Cusco

Cusco is the jumping off point to see a lot of Peru’s most popular destinations. It was once the capital city of the Incas, the center of their empire. As such, this city is full of history, majesty and tourists. A local I spoke to said, “You can just feel the energy here.”

Cusco has a population of about half a million people, but the old town feels very small and accessible. It feels European with narrow cobblestone streets and open squares every few blocks. It didn’t take long for streets to feel familiar, and we could soon wander independently of our maps. Restaurants and tour companies abound as do gift shops all selling seemingly the exact same thing with the slightest of differences, which means that of course, as a shopper, you must check out each and every one. English was spoken just about everywhere, and the downtown parts of town seemed to be made up of equal parts locals and tourists. It was here that I got my first, and probably my only, “War Eagle” moment of the trip.

We were a bit overwhelmed by the crowds and the people hoping to make money off of tourists. Women constantly asked if you wanted a massage, tour guides pushed their tours, hostesses advertised for their restaurants and people carried souvenirs hoping to catch a interested tourist. Unfortunately, our skin color meant we stood out and were constantly approached. Everyone was kind, respectful and took “no, gracias” for an answer, but it was overwhelming, especially in the main square. So, one of our favorite past times of sitting in main squares and people watching was made a bit more difficult by all of the tourist-seekers.

We were in Cusco for a long time, but our time was broken up with trips to Machu Picchu, SkyLodge and Manu National Park. So, some of our time in Cusco was spent resting or repacking. We had also saved much of our shopping for Cusco as it was closer to the end of our trip. So, we spent a lot of time shopping, searching for the precisely right souvenirs, mostly with llamas and alpacas on each and every purchase. San Pedro Market was full of souvenirs, cheese, bread, flowers, chocolates, fruits, vegetables and everything in between. We loved our time in there!

As the center of the Inca empire, Cusco is full of ruins and ancient artifacts. We spent some time at Sacsayhuaman (if you say it correctly, it’s close to an English phrase about an attractive lady), a huge archeological site that overlooks the city. We should have paid the extra money for a guide, but we were happy with the views, impressed with the large scale of rocks and mortar-less walls, and of course loved the opportunity to get up close to the alpacas that were wandering about.

One morning we took a chocolate class from one of the local chocolate stores. I’d love to tell you that I can now truly explain the process of making chocolate or that I could now take raw beans and turn them into something delicious, but what I learned was more how complicated the art of making chocolate is. The biggest takeaway I had from the tasty class was that mosquitos do in fact serve a purpose. It is mosquitos, who deep in the dense forest, fertilize the cacao trees. Who knew?

Feeling safe and comfortable in the small city, we often just wandered with no real agenda or destination. One day, this led us to a perfect spot to spend the afternoon: a Cat Cafe. Both cat lovers who are missing our furry friends, we loved having lunch while watching them move about. The calico zoomed around the room climbing curtains and leaping on tables. The small kittens slept quietly in a hidden box. The old gray one preferred to watch from up above so that no one could disturb him. And the little Lizzie look alike was loving and sleepy, so I was thrilled to get some snuggle time! (Just don’t tell Lizzie!)

We had incredible meals in Cusco, a place known for their food. One night, we treated ourselves to the fanciest Italian/Peruvian restaurant, Cicciolina. My beetroot ravioli stuffed with pesto and mushrooms topped with warm pecan salsa and balsamic tomatoes was mouth watering. Another night, we had delicious pizza and pastas at Incanto with a fellow Alabamian who had married a Peruvian. I did not know her before, but had been given her phone number before I left. It was a treat to get to meet with someone who had moved to Peru so we could learn more about the ins and outs and differences between home and Peru. Her husband owns a pizzeria, so I asked why there was so much Italian food in Peru, wondering if there was a large population of Italians that had influenced the food. He said, “No, it’s just good comfort food, you know?” I couldn’t agree more.

One evening, we signed up for a cooking class. We’ve had such great experiences with both cooking classes and food tours, and this one did not disappoint. Jesus used to be a chef at a huge hotel in Lima and has chosen a lifestyle with a bit slower of a pace and more control. He was knowledgeable and passionate about food. We started in the market purchasing potatoes, cheese, quinoa and fruits for our dinner. To start the class we made a pisco sour with passion fruit. Pisco sour is the national drink of Peru, and we’ve enjoyed several. It is made with pisco (alcohol from grapes), lime juice, simple syrup and egg whites. We replaced the lime juice with passion fruit and acted as real bartenders shaking up the ingredients to create the perfect blend. Next came a lesson on potatoes of Peru of which there are over 3,000 different types. We made a personal serving of potatoes gratin with a mixture of fresh and rehydrated dehydrated potatoes and local cheese. Ceviche is the national dish, and so we made three different versions of it, all with slightly different flares, and they were all delicious. (I’m very excited to try this at home, so let me know if you’re up for trying it!) The rest of the class was thankfully more of a cooking demonstration with tasting, which frankly suited me just fine. We had a quinoa dish and a dessert made up of all sorts of local fruits. We left full, happy and slightly more educated than when we arrived.

Cusco has many museums to offer, and while I love learning about history, I don’t relish big museums. But, we did take time to visit Cisco’s Cathedral in the main square. We had the place to ourselves and enjoyed looking at the ornately decorated gold-plated altars and learning about many local patron saints. Qorikancha was once an important temple for the Incas. It is where the priests and astronomers lived, studied and prayed. The entrance fee was small and equal to the pay that we gave to the private tour guide who walked us through and explained everything to us (well worth the $8 we paid him!). Parts of the old temple remain, but when the Spanish moved in, they destroyed part of the structure and added on to make their own monastery. In the 1950s, a major earthquake destroyed much of the new monastery but the old remained in tact. There were beautiful paintings, mostly illustrating stories from the Bible that would teach the locals about Christianity. I loved the paintings of Mary because they had combined the ideas of Pacha-mama (Mother Earth) with Mary, giving her a triangular shape as to connect with the mountains that illustrate Mother Earth.

Cusco was an easy city to visit, an easy place to get comfortable with, full of cultural and culinary experiences. Just make sure to practice your “no, gracias” before you wander through the main square!