Cusco 2

A beautiful sunny morning. Ken came by at 10, and after some Lonely Planet and map wrangling, we set out. Our first destination was steps from the Loreta Boutique Hotel: the Cathedral of Cusco. I only have exterior shots to post...photography was prohibited inside. 

There was an informative audio tour, which touched upon some highlights of the fantastic carvings, paintings and architecture. Much historical and religious context was included, but some things were conveniently omitted. There were examples of the Catholic missionaries incorporating various Inca traditions and symbols, in an effort to convert the indigenous peoples. For example, mirrors were used extensively, surrounding the carved figures of Jesus and the Virgin, etc. Although the Church disdained this symbol of worldly vanity, the Incas believed mirrors increased bounty and reflected the soul (here, I am parroting what the audio tour said, without corroboration). In a huge painting of The Last Super, Jesus was standing before the entrée of cuy (roast guinea pig).

However, there was no mention of the conquest by the Spanish, nor the fate of the indians. And the large chapel (or basilica?) was named for "The Triumph", meaning the defeat of the Incas. Herein was displayed a silver crucifix, maybe four feet tall, which accompanied Pizarro. It was the first crucifix in the new world, and travelled to many parts of South America, as the missionaries converted the heathens. 

Next we walked uphill at the north end of town, planning to visit some Inca ruins in a large archeological park. But we balked at the price, and just continued walking until our way was blocked by the upper entrance of the park. There were good views of Cusco below. 

After lunch we visited Qorikancha, the remains of an Incan edifice, upon which the Christians built a church and convent. The Incan stonework was extraordinary, with precisely fitted stones requiring no mortar. These apparently survived Cusco's many earthquakes in better shape than the colonial buildings to follow. 

Ken was spotted taking a rest and catching up on his never-ending email. 

It began to rain as we left, and as we hunkered down in the Starbucks next to our hotel, the skies really opened up. 

We learned to our dismay that the evening's group meeting in preparation for our tour/trek (beginning tomorrow) had been relocated in space and time. We hurried to it, and eventually sorted out the particulars. 

Afterwards we went to a fancy organic restaurant, with another member of our tour group. Lots of vegetarian options for me, and Annette had her first taste of alpaca. Consulting the ubiquitous iPhone, we settled an argument about llamas and alpacas. Two different animals.