The Emperor’s New Groove
aka traveling to Cusco, Peru and subsequently to Machu Picchu!
Cusco has a certain feel to it that you can’t quite put your finger on. It is peaceful. It is distinctly South American but has European charm and influences. Mysticism and shamans converge with new age hippies and vegans. There’s a huge gate in the Plaza Del Armas (the town center) that leads to Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption. The facade gives nothing away. How do you even enter this church? The doors are so large and mysterious it feels like the gates of heaven, itself. Just before these gates are guards. Just before these guards is a Mariachi band. Just before this band is a group of dancers, me included. And directly behind us, a crowd of art vendors waiting to rope us tourists into buying “sexy llama photos.”
I drink copious amounts of Coca leaf tea (made from the raw leaves that make cocaine, but the leaves are only mild stimulants- similar to black tea while in this form) in fear of altitude sickness. I am blissfully feeling well but I also get out of breath faster than an 90 year-old. I pick up my luggage from the floor and set it on a chair… out of breath. I wash my hands… out of breath. I walk up three stairs to get to a restaurant… out of breath. I go to sleep… you guessed it, out of breath. And this is all extremely weird for me- I’ve ran two marathons for goodness sake. But my Pittsburgh lungs are not mighty enough to take on the 12,000 feet altitude that is Cusco. If ever you feel you need a preview of climbing Mount Everest, you can trek your way up to Sacsayhuaman from Plaza Del Armas. What could have been a 20 minute stroll, ended up taking 1 agonizing hour up hundreds of stairs (with intermittent breathers approximately every seven stairs). Sacsayhuaman (pronounced “sexy woman”) is located on top of a mountain in the outskirts of Cusco, well above the already sky high altitude. After the hundreds of stairs, you arrive at the Cristo Blanco (White Jesus) which is fashioned after Christ the Redeemer in Brazil. A short (& LEVEL- thank you Jesus) stroll through trees that overlook farms and mountains and we arrive at Sacsayhuaman, the historical capital of the Inca Empire. Wildflowers dance at my feet as I admire the perfectly cut boulders.
Tips while in Cusco: Get a facial for under $20 for 1.5 hours- your face will never look prettier. Try pizza or bread made in a traditional Peruvian oven. Look for restaurants that still have ancient Peruvian architecture. Don’t waste too much time with hecklers- they all sell the same thing- just say “no gracias” and move on. Drink as much liquids as you can- altitude sickness is no joke.
Machu Picchu: How I got there: 2 hour taxi from Cusco to Ollantaytambo ~$30 or 100 sol/ each way2 hour train ride for Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes ~$160/ round trip15 minute bus ride Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu ~$20/ round trip Entrance fee ~$70 Mighty trek, but worth every damn moment.
See blog post “Volunteering in Lima” for more on Peru
Synopsis: In my opinion, there is no comparison between Lima and Cusco. Cusco is inviting and absolutely breathtaking (literally). The city is globally-minded but steadfast in its ancient Peruvian/ Incan roots. Lima has a lot of issues with human and LGBTQ rights and can be uncomfortably sexist, at times. The people live in a sort of apartheid, with a wall (figuratively and literally) dividing people living in poverty and the filthy rich. The Wall of Shame is located a few miles outside of the city center and it encases thousands of impoverished families. The government refuses to give assistance to these families and instead labels them as criminals (hence the wall to “protect” the wealthy Peruvian neighbors). The two cities are day and night. Regardless, I felt it was important to see both- a city in need of a major change contrasted with the hopeful and pleasant tones of Cusco.
Machu Picchu
