Peru > Historic Cusco

Peru - The rainbow tree at Plaza de Armas The rainbow stretches from the Cathedral left to the Church of La Compania

At nine o’clock I had arranged to have breakfast at the hotel. Unfortunately, it’s raining again today. Through the narrow streets of Cusco, we walk to Plaza Cusipata. From there, we continue towards the main square, Plaza de Armas. At the Cathedral, we buy a combination ticket that includes the Art Museum and the Church of San Blas. The Cathedral actually consists of three interconnected churches: the Sagrada Familia, the left-hand church which also serves as the visitor entrance; the actual Cathedral in the center; and finally, the Iglesia del Triunfo, the right-hand and oldest of the three. The Cathedral was built from stones taken from Inca constructions in and around Cusco. The Cathedral is impressive, unique, and certainly worth a visit. Once outside, we walk through the narrow Inca streets towards the San Blas district. On the way, we stop for coffee to dry off a bit. We visit the famous twelve-angled stone in one of the Inca walls and a few nearby churches. On the recommendation of our guidebook, we decide to have lunch in a small local eatery. The recommended restaurant no longer exists, but its successor serves an excellent lunch for a reasonable price. After lunch, we take a new photo of the Cathedral at Plaza de Armas, as the one from the morning turned out poorly. We visit the Church of San Blas with its beautiful pulpit, which took 25 years to complete.

Peru - On Calle Rumiyoc is the 12sided stone showcasing the Inca skill in fitting stones perfectly together

We also visit the Museo de Arte Religioso with our combination ticket. The museum contains many religious paintings. On the way back to the hotel, we stop at a bar on the first floor overlooking Plaza de Armas to enjoy a beer with a great view of the square. In the evening, we go out for a Peruvian dinner with the entire group. The buffet meal, accompanied by Peruvian music, tastes great. During dinner, we thank Kristina for her guidance throughout the trip. Kristina tells us she thinks we are a wonderful group (and she really means it). Afterwards, we head to a nightclub. In the street with the twelve-angled stone, a police operation is underway against illegal street vendors. The street is blocked off from both ends, and officers confiscate all the merchandise. We happen to be right in the middle of it all — a strange and rather unsettling experience. A bit further on, we stop by a jeweler’s shop. Harm has been negotiating all day for a small statue priced at 4,000 dollars. From behind the shop window, and encouraged by all of us, the price drops to 2,600 dollars. In the end, Harm decides not to buy the statue. We end the evening at a nightclub in Cusco. The DJ comes over to ask what kind of music we like, but before long, the salsa music starts playing again.

Peru - The Plaza de Armas with the two impressive churches in the background

At midnight, a live band performs. Strangely, everyone has to clear the dance floor and sit down. During one of the songs, the singer selects “volunteers” for a salsa dance. Marco and I are the unlucky ones chosen to dance one by one in front of the crowd. Since no one else is dancing, we decide to move to another club. At Plaza de Armas, we dance to more Western-style music until after two o’clock. From the open balcony, we have a view of the classic Cathedral and the Jesuit church on the square — a fascinating combination. At a quarter past two, we take a taxi back to the hotel.