Cusco
Cusco was one of my favorite stops in Peru. We passed through the city twice – both before and after Machu Picchu. Our first stop in Cusco was shorter, but gave us time to enjoy a fabulous Peruvian Chinese lunch at Kion, start getting used to the high altitude of the Andes (the city is in a high valley at just over 11,000 feet), and walk around the historic plaza and cathedral. When we returned after Machu Picchu, we had more time to really explore, visiting ruins, the Christ statue on the mountain overlooking the city, and to experience the festitivies of the annual Corpus Christi celebration.
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Kion, a Peruvian Chinese restaurant, was where we had lunch after arriving in Cusco.
The Templo del Triunfo, a small chapel connected to the Cusco Cathedral.
Iglesia de la Compañia de Jesús
The Church of the Society of Jesus, which is also located on the Plaza de Armas in Cusco.
The Cusco Cathedral, on the Plaza de Armas.
Chica, a fermented corn drink (basically, corn beer) at the chicharia we stopped at in the Sacred Valley.
Ruins of the Qurikancha, an Incan temple, which are part of the complex of the Convento de Santo Domingo de Cusco.
The Cristo Blanco, a statue of Jesus Christ located on the mountainside above Cusco.
Walls of the Saqsaywaman, and Incan ruin located on the mountainside above Cusco.
