PERU - CUSCO AND MACHU PICCHU

We have continued our South American travels and just finished visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu.
After having spent a week in the northern part of Peru in the Amazon jungle, it was a nice change to head to the southern area of Peru.  The climate, people, language, foods, culture...etc. were so different from one another that it felt like we were in a different county altogether.

During our 3 nights and 2 days in Cusco we strolled around the city's many cobblestone streets, admired the colonial ambiance and architecture, sampled the local food, visited the ChocoMuseo (chocolate museum), and I even had a chance to visit Mercado de San Pedro and El Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco (a local women's weaving cooperative and museum).  Cusco sits at 11,200 feet, and it took us a day or two to adjust to the altitude.  Our hotel offered both mate de coca (coca tea) and oxygen to help one acclimatize.  We drank a lot of tea while there, and Monica and Matt each got a few oxygen treatments.  I'm not sure whether they really needed them, or if they just loved the experience of putting on the mask and receiving the oxygen?

Our most surprising event in Cusco was having to be evacuated from our hotel our very first morning because the hotel caught on fire.  Unfortunately, there was a fire started in the restaurant next door, and it ended up burning part of the roof of our hotel, creating a vast amount of smoke throughout the hotel.  It was an experience we will never forget, being summoned by the hotel staff in the early morning and quickly leaving the building (without our belongings) as smoke started to fill the rooms of the hotel.  Fortunately, no one was hurt, we ended up being transferred to another hotel for the remainder of our stay, and the event did not end up having a significant impact on our travel plans.  We just chalked it up as another one of our wild adventures...!

We took a day traveling from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, and spent time in the Sacred Valley, visiting the Pisac Ruins, Pisac Market, and the Ollantaytambo Ruins.  The scenery was beautiful and it was nice to see this area of Peru.  We then took the Vistadome train, from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes in preparation for our Machu Picchu hike.  The 2 1/2 hour train ride along the Urubamba River was fabulous, and we enjoyed watching the vegetation change as we descended into the cloud forest of Aguas Calientes.  This was Monica's very first train ride, and she loved it!

Machu Picchu, Peru's 15th-century Inca site located at 7,970 feet above sea level, was quite impressive, especially after having visited the smaller ruins of Pisac and Ollantaytambo the day before.  We had a great experience, and are glad that we made the effort to see this incredible archaeological site.

After our long day at Machu Picchu, we took the Vistadome train back to Cusco, spent one last night, before we flew to Colombia, our next and final destination in our 3-week South American adventure.

La Catedral in Cusco

Many women in Cusco weave their textiles and wear a traditional brown hat, as can be seen in this photo.

Beautiful churches and architecture in Cusco's Plaza de Armas

A view of Cusco and Plaza de Armas

Cuy (guinea pig) is one of Peru's traditional foods and many Peruvian's grew up eating it.  In recent years, it has become very expensive, unfortunately making it less available.  In Cusco, it is roasted in the oven and has a thick crunchy outer skin.  While there is not a whole lot of meat to be eaten, it can be quite delicious.  I personally prefer chicken or turkey over cuy, but had to try it while in Cusco.

These women from Chinchero, a village less than an hour away from Cusco, are wearing their brightly colored traditional clothing.

This young girl is weaving a scarf (by hand) in the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales de Cusco.  She lives in one of the small towns in the Sacred Valley.

This young girl is weaving (using a loom) in the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales de Cusco.  She also is making some type of garment to keep warm, and lives in one of the small towns in the Sacred Valley.

Monica and Matt are very excited to hold the lambs in Cusco!

Cusco's main market, Mercado Central de San Pedro, is located in a giant warehouse in the city.  Everything from fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, prepared foods, and textiles are sold here.  

Various types of corn (maiz), grains (quinoa), and spices are all sold in the market.  Cusco's food is delicious, and it we enjoyed sampling several new dishes.

We saw this Peruvian man with his animals.  The first two on the left are alpacas, and three on the right are llamas.  Many of the highest quality textiles in Peru are made of soft alpaca wool.

A gorgeous view of the Sacred Valley, with Rio Urubamba running through the middle

On our visit to the Sacred Valley we explored the ancient Pisac Ruins of the Incas. 

Monica and Matt at the Pisac Ruins

Beautiful Peruvian textiles are displayed and sold at the market in Pisac

Hand-woven Peruvian tapestries in bright colors are sold at the Pisac market

A women in Ollantaytambo, the Sacred Valley

The train ride through the Sacred Valley, from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, was gorgeous as we rode along the Urubamba River.

Some of the rapids on the Urubamba River were huge as we approached Aguas Calientes.

Aguas Calientes (AKA Machu Picchu town) is a quaint, but very touristy town situated on the raging Urubamba  River.  Everyone is here for the same reason, to visit Machu Picchu.  The landscape is lush and green, and the surrounding cloud-covered mountains are quite stunning.

While in Aguas Calientes, we stayed in a hotel with a lush and tropical setting.  Monica and Matt enjoyed a walk through one of the many beautiful paths along the Urubamba River.

These beautiful red flowers were seen throughout the hotel property.

Beautiful Cloud Forest Flower

Greg and I enjoyed watching the many hummingbirds.  These red-breasted beauties were amazing!

After an early morning breakfast, we took the bus ride from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu.  The scenery along the bus ride itself was pretty spectacular, as we climbed the cloud-covered mountain, with the Urubamba River below.  

Machu Picchu had a magical feel to it, with the clouds rolling in and out as we explored the Inca ruins.

A View of Machu Picchu

Monica and Matt wear their alpaca domes and enjoy the view.  Matt makes a point of bringing a small notebook and draws pictures of the Machu Picchu ruins - so cute!

One of Monica's and Matt's favorite parts of our Machu Picchu visit was feeding the llamas.

A great view of Huayna Picchu, a massive peek (8,920 feet above sea level) that sits above Machu Picchu.  

Matt and Monica play a game of "Inca" chess on the Vistadome train ride after our long day visiting Machu Picchu.  A great way to end a very cool experience!