Last Updated on October 24, 2023 by Home in the World
It had been a long-time dream of mine to visit Peru’s Sacred Valley region, so it was with great excitement that I boarded the LAN plane at Lima’s shiny, modern airport for the 2-hour flight to the Inca capital, Cusco (sometimes also written as Cuzco). Much of the journey heads over the snow-capped peaks of the mighty Andes, before the pilot makes the final turn and suddenly – out of nowhere – the sprawling town of Cusco comes into view, flanked on all sides by rugged brown slopes. It is incredible to see such a vast settlement here in this otherwise rather remote area, perched at a lofty 3,399 m (11,152 ft) above sea level.
I was actually a little concerned about the altitude and the prospect of altitude sickness during my stay there, particularly as I wouldn’t be easing my way up – I was going from sea level in Lima to over 11,000 ft in the space of 2 hours! I had done extensive research online, and the general consensus was that you could never predict if you were going to notice any symptoms or what they would be. Factors like weight, pre-existing illnesses etc. did not seem to come into it; it was pretty indiscriminate. But I was not fussy on taking any chemical medication for it. My naturopath had instead given me some natural CoQ10 tablets to help oxygenate the brain, which I started taking a day or 2 before arrival. Our gorgeous little hotel (see bottom of this post for more details) also provided free pots of coca tea and other coca-infused snacks on every floor (apart from being used to make cocaine, the leaves of the coca plant are additionally a natural antidote to altitude sickness. Many people chew them, and they are also found in countless products; I saw things like coca lollies, coca bread and coca biscuits sold in the supermarkets). I actually saved one of the empty tea bags for posterity:
Fortunately, these precautions, coupled with keeping light in terms of food, worked pretty well for the most part. My mum, who was travelling with me, felt extremely nauseous for a few hours that first night and could not eat a thing. I was ok until I woke up in the middle of the night with the worst headache I have ever experienced. Absolutely splitting pain. Having said that, it disappeared just as quickly after taking 2 paracetamol tablets, and thankfully that was the end of our ‘altitude sickness experience’ for the rest of the 7-night stay.
Many people choose to visit Machu Picchu almost straight away, as it is actually considerably lower (2,430 m / 7,972 ft) and helps people acclimatise. As our day-trip there had already been pre-booked for a few days later, however, that was not an option for us, so, feeling much better and refreshed, we decided we were fit to head out to the village of Pisac instead (the hotel we were staying at had drivers that could take you wherever you wanted). We stopped at a small animal sanctuary & information centre on the way, where we got to see an Andean condor up close, as well as a local Quechua lady weaving.
Pisac (or Pisaq) itself is a village about an hour’s drive north-east of Cusco. It has some archaeological ruins of its own, which sit atop dramatic terraces that slope down toward the verdant valley below.
It is also known for its market, one of the most famous in the Cusco region, where locals from the nearby indigenous Quechua communities gather on the ancient cobblestones to hawk and haggle for all manner of goods, ranging from fresh fruit and vegetables to bags, clothes and jewellery. It truly is a feast for the senses.
The next day we embarked on another excursion, this time exploring the Urubamba Province north-west of Cusco, and the first stop was the small town of Chinchero, sitting at an altitude of 3,762 m / 12,343 ft) and therefore higher than the Inca capital. Teeming with life on Sundays when the market is in full swing, it was quiet and sleepy the day we visited; the marketplace, whose entrance is marked by an archway fusing Spanish masonry and Inca dry stone walls, was empty.
The village’s steep streets are typically cobbled, and display evidence of the Inca’s channel-based drainage system, which is still used to this day.
Shops selling Peru’s traditional colourful handicrafts are never too far away, no matter how small the town, and Chinchero was no exception. I bought countless random souvenirs from one lady who I still remember to this day for her kind, gentle nature. She didn’t speak any English but, as I speak Spanish, I was able to converse with her quite a bit, and she ended up giving me a couple of trinkets for free, including a good-luck bracelet. I unfortunately cannot remember her name, but I will never forget her as a person. She was one of the many amazing, warm Peruvian people I met during my stay.
Driving further north-west, we passed by the tiny town of Maras, which is typical of the high-altitude villages around here.
We continued on through some absolutely mind-blowing scenery; it really is pure, rugged nature up there, the moody sky heavy with swirling clouds grazing the tips of snow-capped peaks, changing shape every few seconds in the howling wind. And let me tell you, it was SUPER gusty out there. I got out of the car at one point to take a photo and literally nearly got swept off my feet. It was the kind of wind that whistles past your ears, flinging sand and dust in your face. But nothing could detract from the awe-inspiring landscapes, sporadically dotted with colourfully clad native women walking or sitting by the roadside.
There were times when I thought we may actually end up stranded out there, as the old car we were in (which had definitely seen better days) seemed to randomly lose power trudging up the many inclines. Our lovely driver José would often be physically thrusting himself forward towards the steering wheel as if willing the car to keep going. It was mildly disconcerting, considering our mobile phones didn’t work in this part of the world (this was pre-Smartphone days), and it was quite difficult to communicate functionally with José as he seemed to speak primarily Quechua with a smattering of Spanish. Still, we lurched along and eventually made it to the Moray archaeological site, which primarily consists of eye-catching circular agricultural terraces, plunging to depths of 30 m (98 ft). Their origins are unclear, but the site is said to have served as an Inca agricultural experiment.
Our final stop of the day was the town of Ollantaytambo located on the shores of the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley. It was the last stronghold for the Inca resistance during the time of the Spanish conquest, and the fortress ruins are today a major attraction for tourists.
But enough of the excursions for the moment – let’s talk about Cusco itself. The former capital of the Inca Empire, it is a real mix of indigenous and Spanish colonial influences. Indeed many of the buildings still display the mortar-less stone work typical of Incan structures.
The city’s pulsating heart is its main square, the Plaza de Armas. It is surrounded on all sides by stunning Spanish colonial buildings, such as Cusco Cathedral (opened in 1654), the Compañía de Jesús church (opened in 1668), as well as low-rise arcades of shops and restaurants, often boasting intricately carved wooden balconies on their upper levels. I noticed even the McDonald’s signage remained in keeping with the colonial architecture; no giant golden arches here.
One of the restaurants here was the Inka Grill, where we enjoyed lots of delicious meals and live performances of beautiful Andean music. The food was all of excellent quality, and included Western dishes such as pizzas and trout, as well as traditional Peruvian delicacies like cuy (a grilled guinea pig, often served on a skewer. I saw many tourists eating it but it is definitely not my thing!) and ponderación for dessert (pictured below). We did try another restaurant in the hilly San Blas area, but the power went out soon after we got there (apparently not an uncommon experience here). We were unable to even see the menus in the dark and the owners (non-Peruvians) were not overly friendly, so we left without eating.
The cobbled streets, beautifully manicured gardens and general vibrancy give the Plaza de Armas an almost European feel, though you are quickly reminded of your unique location as you see the rugged Andean terrain all around you, with little houses peppering the hillsides and, high above the northern end, the imposing ruins of the Inca fortress complex known as Sacsayhuamán (more on that later). Not to mention the visible presence of many native Quechua people, including children, in traditional dress, often with a llama or two in tow for good measure.
Obviously there is poverty in this part of the world (barely a few streets off the main square many of the houses are ramshackle, sewerage is poor and stray dogs roam the streets) and there are beggars and pickpockets around, even in the main square. As with most places when travelling, if you are vigilant (especially at night) and keep flashy jewellery to a minimum, there should not be a problem.
At one point, while sitting in the Plaza de Armas soaking up some sun, a young boy who appeared to be working as part of a gang, and who spoke perfect English despite being no more than about 8 years old, came up to us asking for money. When we refused (as we had been told to do by many locals), he just stood right in front of us scowling for about 10-15 minutes, without budging. A bit weird and awkward to say the least. But we had a more positive experience soon after, when a young girl working for the Peruvian tourism board approached us to conduct a quick survey of the things we liked and didn’t like about Cusco (Newsflash: There wasn’t much we didn’t like!). It had been no trouble to us at all, but to thank us for our time, she gave us a traditionally woven Peruvian handbag, which was such a lovely touch.
A short, but increasingly steep (and therefore quite difficult, given the altitude) walk up the eastern end of the Plaza de Armas takes you to the atmospheric San Blas area, whose narrow, inclining cobblestone streets are lined with shops, artists’ studios, restaurants and hostels.
Other sites worth visiting in the city include the Museo Inka, situated between the Plaza de Armas and San Blas and showcasing all things Incan culture, and the Centro Artesanal Cusco, essentially a vast undercover market selling all kinds of Peruvian arts and crafts. This colourful artwork was the back of the sun fountain (the Inca worshiped the sun) on Avenida El Sol just near the Centro Artesanal.
As mentioned earlier, perched high above the city of Cusco are the Inca ruins of Sacsayhuamán (also written as Saqsaywaman and many other variants). As you can probably guess, it has nothing to do with sexy women; its name instead roughly translates to ‘the place where the hawk is satisfied or satiated’, and is a 3,000-ha site featuring rows of enormous stones all fitted together in the traditional mortar-less style used by the Inca. Originally built as a fortress, it is also believed to have been used as a ceremonial centre, and possibly even a quarry during colonial times. Today, it plays host to the Sun Festival or Inti Raymi during the winter solstice around 21 June. And the view over Cusco and the mountains beyond is a delight in itself.
Also watching over the city from this lofty height is the 8-m-high (26 ft) Cristo Blanco statue of Christ, like a miniature version of Rio’s Christ the Redeemer. It is flanked by 3 crosses, one of which is pictured below.
This blog post is already longer than I intended, but to finish, I will just say that Cusco is everything I had imagined and more. We spent a whole week there, doing day trips out to the various sights and spending a few days wandering around the city itself. It was the perfect amount of time. The city and broader region is such an inspiring place to visit – the history and archaeological sites are fascinating, the landscape is jaw-dropping, the people are so warm and hospitable, the food is delicious, and all in all, the town is well geared up for tourists (probably even more so now, 10+ years on from my visit). Sometimes you worry about travelling to a place you have heard so much about and built up so much in your mind – there is the risk of being disappointed – but Cusco lived up to all expectations. I actually shed a tear as our plane took off (pictured below just before boarding at Cusco airport). It was definitely worth the odyssey it took to finally get there from Western Australia, and it is a trip I will never, ever forget. I will certainly heed the sign pictured below and carry a piece of Peru in my heart forever.
Trip facts
When I visited: October 2009
Weather: I visited during the second week of October, which is the very start of the rainy season. Cusco’s temperatures do not vary drastically; it’s more about the wet and dry seasons here. While we had a few overcast days where the sky looked pretty threatening (including at Machu Picchu), we rarely actually had any rain, especially during the day. Temperatures were around 23°C (73°F). Overall I found it a great time to visit; not peak tourist time but still very pleasant. Be sure to bring sun protection too, since the high altitude means the UV is stronger and you are more likely to get sunburnt.
Where I stayed: Torre Dorada
This place deserves a special mention. It was #1 on Trip Advisor at the time and has since been inducted into the TA Hall of Fame. Run by a lovely Peruvian lady named Peggy (I’m not sure if she is still there), who had spent some time in Europe and spoke perfect English, it caters to literally every request or concern you may have. All our excursions were arranged through the hotel. It is located about a 5-10 minute drive from the town centre, but they have cars that take you in for free. It was SUPER clean and comfortable – highly, highly recommended.
