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Cusco Travel Guide
For most travelers to Peru, Cusco is simply the city they must pass through on their way to Machu Picchu. While Machu Picchu certainly deserves its reputation as the most recognizable of all the archaeological treasures in the Western hemisphere, Cusco certainly has more than its fair share of attractions.
Cusco was once the at the heart of the Inca civilization, and has risen from the ashes of its destruction at the hands of the Spanish Conquistadors to become not only the World Heritage Site because of its archaeological importance, but one of Peru's premier commercial centers. Cusco has been rebuilt with magnificent colonial churches and public buildings mingling with the ruins of Inca palaces and has managed to retain its unspoiled and ancient charm in spite of the need to accommodate its thousands of tourists each year.
A day seeing the sights of Cusco should begin at the Plaza de Armas, the site of the city's two most important churches, La Catedral and La Compania. La Cathedra is as much art museum as it is cathedral, with its enormous collection of colonial art including Zapata' Last Supper. La Catedral stands on the foundations of Kiswarkanchar, the palace of the Inca King Viracocha, who had been named for an Inca deity. The Spaniards chose this site for the cathedral as a sign of the triumph of Spanish Catholicism over the Inca religion.
La Compania was built by the Jesuits in beginning in 1571, and was intended to outshine even La cathedra in its magnificence. The Archbishop of Cusco protested to the Pope, in Rome, and after a significant delay his disapproval was relayed to the Jesuits. La Compania, however, was already nearly completed in the ornate style they had planned.
Much of the stone used in these churches was harvested from another Inca site, the Sacsayhuaman, which seems to have been a fortification on the hills above what is now Cusco. Sacsayhuaman also has a network of underground tunnels (now closed) which have lured more than one adventurer to his death with the temptation of a buried treasure. The tunnels were built to connect Sacsayhuaman to other Inca structures within Cusco, and the fortifications can be visited by backpackers fit enough to handle the climb to 3703 meters (12,150 feet).
A steep but mercifully short climb from the Plaza de Armas is Cusco's biggest tourist-friendly neighborhood, San Blas, where the artisan's workshops, restaurants, bars, and hostels are located. Even those who aren't wither shopping or hungry should make the climb to San Blas for the views, or to see the exquisitely carved wooden pulpit of the Iglesia San Blas, which dates back to 1563 and is the oldest parish church in Cusco., the famous cedar pulpit The pulpit, carved from a single tree trunk, contains among its images of the apostles, the sun, and the Virgin Mary a skull said to be that of its creator.
The shops near the Plaza de Armas and San Blas are certainly a highlight of any stay in Cusco, and the best places to find the city's world-renowned hand-woven textiles. Alpaca wool is the material of choice for these textiles, which are fashioned into all the scarves, sweaters, caps, gloves, and ponchos necessary for braving the night air at 3350 meters. (11,000 feet). The Cusco artisans also produce fine woodcarvings, silver jewelry, and ceramics.
Although the hike from Cusco to Machu Picchu along the Inca Trail is certainly Cusco's biggest tourist draw, the 43 kilometer (27 mile) trek offers other remarkable ruins as well as unforgettable forest and mountain scenery. The trail crosses the Urubamba River using the suspension bridge called Cusichaca (named by Hiram Bingham, who discovered the Machu Picchu ruins in 1911). If possible, try to time your arrival at Machu Picchu for sunrise, and picture a lost civilization awakening to a new day from its perch at the apex of the world!
A trek along the trail really deserves four full days if its glories are to be fully explored, but tourist buses will transport those focused on Machu Picchu along the Hiram Bingham Highway which follows the river. Backpacking treks must be arranged through a professional travel agent and permits are granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Plaza de Armas which welcomes visitors so warmly in the daytime is transformed into a party scene at night for those who need a break from hiking or sightseeing. There's plenty of live music, the drinks are remarkably affordable, and as long as the drinkers don't have plans to hit the heights in the morning, nightlife in Cusco is the perfect way to end the day!
Cusco Traveler Advice
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