Bulletins From BA #26
02 junio 2014
¡Hola! there… Rodger
French here.
Photo Update Alert:
www.picasaweb.google.com/rodger.french
“Cusco/Machu Picchu”
Like most expats, A.J. and
I create “The List” of the places we want to visit while we’re posted to a
particular country. And, with careful planning and a bit of luck, we make it
to… oh, maybe two-thirds of them. But there are places of such significance
that visiting them is simply not optional. Places such as Machu Picchu in Peru.
Día Uno
- Up at a (typically) ridiculous hour to catch the flight from Buenos Aires to
Cusco, via Lima. The sun is contemplating rising, the traffic is
surrealistically sparce… and the baggage handlers are out on strike. Again. So,
instead of arriving in Cusco with time to spare for self-guided exploration, we
get there late, exhausted, and dealing with the possibility of soroche
(altitude sickness), Cusco being at an elevation of 3400 m/11,200 ft. Forget touristing.
We have some soup at the hotel and go to bed.
[Demographic Sidebar - We are a small tour group of 13 Embassy
folks, consisting of nine adults: One single and two couples, and two
additional couples, each with two niños (two three-year olds, a toddler, and a
baby). Alright, then.]
Día Dos
- Somewhat recovered, we begin our day by visiting various sites near Cusco, the
historic capital of the Inca Empire. These include Saqsayhuaman (a walled complex overlooking the city), Tambomachay (which features a series of
aqueducts and canals), Pukapukara (a
military outpost), and Q’enqo
(thought to be a place of sacrifice and mummification).
After a brief lunch break,
we continued the tour in the city itself, beginning with a visit to Qorikancha, built in the mid-15th
century and once the most important temple of the Inca Empire. Splendid beyond
measure, it was inevitably stripped of its gold by the Spanish, who then erected
the Convento de Santo Domingo, demolishing the temple and using its foundations
for the church.
[Construction Sidebar - Incan masons,
utilizing only stone tools and no mortar, left an astounding legacy that may be
seen in many locations. But the foundation walls at Qorikancha defy belief. As
I put my hands on them and ran my fingers along the joints between the enormous
stones, I felt I was in the presence of perfection.]
Our day’s peregrinations continued with a visit to Barrio
de San Blas, a district of artisans, workshops, and old Spanish houses
built on Inca foundations, with steep hills and narrow streets designed for
llamas, not taxis. We concluded at Plaza de Armas in the historic center
of Cusco, and the Catedral
Basílica de la Virgen de la Asunción, an
imposing edifice and HQ for the Archdiocese of Cusco. Interesting though it
was, by this time we were some weary tourists in need of sustenance.
Opting to stay close to the hotel, we ended up at a place called
La Cusqueñita, which featured a buffet. (Peruvian food is, in my opinion, one
of the world’s great cuisines. Even the buffets are worthwhile.) Unbeknownst to
us, the restaurant also featured a floorshow with a band, dancers, and people
in colorful masks mixing it up with unsuspecting diners. It was great fun,
especially for the three year-olds in our gang.
Continuará en
Bulletins From BA #27: Excursión a Machu
Pichu.
Gracias.
Cool!
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