Monday August 5 – Cusco Peru

When we arrived at Salaverry in Peru this morning, the 86 people who were doing the two day tour to Machu Picchu went by bus to Trujillo airport where we boarded a chartered flight to Cusco.  This ancient Inca city is 3400 m above sea level.  One of the group had to be taken off the plane in a wheel chair and she could not speak because of the thinness of the air at this altitude.  We were divided into groups of about 15 with a guide and a driver.  Our guide for the next two days would be Yani and our driver would be Miguel. They drove us to the Inca Restaurant for lunch.  We had been told that the most important thing at this altitude was to remain hydrated but when they brought out the wines for lunch Bill could not resist.  I had bought some altitude sickness tablets in Melbourne and decided to take them.  Bill decided he would not.  I will leave you in suspense for the moment.  The three course lunch was delicious.  The weather was perfect with clear blue skies.  After lunch we walked to the Cathedral.  It is a pity that you are not allowed to take photos in this place of worship as it was an exaggerated baroque style, called Andean Baroque.  Lots of gold leaf and solid silver covered most of the fixtures.  All the crucifixes were covered in gold and red brocade as the Andean people are extremely conservative and do not like to see the naked figure of Christ.  The Spaniards built this cathedral on the site of an Inca temple where they worshipped the sun, moon and water. From here we walked to the Koriancha Temple. The Dominicans built on top of this temple but an earthquake brought some of the Dominican structure down and exposed the Incan temple underneath.  What is left shows that the Incas sacrificed animals and that they worshipped the sun as there are openings looking out in the direction of the sunrise.  The structure of this temple is amazing. It is made of large limestone blocks fitted together with no mortar.  When the blocks were not exactly rectangular, the adjacent block would be shaped to fit flush against its companion. The Spaniards had guns and the Incas had spears. Even though the Incas held them at bay in certain areas for a long time it is pretty obvious who won. Most of the gold disappeared as gold ingots shipped back to Europe. The losers in battles don’t get much respect as usual.

After this we drove to Sacsayhuaman pronounced (sexy woman).  Here we were 3700 m above sea level and I felt dizzy.  Another woman started bleeding from her nose and throwing up.  However, Bill, with no help and alcohol in his system climbed to the top of this fortress.  He is amazing.  Sacsayhuaman was an Incan fortress from where they fought other tribes and later the Spanish.  Some rocks making up this fortress weigh up to 120 tonnes.  How did they ever get them up to this area and then into position?  One of the rocks in the fortress had 14 distinct edges at different angles and yet it fitted perfectly with the other rocks surrounding it with no mortar between them. The whole place leaves one with more questions than answers.

After this it was good to get into the bus and drive to the Sacred Valley and our hotel, the Tambo del Inka.  This five star hotel was built with stones like the ones used by the Incas. While the days are warm up in these altitudes, when the sun sets the temperature plummets, so the enormous fireplaces throughout the central areas were much appreciated.  Our room seemed enormous after our cabin on the ship and I thought I should just spend the night in our walk-in-robe to feel at home.  We seemed to have to walk and walk to get our clothes or watch or earrings.  Not so on board ship.