Cusco

In Progress

Cusco is the "gateway" to the Sacred Valley and to Machu Picchu and I can see no other reason to ever come to Cusco.

The area around Cusco is beautiful though. The shots below were taken from our plane as we were arriving from Lima.

Once again we stayed at a Belmond Hotel... The Belmond Palacio Nazarenas. We were upgraded to a very nice room.

The little sheep were actually bed warmers...didn't need them.

And again they provided free pisco and rum. We were here three nights (one too many) and the rum had to be topped up once.  I like my  rum and the stuff they provided was very good.

One of our views.

and another. We never got to use the pool area as it rained quite a bit of the time. It was usually calm and clear in the morning and then the crap weather came later on in the afternoon...the time when you'd like to relax by the pool.  Oh well...

Our first full day in Cusco - we had two full days and one would easily have been enough - we first went with our guide to a place called Sexy Woman.

The name is really Sacsayhuamán and I guess it sounds like sexy woman.

Another example of how the Incas fit stones together without any modern tools.

I could have spent a bit more time here but our guide seemed to be on a tight schedule this morning.

This is a panorama type shot with Terri and Francis our guide. I don't know why he had a sports coat on this morning.

Our second stop was at the San Pedro market which is weird because right now I am am writing this from a room in a resort in the city of San Pedro on the island of Ambergris Caye in the country of Belize!

The market is similar to markets we've seen all over the world. All kinds of horrible cuts of meat, people eating things that you think a starving cat wouldn't eat Just a lovely place.

There are all kinds of vendors who sit outside the market and sell a variety of things. This young lady (such a handsome race!) was selling some greens.

Who knows what she was selling.

Some sort of pastry maybe?

Potatoes I think.

This gal had some sort of fermented beverage that, if it didn't kill you, would cure you of anything.

And this one had a pail full of freshly dead guinea pigs. They eat them here. Not only in their homes but in restaurants.  We skipped them. Too much like eating a pet.

Here's something you won't see at your local Safeway...Fresh Snout of Beast

And this guy is eating (according to our guide) something called "head soup". It's a bit tough to see but in his left hand he has a jaw bone of some critter. God knows what's in the bowl.

More really good looking stuff for when your friends come over.

And a really clever mask.

They did have a healthy, normal section too but not at all popular. The guy is delivering papers and will probably go for some head soup with the funds he receives.

Our guide took us to another ancient place after the  market but is wasn't that interesting. And then  church where we couldn't take pictures - fuck 'em - we've seen better churches!!!  And then that was then end of our guided portion. We still had half a day and all of tomorrow to kill.

Back on the street I am amazed by all the people trying to make a lining on the sidewalks. The girl on the left almost looks like an oriental tourist.

And this old buzzard has his begging cup out in front hoping for a few pennies. He was taking too long tuning his whatever-it-is so we had to move on.

And another example of how modern buildings have been incorporated with Inca structures.

A pedestrian walkway in Cusco - except it wasn't - cars go down every streety no matter how narrow and they rule!!!  You have to get out of the way.

A bit more to come.