Cusco Trip POST #1

I have so much to say about this amazing trip, I am sure I will need more than one post..

Day 1: CUSCO

I arrived in Cusco early the 9th and right away found a few unsure-looking gringas who didn't speak any Spanish outside the airport. These new friends (Sophia and Esya) and I left to find a hostal and some coca tea.

Day 2: SACRED VALLEY
The next day we got up early to do a tour of the Sacred Valley, alternating between hour long hikes to ruins and seeing local goods. We visited Pisaq, Urumbamba, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero. In Chinchero we got to watch a demonstration of the ancient process still used in this town to dye and weave textiles, which brought me back to the old Science Museum of Minnesota days (Lou, you remember that, right??)

A few shots from the day:

Colorful growths on ancient Inca walls in Pisaq
Inca ruins, the constant theme running through this trip...
On top of mountain ruins looking down at Ollantaytambo
Can you see the profile of a man with a beard and a crown of towers in the mountain?

Our guide this day showed us a drawing the Incas had of their sun god, which looks exactly like the face in the mountain (the towers were built atop to be his crown by the Incas). Historians believe that one of the reasons the Inca people let in the first Spaniards was because when they came with faces with large beards like this sun god, the Inca people believe them to be messangers from their god.

We learned ridiculous amounts of history, but I will spare you all the lesson for the day!

The next day we spent purchasing local goods to bring back, and explored Cusco and its Plaza de Armas before going to bed early, ready to start our trek towards Machu Picchu the next day!

The next post(s) will have more pictures from that hike!