A few days in Cusco

After the Ice Maiden, views of volcanoes, cathedrals, and an amazing market in Arequipa, we were off to Cusco, the Inca capital.  From Cusco, we were going to hike the Salkantay trek to Macchu Picchu. 

We arrived in Cusco in the evening, found our hostel,  ate at a little local place for next to nothing, then our heads quickly hit the pillow for lights out! The next day after getting information about the trek, getting our free T-shirts form Peru hop, John getting his zipper on his jacket repaired and a hearty cheap lunch at the market, we headed over to the Plaza De Armas for a free walking tour of Cusco. We were 20 minutes late but it was okay. We witnessed a Catholic procession and took in the sights of the beautiful square. The tour was really good for free (the guides make their money off tips so it’s not completely free but still cheap).  The last stop on the tour was a nice little bar where we got free pisco sours (the drink of Peru consisting of Pisco, lime juice, sugary stuff, and an egg white).  Life was good! The San Pedro Market in Cusco is an amazing place to get cheap food.

Hawie and I then headed off to find small backpacks.  Our day packs were too small for a week out and back.  Often you will use a place as a home base for your things and do a few days or a week away and the hostel will store your extra stuff for free then you don’t have to lug all your life around with you. We did not have packs that were big enough or sufficient enough to do so, therefore we were on a mission to find some. We found a great local place that sells and rents gear. The man who ran the place obviously had a passion for trekking and the mountains! We had a long talk about his passion, the Himalaya Mountains and his love over all for the beauty of nature.  We got a great deal on some nice packs and were quite pleased.  A few days later we booked our trek for Salkantay! We had a few days of rest in between where we applied for jobs and did some maintenance. The trek is booked, we have one more day to get all our stuff ready and at 4:30am on Sunday morning we depart!

Cusco is a beautiful!  It’s like a mix between old Europe and modern Inca culture. There are Cathedrals and woman in traditional Inca dress walking around to cobblestone streets. The atmosphere is amazing.

Housing: Atawkama Hostel Dorm 25 Soles/bed and private shared bathroom 29 Soles/person

Food: Cheap and set menus if you eat at local places. Tourist places are pretty expensive. Best food and deals are at the San Pedro Market!

A Day In Arequipa

The historical center of Arequipa reminds you a lot of a European city with all the Spanish style buildings. The city also has a magnificent backdrop with mount Chachani, one of the worlds “easiest” 6000m climbs in the world and Mount Misti an active volcano almost 5900m high. The Spanish style buildings also get their white colour to the volcanic rock it is made of.

The Market

We spend a day exploring the city center. First we went and checked out the local market just a block from our hostel. The smells and energy is something to expierence. Selling anything from meats to fruits you can get anything here and at a CRAZY cheap price. You can also get some really good street food for 3 soles or less. We ended up buying most of our food for our stay in the city here. 

 

Basilica Cathedral

This huge catholic cathedral definitely shows the wealth of the Catholic Church with gold, silver, and precious gemstones inside. It is across from the city plaza where you can see people feeding pigeons and just relaxing. If you want to enter the Church you need to pay a small amount and have a guided tour with the tip being up to you. The tour takes you through the main hall where you can see the saints and apostils lining the sides of the hall with the organ at the back and a side room with a black Jesus on the cross. Then you are taken to see all the artifacts from gold chalices to the robes the priests wore. The tour seemed a bit rushed though. You are then taken to the roof where you can see most of Arequipa and the bells they used.

Juanita the Ice Maiden

This was definitely something we were all very excited to see. None of us has ever experienced anything like this before. Who is the Ice Maiden? To keep it short without going in to much detail a girl was found at the peak of a sacred mountain in Peru. Frozen for hundreds of years in perfect condition. Who was she? She was a human sacrifice given to the gods (the mountains) by the Incas. On the same mountain other children were found lower down. You can go and see her in the state she has been for hundreds of years. When you arrive you check all your stuff at the counter for there are no cameras allowed at all. Then you watch a short very interesting film on the history of the Ice Maiden after which you are taken on a guided tour to see all the artifacts found with her and the others. The tour ends with seeing her frozen in a glass box right in front of you. It is a very surreal experience

Santa Catalina Monastery

 This monastery was built in 1579 the monastery accepted only women from upper class Spanish families. Each family paid 2,400 silver coins, equivalent to about 150,000 dollars today. The monastery is huge spreading over a whole block. It has very colorful walls and you can get lost inside for hours. When you enter you are asked if you would like a guided tour. This takes about an hour and I am sure is very interesting but I decided to do it on my own. It took me about an hour and a half but I would suggest 2 – 3 hours. There is so much to see. The entrance is 35 Soles which is a bit steep but definitely worth it.