Cusco. What a charming city. Between the Plaza de Armas, many churches, markets and Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun) celebrations, the heart of the Inca capital at 11,200 feet was a sight to behold.
We stayed at Hostal Corihuasi which was a nice uphill walk from the Plaza de Armas. Prior to arriving here, I cannot say that I had ever seen an oxygen tank in the lobby of a hotel. However, that aside, this was my favorite hostel of the trip because of the views and the decor (wood floors, fresh-cut flowers, and old furniture).
The views of the old city were lovely, both during the day and at night. Even the walk to our room was gorgeous!
For lunch, we had alpaca burgers at Fuego. Oh my goodness. Alpaca > grass-fed beef.
There was no agenda for the afternoon, other than to walk around and take in the views. We decided to just visit one church, La Compania de Jesus. Pictures were not allowed inside, but it was ornate and fascinating (and to be honest a little disturbing) to see the way Catholicism had been combined with ancient traditions.
But in my opinion, the best part about visiting this particular church was going through a little hobbit door, climbing up some rickety, narrow, wooden stairs and being rewarded with this view of the Plaza de Armas and La Catedral.
Now if you know our family (particularly my husband and father-in-law), you know we LOVE chocolate. My father-in-law makes the best brownies, fudges, and chocolate chip cookies. So thanks to Andrea's research, a stop at the ChocoMuseo was in order. Cacao husk tea gets a big thumbs up from us. It is clear once brewed and tastes just like hot chocolate. And the best part is, it is a good source of antioxidants.
Inti Raymi celebrations were in full swing with colorful costumes, dancing, music, and even fireworks at night. The parade wound up and down the streets all day.
At every turn, there were more churches and bell towers.
And we came to the market. Between the food and flowers, it was so colorful. And the avocados! I wish I would have snapped a picture. They were so large! Like football-size large. Yum. And seeing whole roasted guinea pig on a stick is definitely not something we see everyday.
After a while of wandering, we stopped back at the hostel to relax for a bit and watch some of the World Cup games. Although it's safe to say I spent more time enjoying these views than actually watching the game.
Evening came early, about 6 p.m. because it was winter.
And the city sparkled as we ventured out for dinner.
The hostel had recommended Urpi for Peruvian dishes.
This was one of my favorite meals of the trip. We sat, talked, laughed and shared dishes of food, all while feeling the warmth of the fire and enjoying each other's company. I believe that fellowship around the table is one of the sweetest earthly pleasures, and this meal was no exception.
"It's not, actually, strictly about food for me. It's about what happens when we come together, slow down, open our homes, look into one another's faces, listen to one another's stories... It happens when we enter the joy and sorrow of the people we love, and we join together at the table to feed one another and be fed, and while it's not strictly about food, it doesn't happen without it. Food is the starting point, the common ground, the thing to hold and handle, the currency we offer to one another."
-Shauna Niequist, Bread and Wine
We shared garlic bread, sopa de quinua (quinoa soup), papa a la huancaina (potatoes with peanut sauce), and chili relleno (stuffed chili pepper).
Afterwards, we
It was beautiful gift and way to end a glorious day in this city and our time in Peru.
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