Cusco - Ancient Inca Capital

Peru

Cusco - Ancient Inca Capital - 12/04/2004 till 18/04/2004

(Click on any of the thumbnails for a larger image)

Coffee at Hotel Los Ninos (interesting story, but in Dutch), in Cusco with Joyce... arrived 10th of April (Easter weekend) from Lima.	Hotel Los Ninos - A typical Spanish colonial house with obligatory fountain in the centre of the courtyard...	Dutch deck chairs...	...at night...	...breakfast and...
...reception room	Dinning room/Lounge	Room for $30 a night	Street view from...	...Los Ninos
Very unassuming entrance to Hotel - ring bell to be let in	Old lady selling potatoes every morning across the Hotel entrance	View from restaurant looking at Place de Armas, centre of Cusco.	Sorry... Peruvian delicacy... Guinnea Pig... not be recommended...	Peruvian women in traditional gear in the plaza...
Joyce and I on our way up the hill overlooking Cusco, to the Inca ruins of Sacsayhuaman ...	...met by some Peruvian kids and Llamas.	Ruins of Sacsayhuaman...	...with locals playing football on top of the hill...	...naturally created slide by glacial wear...
Chair cut out of bedrock overlooking the walls...	...of the old fort of Sacsayhuaman...	One of the largest rocks in the wall estimated to be 300 tonnes	The wall of the fortress at the base of what used to be Sacsayhuaman which is shaped to resemble the Pumas teeth - supposedly...	...Cusco was originaly designed in the shape of a Puma by the Incas...
...view from top of the ruins...	...looking at Plaza de Armas from the top of the hill...	Typical 'window' built into old wall	...notice statue in the distance behind me, to my right...	Crosses placed across from Sacsayhuaman for Easter...
Its so ironic that the local Peruvian people, particularly in Cusco are such devout Catholics after having their culture (Inca - or Quechua) literally demolished by the Spanish Conquistadores in the name of Catholisism.	Permanent statue: Christo Blanco lookind down onto Cusco.	Walking down from the hill back into town, down typical narrow little cobblestreet alleys...	...	Back to Plaza de Armas on Sunday (Easter) to see some sort of street parade - for what, I am not entirely sure...
...	...	...	...	Peruvian flag and traditional Inca colours (colours of the rainbow)
...who knows...	...	...	Locals enjoying the spectacle	Another courtyard of a restaurant where we enjoyed Tapas
Plaza de Armas at night, looking toward one of the 3 churches surrounding the square, with the Swan fountain in the centre	Looking down into the city...	..and back up the same street	Common building - notice the Spanish colonial houses built either on Inca foundations or incorporating Inca building blocks	South African pub! We didn't go in...
...	Great photo of two little girls posing with their puppy - asking for a Soles ( about 35 US cents)	Walking around the city, notice a child who couldn't find a toilet.. or just doesn't care...	Small band taking a break outside their church...	...notice the Cross resting horizontally as the few are blessed...
...with gold confetti sprinkled on their heads	To freindly old gentleman...	...who offer photos to be taken...	...by their old box cameras.	Im not sure if this is Spanish colonial, or loosely based on the Incas - whichever it is, still odd - end of our Cusco trip - Fascinating place to visit, but not more than a week or two at the most.