European Cuzco
I arrived in Cuzco on the afternoon of day 5 and was not really sure what to expect. I was greeted at the local airport by an employee of the hostal I would be staying at. The hostal was not really a hostel but more of a hotel, 2 start Hostel Amaru. Very cute, comfortable, clean, and pleasant to stay in. After a real shower with hot water I set off to explore the city. As I stepped out of Amaru I was greeted by the guy from London I had met in the jungle, Robyn. Fortunately he had spent several days in Cuzco already and was able to help me get acclimated to the area. We enjoyed some coffee and pastry’s together, a visit to the local Inca Museum, and a quiet dinner at a local restaurant before he caught a bus to a new city. I went American and ate pizza.
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As I arrived back to my hostal a girl my age was trying to get a room but unfortunately the place was full. As my room had 2 beds I invited her to share with me. Natalie was a 26 year old from Montana and had spent roughly 2 months backpacking through South America. We stayed up chatting about our experiences and were excited to have met each other.
On day 6 I set off to run some errands such as dropping off laundry, checking e-mail, and visiting the tour office who I would be going on the Inca Trail with. Natalie and I met back up for a lovely lunch at Cafe Restaurant Yanapay which is a colorful restaurant decorated with fantastic imaginative childrens toys. All the money spent here goes to sustain the local projects of the Aldea Yanapay organization. Following we made a visit to a local museum full of history, Qorikancha-Convent De Santo Domingo Del Cusco.
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We decided to then spend the afternoon hiking to Saqsaywaman, a local site of Inca ruins. This was my first hiking experience in Cuzco at this altitude and I was amazed how quickly I became out of breath, not to mention the hike was all an uphill steep climb. As we arrived at the top we were surrounded by the Inca ruins and hundreds of other touristy backpackers. This was my first experience seeing the Inca ruins and I was fascinated by the very smooth and perfect texture. Everything was puzzle perfect in form.
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‘By late afternoon I arrived back to the hostal and was greeted by Jessica, the girl I had met from Oregon through Lonely Planet. We chatted for a bit before the three of us set off to a local Irish Pub. We enjoyed bar food and Cusquena, a local beer, very tasty. While at the bar we met several people from Colorado, California, and 2 guys from Chicago who decided to join us for a few drinks. I found out Kyle and Bill were in my group for the 4 day Inca Trail. After one to many beers Jessica and I headed to bed while the rest went out dancing.
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The next morning Jessica and I went on a 10 hour tour of the Sacred Valley. We visited local markets and 3 different Inca Ruins; Chinchero, Pisac, Ollantaytambo. Each unique and different in their own way. As the day progressed we hiked higher and higher in elevation. By 4000 meters every step took a huge breath out of me. By 7pm I was ready for bed. I took a hot shower, packed my bags for the Inca Trail, and went to sleep by 9pm knowing I had to wake up at 4am for my Inca Trail pick-up.
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‘Cuzco is a fantastic city. It has a very European feel with huge Cathedrals, local shops, bakery’s, and small romantic style restaurants. I´ve met many locals as well as backpackers from all over the world who can share great stories about their experiences backpacking through South America as well as other areas of the world. Every step I take in this city I meet someone new or find a new shop to wander through. I can´t wait to spend several more days here when I return from the Inca Trail.
Clcik here to see all photos of Cuzco Part I.
