Cusco

     Cusco was the centre of the Inca Empire and believed to be the oldest inhabited city in the Western Hemisphere. It is 3480m high in the Andes and about 39 miles from the Sacred Valley of the Incas.  This is where we would spend time acclimatizing to the altitude in preparation for our trek.

      We sampled a local purple corn drink, ate dishes including alpaca kebabs, ceviche, and lamb stew.  The food is delicious.  We took a walking tour of the city and visited  shops where we shopped and some of us who were initially reluctant,  were persuaded to purchase beautiful rugs and the like.  I am sure there are no regrets to this day!

    The next day Al (with my permission) decided to go white water rafting on the Rio Urubamba with some of the guys.  They obviously enjoyed themselves immensely.  Al's comment was "We had manly fun."  I will add he sunburned his feet pretty badly, but luckily this did not interfere with his trekking.

I on the other hand did some sightseeing and shopping ( my children and grandchildren are very thankful for this sacrifice on my part).  I found the best shopping buddies anyone could ask for.  I am proud to say we became experts in the cost of jewelry, especially necklaces!!

As you can see Cusco has many faces which are vastly different.  It is a beautiful city, one which would require far more time to explore than we had because the next day we left to start our trek to Machu Pichu !