City of the Incas

The plane circles the city around the mountain peaks before it swoops into Cuzco exposing the poverty on the out-skirts that might otherwise be hidden. The taxi drive didn´t overly interest me. We got a hostel outside of the main plaza. Then after dropping off our bags we walked wondering what we might find.

As we made our way through it´s European cobbled streets and old colonial buildings, we turned one corner and unfolding in front of us lay the Plaza de Armas, the biggest in the country, a massive cathedral as well as other grand buildings, wall the square with the central fountain and the butterfly walks.

This place is amazing. It´s European atmosphere extends for the diversity of the place. All kinds of different restaurants can be found here. As if some kind of machine has cut and paste this city here, plonking it in to the Incas mountains. Surrounding, are mountains which people inhabit. Their lights at night could be mistaken for stars, although there aren´t as many ¨stars¨ as there are homes.

Not only is it stunning here, it has great shopping! Something I´ve been waiting for. Tomorrrow we go to the Sacred Valley for the day, for this is really the Inca kingdom, and there´s much to learn here.