Sitting high among the Andes was once the capital of the Incan Empire, Cusco was our next stop in Peru.
Arriving four days earlier than expected, we were a little relieved as we had more time to adjust to the high altitude before hiking the Inca Trail.
Our guide Jorge organised for our group to visit a number of archaeological sites around the region over the next couple of days – remnants of the Incan empire that once ruled the lands.
Our first full day in Cusco had us heading up into the hills to visit the Puka Pukara, Tambomachay and Saqsayhuaman ruins.
Some of the most fascinating features of each site include the perfectly sculpted boulders used to build each site, as well as their accurate lines and corners of walls, rooms and terraces.
Day 2 we made our way further out of Cusco to visit Chinchero. We stopped into the small village to witness the art of weaving and dying alpaca wool, before heading to see some Inca ruins, including a large mountain of terraces used for farming.
Our next stop was to see the Salt Mines just outside the Sacred Valley. Here we learned about the salt in the mountains which is extracted through the water. Another chance for local food – we enjoyed a block of dark chocolate with pink rock salt.
Our last stop was to visit the Moray ruins. The site contains unusual Inca ruins, mostly consisting of several terraced circular depressions, as well as an irrigation system.
The next day our guide took us around Cusco and to some local markets which featured fresh produce, meat, souvenirs galore and witch doctor remedies.
That night we decided it was time to enjoy the local cuisine – alpaca. We found a great local restaurant called Organika and the food was outstanding! The alpaca was tender and similar to lamb.
After a couple of busy days in Cusco we spent our last day relaxing before taking on the Inca Trail!
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