Cuzco

Well my faithful readers. I have spent the last few days in Cuzco now (or Cusco or Qosqo or whatever). I must say, it is an amazing town. Walking through the plaza the grandeur is evident, while the narrow back alleys remind me of the medieval villages in España vieja. And then on top of that you can see the unique Inca walls that have survived integrated into all of this.

Cuzco would easily top my famous towns list if it wasn´t for the fact that through all this marvelous architecture, almost all buildings around the center are either hotels, touristic restaurants, shops or tour agencies. I miss the vibrant soul of the towns of the north or of an Arequipa. Alas alas ...

But I have not remained uninfluenced by all this and are treating myself a bit here in a fancier hotel than usual, located in a picturesque back alley a bit up the hill. And further up that hill is a magnificent Inca fort, called Sacsayhuaman (pronounce somewhat like "sexy woman"). And more Inca ruins are littered around the area, ready for inspection by Señor Hans! Seeing more and more Inca remains makes my respect for them grow, but also makes me wonder about the naietivity with which they handled (or tried to handle) the conquistadores. More on that later, first I am off towards to the sacred valley and some of the more impressive Inca remains.

And how ? No, I have decided not to do the Inca trail. I think the price is outrageous and for that you get pampered during the trek. And there is no way at the moment to get a somewhat normally priced, no-thrills, only-you-and-nature kind of trek. Señor Hans will have to wait until Bolivia for that. No, I am heading up the river to Ollantaytambo for a few days and will visit Machu Picchu the easy way. Oh yeah ! :-D