Saturday, Feb 2nd, Cusco, Peru

Greetings!

Well, we're on our first full day in Cusco.  The Hoteles San Augustin is a couple of blocks from the Plaza de Las Armas on Avenida del Sol, so we've been seeing the sights of the it's restaurants, shops, churches, and a couple of ruins nearby.

The Catholic Cathedral, build in 1516, shares an Inca foundation and perimeter wall.  With chapels on either side, it's quite large, and contains many examples of Inca stone design.  All demonstrate an advanced knowledge of  geometry, plumbing,  carving, and spatial organization.  The joints between these stones is so tight that a needle cannot be inserted between them.

The Inca wall construction permeats the city of Cusco, as well as the nearby fortress of Sacsayhuaman and the underground alter of Qengo.  One of the remarkable features of Sacsayhumaman (Gringos pronounce it "Sexy Woman") is that some of the stones weigh over 100 tons, were quarried over 10 mies away, and crossed two ravines to get to the site.

On our return to Cusco for lunch, Diego recommended a restaurant just off the main plaza, where we relaxed, told more stories of past travels, and contemplated shopping or visiting museums.  Pat and I chose to do a little window shopping, and then catch up on some sleep at the hotel before dinner.


To see all the photo taken today, click on Saturday, Feb 2nd, Cusco, Peru.