Cusco

Situated on the confluence of three rivers at 3320m above sea level, the Huatanay valley has been inhabited for thousands of years. It was named Cusco (Qosqo), meaning Navel of the Universe, by the Incas who arrived in this valley around 1100. However it was the greatest Inca, Pachacuti, who redesigned the city in the form of the Puma and gave it its charateristic shape of today. The conquistadores could not believe their eyes when they saw the quality of the architecture and masonry and promptly set about using the Inca walls as foundations for their new constructions. As a result Cusco is a wonderful hybrid of colonial Spanish and Inca construction. There are many intersting places to visit in Cusco including: 

Plaza de Armas
The Plaza is a large open square in the centre of Cusco and is the starting point for all visitors. In Inca times it was the heart of the Puma and it was from here that four roads emanated, each leading to one of the four sectors of the empire. Today it is surrounded by restaurants, bars and tour agencies and at night craftspeople line the covered archways surrounding the square, selling textiles, jewellery and paintings. When the sun is shining relax on one of the benches soaking up the atmosphere and when the equatorial sun becomes too fierce you can retire to one of the lovely balconies looking over the bustle of Cusco life.

The Cathedral
Considered the second biggest cathedral in South America after Sao Paulo, it is a symbol of the power of the Catholic Church. Unlike its more ornate neighbours the cathedral is a hulk of a building underlining the dominance of the Christian faith over the Andean religion. Work started in 1560 on the site of the Inca palace of Viracocha however it was not completed until the 17th Century. In 1650 a terrible earthquake hit Cusco and as a result this is the home of El Senor de los Temblores, or Lord of the Earthquakes. In his chapel is a crucifix of solid gold weighing over 25kgs.

Qorikancha
Qorikancha means Golden Enclosure. At the time of the conquest the courtyard and the surrounding gardens were full of gold. The walls had golden sheets covering them, the gardens had golden maize and llama statues and the centrepiece was the Sun disk. The vast majority of this gold was melted down and shipped back to Spain as well as being made into such objects as those found in the Cathedral and la Merced. However rumours abound of some of the gold escaping into the jungle or even into tunnels below Cusco.

The Qorikancha is placed at the site of the genitals of the Puma. From here emanate numerous ceques, the equivalent of ley or energy lines. Along these lines lay over 350 huacas or religious shrines including Q’enko, Tambo Machay, Pisaq and the Inti Huatana at the Machu Picchu ruins. Some even say that Tiahuanaco, in Bolivia, and the Paracas peninsula on the Peruvian coast are connected to Cusco by ceques. It was possibly due to this importance that the Spanish put a massive church on top of it. The result is a great example of the amalgamation of Inca and colonial architecture.

There are also intersting Inca sites on the outskirts of Cusco including Sacsayhuaman, whose giant boulders are placed to resemble a jaguar with an open mouth, the temple and amphitheatre of Qenko with its underground stone altar, and the water shrine of Tambo Machay.