Peru - Day 2 Touring the outskirts of Cusco

Still....acclimating..to the..altitude. Yes, Day 2 is all about relaxing and roaming around Cusco. Our guide company set up a comprehensive tour around the outskirts of town to see some of the Inca sites. It's our first glance at the scale at which the Inca's did things. So we piled into our private transport with our driver and guide (turns out we will come to rely on our driver more than we thought..sort of in a guardian angel sort of way!)

Sacsayhuamán

First stop was the The Fortress of Sacsayhuamán (located to the north of Cusco's main square, 1km away from the Church of San Critobal). Referred to as the Royal Houses of the Sun. The complex was for the Inca elite and was where they went to worship (you guessed it) the Sun. The fortress was set up like a small city, complete with running water. This is where you can get an up close view of the amazing stonework the Inca's were able to achieve without modern tools. Estimated weights of some of these stones is estimated between 90 and 125 metric tons. The sheer weight combined with the precision at which these stones were interlocked is in itself worth the trip to see this site. So much to say about this site so, instead of me rambling on, take a look at some of the pictures.

We spent about an hour here roaming the site with our knowledgeable guide. We are realizing at this point that booking a private trip was worth the extra few hundred bucks. The company we used (email us for the name) provided trained guides that spoke perfect english. It also allows you to move at your own pace and not be subject to 10 other people!

Q'enqo (Kenko)

Next stop is Q'enqo, an Inca temple which consists of two significant archaeological sites: Q'enqo Grande (closer to the road) and Q'enqo Chico (about 350 meters west of Grande, located on a hillside). Both are places of worship but their meaning has not been determined yet. Another example of fantastic stone work.Q'enqo Chico is a recent discovery and archaeological work is still going on. Our guide used to play "football" on the pitch that was above the site before it was found.

Facts of note are the amphitheater that surrounds the natural stone of Q'enqo Grande, the "ZigZag" Gutter (drainage for water/blood?). There is also an underground passage that is quite interesting with altars and niches carved into the stone (secret rituals??). Follow the slightly difficult staircase (or easy rock climb) to the top where rituals were performed at it's altar.

This turned out to be a quick stop but was well worth the time spent exploring. Again, your experience at any site is only as good as your tour guide. This site might have been a quick photo op of some more rocks had our guide not taken the time to explain its history and significance.

This short day ends with door to door service back at the hotel where we promptly headed out into the streets of Cusco to do some more shopping.


Meeting the Trek Guide

This evening we have a meeting with our trekking guide to go over trip details for our Urubamba/Lares Valley adventure. Our guide was an warm and endearing figure, however he tactfully made it clear that he would be in charge (this is a positive as long as it is communicated properly to the client). To hear his experiences over the years set us at ease that we had a seasoned veteran who was looking out for us. Outcome of our meeting:

Lesson 1 - Verify, verify verify. When booking through an outfit in the U.S., be sure that whichever company they "outsource" your trip to locally (and most will), knows everything you told the primary booking agency. Of particular note, communicate medical and dietary needs in writing and verbally to all agents and sub-contractors. We told the primary agent and assumed they would pass along the info, they did not. This was the the only major gaff by our booking company, but it's a big one.

Lesson 2 - Confirm every detail of trek itinerary. Our guide company told us 4-5 hours of hiking per day and to "bring a book!" for reading during down time. Our meeting in Cuzco revealed that we would be hiking between 6-9 hours per day at altitudes averaging 12,000 feet. No time (or desire) for reading...again, planning and coordination spectacular, minute details: a bit fuzzy.

Of interest: they say the coca tea helps you acclimate to the altitude and eases any stomach "issues" you may have with the food..we'll see...