Cusco
Aug 7th-12th, and 17th-24th, 2018
Cusco is complex. The city has lived many lives. It was home to the Killke people from 900–1200 AD, the capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th to 16th century, then taken over by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533 AD.
The blend of the various cultures that have inhabited the city is visible, it’s intoxicating, and it has created many layers to the place. The layers are seen and felt; unfolding in each bite of culturally infused cuisine and revealing themselves in the stone walls of the ancient Incan city that peak through cobblestone streets and alleyways built by the Spanish.
Elaborate Catholic cathedrals and monasteries were built on top Incan palaces and temples. Stonewalls of the Incan palaces became the base to which the Spanish constructions rose. The gold and silver plates that adorned the Incan temples were melted down and molded into elaborate alters that are now the focal point of the city’s churches.
The language of the local people is a mix of Quechua (the dialect of the Incas) and Spanish, the forced tongue of the conquerors.
Another layer has recently been added to this tiramisu of a city; it is one that caters to the outside world and tourism — an inevitable byproduct of the 2 million yearly tourists that visit. This layer has brought in western style coffee houses, souvenir shops stalked with repetitive merchandise, and rows upon rows of tour companies shuttling people daily to the nearby natural and manmade wonders of the area — Machu Pichu, Rainbow Mountain, Amazonian treks, etc.
Yet, through all these layers, a unique and vibrant culture endures — a culture steeped in mountain life. It reveals itself through the hearty food, the layered clothing, and the rosy wind burnt cheeks of the locals. It is strong, and given it has survived many tide changes; it looks like it is here to stay.
3 Highlights:
- Watching a group of little boys practicing for a parade in the Plaza de Armas. After an afternoon full of museum hopping, we headed for the town square — Plaza de Armas — to sit, relax, and people watch. Little did we know we were in for a treat! As we approached the square, we heard the faint beat of a drum accompanied by high pitched voices, in semi-unison, shooting out “left, right, left” in the local dialect. A group of 50 plus schoolboys between the ages of 5–8, formed four rows. They welded wooden sticks and loosely followed the instructions of two grown men desperately trying to direct their attention to the marching task at hand. The whole thing was just adorable. When the weekend came, we learned what they had been practicing for — a full-blown city parade. As we walked through town that sunny Sunday morning, we encountered hundreds of dance troupes, in full tribe regalia, marching, singing, and dancing.
- Cathedral of Santo Domingo. This church, built between 1560 and 1664, was the first of many elaborate basilica churches built by the Spanish throughout Cusco. Ornate doesn’t even begin to describe the interior of this place. I visited the cathedral twice during our trip to Cusco, and still, I wasn’t able to take in the entirety of it. Woven through the elaborate details of each decoration, are aspects of the two cultures the church was built around. A life-size oil painting of “The Last Supper” depicts cuy (roasted guinea pig — a delicacy reserved for the Incan elite) as the main dish surrounded by local fruits like papayas and custard apples. The sophisticated workmanship of the wooden vestibules, portraying saints and noblemen of the western world, was handcrafted by the most prestigious wood craftsmen of the day, who were Incan.
- San Blas Mercado lunches — we frequented this authentic neighborhood market practically every day during our two weeks in Cusco. Rows of fruit, vegetable, and nut stalls are manned by smiling, friendly owners who remember you from your prior purchase and great you with an endearing welcome when you return. Behind the produce stalls are rows of small, compact eateries, each serving up a “menu de dia”. Each day, we made it our quest to find the stall packed with locals and void of foreigners. San Blas is a lesser-known market in Cusco, so this did not prove to be a hard task. Each meal we had consisted of three, full, delectable courses. They were so filling that we often skipped breakfast or dinner. We were not disappointed by a single meal. We feasted on homemade minestrone soup, tender lomo saltado, crispy fried chicken, perfectly grilled trout, mouth-watering ceviche, and many other dishes — each one costing us about $3-$6 USD a person. For the entire 3-course meal! A deal indeed.
