Cusco was the heart of the Inca Empire from the 13th to the 16th century. After the Spanish conquest in 1533, Cusco became a colonial city. Its Inca foundations were added to with European influences, which are seen in its baroque churches and plazas. What is interesting is after a devastating earthquake, 30% of all of the Spanish builds collapsed but only one block of Incan blocks cracked.
Views around Cusco.
We took a city tour to look at local Incan ruins.
Saksaywaman was an Incan temple complex that was renamed after conquest by the Spaniards. It means eagles feasting due to the amount of dead bodies from the battles. The Spaniards dismantled the Incan temples to cut the blocks and make churches instead.
Q’enqo is a mausoleum for the dead. The dunes below are super cold. The platform is used for disemboweling and stuffing the insides with plants while the cubicle spaces are used for storing remains. The flat stone is many degrees cooler than the surroundings.
Tambomachay is a place for rest from runners. These people delivered news between incan villages. The springs and spaces provided rest.
Puma pucara was a place to check in when moving between incan villages. This was found where the road separated in 4 different ways.
On the 23rd started the Christmas markets here. Some great artists and also selling typical wares.
On the last night we also took a cooking class. Always a lot of fun.
