US. an hour (December 2002)
Above are some Incan women coming home from picking potato's on the plains above
Cuzco
* When
necessary many tourist drink Mate de Coca tea when suffering from
altitude sickness. Mate de Coca is made from the leaf of the coca plant, the
same plant that cocaine is derived from. But be assured, It is NOT cocaine. Many
studies have been done on the coca leaf, but more recent studies have shown that
coca chewing significantly aids in metabolizing high carbohydrate foods like
potatoes, yucca, and corn, which are traditional staples in the Andean region,
thus providing the chewer with more rapid energy input from his meals. Supposed
narcotic effects of coca-leaf chewing are nil because enzymes in the mouth
convert coca into atropine-like substances, unlike those involved in cocaine.
But be advised, You can not bring a sample home to show your friends!!!!
Interested
in traveling to Cuzco?
E-Mail Us for more Information.
Homepage Lima Paracas Marine Reserve Nazca Lines
website
designs by islandwebs.com
