Cusco

April 22, 2025 to April 25, 2025

Wednesday the 23rd of April 2024

We had surprisingly busy first day in Cusco. Our intention is to spend a few days here to aclimatize to being at 3400 meters above sea level, the highest we think we have ever been. Also, to get organized for the journey ahead. On top of that, there are a number of worthwhile things to see in or near Cusco that we don't want to miss. Importantly, we need to apply for visas at the Bolivian consulate in Cusco. They are available on arrival at the border at Lake Titicaca but at a price while they are apparently issued gratis here.

After pretty good breakfast laid on by Magda in the cocina we headed up the hill to see the Twelve-angled Stone.

Despite the invading Spaniards best intentions, there are numerous intact pieces of the incredible Inca stone constructions spread across the city.

The Twelve-angled Stone. It is impossible to insert something even as thin as a needle between the joints. Two tons it weighs and all done without metal tools.

The street in which the stone is located is called Hatun Rumiyoq.

Then we wandered down to Coricancha (or Curicancha, Koricancha, Qoricancha or Qorikancha - there are multiple ways to spell it). "The Golden Temple", from Quechua quri (gold) and kancha (enclosure) was the most important temple in the Inca Empire. The Spaniards promptly built a church and a monastery on top of it after Francisco Pizzaro's invasion in 1535.

A long lens helped take a picture of ladies dressed traditionally and holding baby alpacas to be photographed by tourists a more discretely.

The restored remains of the Temple of the Sun. The last big earthquake in 1950 flattened much of the cloisters and the Inca ruins below could then be restored.

Leigh collapsed onto our bed in fhe afternoon and i managed to get the bicycles reassembled. There is a Canadian motorcyclist here as well as two French cyclists, all three of our age and all recently arrived.

I also managed to buy a few things we needed - gas canisters for the stoves and a chain to secure the bicycles (I can't believe I forgot to pack one).

Our bikes are in the corner to the right, the French couple's are in the foreground.

After putting the bikes together and rousing Leigh from her sleep we wandered up the cathedral and the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús before heading down the hill for supper.

The cathedral is rather dull, like many Spanish churches, the mosque cathedral in Cordoba excepted, but the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús is far more elegant. The square between the two is a popular meeting place in Cusco.

Thursday the 24th of April 2025

Our first business today was to cycle down to the Bolivian consulate where a very kind and gentle official took us through what is needed. On his advice we have decided to apply for our visas in Puno which we should reach a few days before the border crossing so that more definite information can be provided on our applications.

After sorting out our laundry we turned our attention to Machu Picchu. It turns out that online bookings are closed 3 months in advance. However it seems that daily tickets are available at Machu Picchu Pueblo (previously known as Agua Calientes) where we can try our luck. This was found out with the kind help of Glen, an Aussie who lives at our hospedaje. He accompanied us to the government tourist offices to ensure we got the correct information directly from the horses mouth. He did the same regarding the train tickets needed to get to Machu Picchu Pueblo.

So our plan is get on our bikes on Saturday and start cycling to Ollaytantambo from where we hope to catch the train.

Or so we thought. On arriving back from a light lunch of empanadas we were surprised to find the French couple back at the hospedaje. They had left to cycle to Ollaytantambo at about nine o'clock this morning but the hills on the road to Chinchero had proved too much for them. That was the route we had planned to take so a rethink was needed.

The upshot is that I have spent the kids inheritance and bought tickets to take us all the way to Machu Picchu from Cusco by bus and train starting at 4:30 on Saturday morning and returning late on Sunday.

Friday the 25th of April 2025

We had intended to walk up to the Inca citadel of Sacsayhuamán which lies just to the north of the city and 300 meters higher. However after emptying the piggy bank yesterday we thought it would be prudent to give the eye watering entrance a miss and instead visited the Inca Museum which had a far lighter impact on my wallet.

Given that my 1.68m frame is taller than most current Peruvian men, I doubt that this statue is life sized.

From 1500 BC, almost 3000 years before the Incas.

Ceramics from the Pukara area dated at 250 AD.

Probably the most grisly exhibit - a series of mummies from burial tombs.

Most of the interesting stuff was pre-Inca and there was less information on the Incas than I had hoped. Nonetheless it was an enjoyable couple of hours.

I got our last bit of shopping done, just the basic groceries, and stocked up on cash for our trip to Machu Picchu. We plan to be up before four tomorrow morning but since our body clocks haven't yet adjusted to be being seven hours later than back home we will probably wake up before then.

Today's ride: 9 km (6 miles)
Total: 9 km (6 miles)

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