The Incas believe Cuzco to be the navel of the world. For us, Cuzco was the epicenter of our Peruvian travels. From the moment we landed, Cuzco made us breathless, literally and figuratively.
Vibrant colors. cobbled stone alleys, walls of polished stones, and intricately carved wooden balconies was our first impression of this charming village-like town. Life in Cuzco radiates outward from its central Plaza de Armas; the most beautiful we’ve seen in any South American city. The perimeters of the plaza are lined with grand churches, souvenir shops, cafes, and tour operators. Look around and all of Cuzco gazes upon you from the surrounding hills teeming with red roofs.
At 3500 meters, we had to pop Diamox pills to prevent our lungs from pounding out of our chests. The altitude sickness wiped us out completely for the first few hours. So much so that we barely noticed the Halloween inspired décor of our Frankenstein Hostel. The eccentric German owner was talking endlessly in what seemed like unending slow motion. All we could do after the three-floor hike to our room was to hit the sack and acclimatize.
A few hours later, we walked in slow motion and popped in at the nearest Indian restaurant called Govinda. There’s plenty of delicious vegetarian food in Cuzco possibly because vegetables are preferable over meats in high altitudes. After struggling with bland Chilean cuisine over the past weeks, Indian curry at Govinda was delicious. After lunch, Kavita encountered coca leaves for the first time. La oja de coca es no droga announce popular souvenir t-shirts. Coca leaves are not drugs although they are the source for cocaine. Cusquenians drink coca tea just like the Argentinians enjoy their mate, any time of the day. Coca leaves brewed in boiling water improve blood circulation and reduce the effects of high altitude.
We spent the rest of the afternoon researching trips and planning our itinerary in Peru. This means hopping from one tour operator to another comparing prices and bargaining for the best deal. Now this is quite a bit of hard work considering the numerous ways you can get conned. So if you get this part right, the rest is a breeze. By the end of the evening, we had our two weeks planned and packed to the hour. Machu Pichu, Amazon, Lake Titicaca, Colca Canyon: we couldn’t wait to get started!
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