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The Amazing New Adventures of Larry and Mark - Peru, Land of the Incas
Walkabout in Cusco
This is silly. Why am I talking about a walkabout? It's the wrong continent. It's because here I am in Peru,
and today my daughter leaves Massachusetts on an 11,000 mile flight to Australia, where she'll spend a
term at the University of Tasmania. She's been flying alone since she was 16, so she should be fine (she was.)
Back to the streets of Cusco. Cusco is the oldest continually-occupied site in the Americas. The area has
been settled since 3000 B.C. The Killke culture occupied the region around Cusco from 900 to 1200 A.D.,
prior to the arrival of the Incas. Many of the foundations of buildings date from the Inca period, although
the Spaniards, recognizing the strength and stability of Inca construction, built their buildings, their churches,
on top of Inca foundations. We will see our first Inca construction in Cusco.
Everywhere you go, you will see Andeans (they don't want to be called Indians - that's an insult -
in their colorful clothes, with a llama or alpaca. they make their living posing for visitors taking
photos of them.
The streets are incredibly narrow. They were designed by the Inca who
walked with their pack llamas, and didn't have the invention of the wheel
until the Spaniards came.
Dr. DeTora is standing on the whole sidewalk. It's a pretty tight fit.
Dr. Field is smart to have his arm tucked in. I walked past there only seconds
later and my right elbow got whacked by the mirror on a car which was
speeding through.
We have walked downhill a few blocks from the hotel to the Plaza de Armas -
Cusco's main square. We are looking across the park at La Campania Church.
This is the center of the city. The park is filled with benches, and there's always tourists
here. Two flags fly in the plaza - the red-and-white flag of Peru and the rainbow-striped flag of
Tahuantinsuyo (the Inca Empire). Plaza de Armas was known as Huacaypata (Warrior Square
in Quechua) in Inca times and is believed to have been designed by Manco Cápac (more history later!)
La Campania is one of many churches in Cusco
90 degrees to the left of La Campania is the Cathedral of Santo Domingo. It was built on the
foundation of the Inca palace of Viracocha, completed in 1654.
On the plaza, we stopped for a group picture in front of the Cathedral. We were all there except
Marcia, my wife, who was feeling the altitude. Our guide, Willow, took pictures for everyone,
and we posed, saying - not "cheese," but Sacsayhuaman (which we will see soon,)
but Americans like to pronounce, "sexy woman."
The traditional drink of Cusco is the "Pisco Sour." I wasn't much of a fan of it,
but there were certainly many tourist bottles for sale in a hole-in-the-wall market.
This effigy of a female doctor with mask and stethoscope was meant to
remind the people of the risks of swine flu. Many people in the airport
were wearing masks.
This map shows many of the sites we will be visiting in the next few days:
Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Salapunco
Puca Pukara, Tambo Machay, Pisaq, Ollantaytambo and
Machu Picchu
More information on Cusco:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cusco
You may reach me for comments:
Laurence Reich