Cusco Road Trip

by Marc on January 29, 2009

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After taking a couple days to adjust to the altitude and recover from our grueling journey to Peru, we decided it was time to get out and see some of the many archeological sites around Cusco. Our friends at South American Exlorer’s Club recommended a taxi driver named Eugenio, who could drive us to some of the major sites around Cusco.

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Early Saturday morning, Eugenio met us at our hotel and we headed out into the glorious countryside – beautiful mountains soaring above a patchwork quilt of farmland.

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We saw many groups of men and boys working in the fields, using tools and methods long left behind in America. We never saw any farming machinery, not even a tractor. According to our guide, all the families that farm this area work cooperatively, helping with each other’s crops.

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After a couple of brief stops to admire the scenery, we arrived at Moray – apparently an ancient Inca agricultural laboratory.

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We descended into these impressive terraces, made from stones arranged to provide adequate drainage and store the sun’s warmth.

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That was fun, but when it came time to hike up out of there – let’s just say it took a toll on us!

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Then it was time for more scenic driving through the countryside on our way to the next stop.

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Eventually we reached the Salineras, or salt mines. Being the rainy season, they weren’t dazzling white like in the brochures, but it was still an interesting site.

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Fed by an underground saltwater stream, the terraces are arranged so that they are filled by a series of tiny canals which divert the stream – no machinery needed at all.

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The kids got a kick out of tasting both the stream and the salt “fresh from the farm”.

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Then we headed back into Cusco, to see some of the ruins just outside the city. Highlights were the strange temple of Qenko…

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…and the massive complex of Saqsayhuaman, which offers both impressive stonework and excellent views of the city below.

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Unfortunately, some of us were completely exhausted by this time, so we didn’t get to fully explore the site. I think we tried to do a little too much in one day. But it was fun!

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{ 4 comments }

January 29, 2009 Catrell

I cannot believe it! That is the same cab driver we used for 2 days while we were in Cusco. He was awesome. As far as all the panhandlers, we had some fun with it. We gave the kids each the equivalent of $5.00 US and told them to see what they could get for that amount. They had a great time negotiating bargain basement prices then we all enjoyed seeing and hearing about their new treasures. Happy Travels. Catrell

January 30, 2009 Mom

The pictures are gorgeous. Finally a picture of you Marc.

January 30, 2009 Richard

Hard to believe you are on the other side of the world. Very interesting pictures.

February 9, 2009 G

Super cool! Having studied Latin American culture with an emphasis on Incan civilization, I’m jealous of your journey and can only imagine what you’re about to encounter in Machu Picchu. Holy cow!

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