Again we have to rise early as we have an early morning transfer to Cuzco, the ancient capital on the Incas, lodged high in the Andes range. The flight from Lima is relatively short and the landing in amongst the huge peaks is truly spectacular. Once again we are lucky to have a guide to meet us and take us to the hotel in the centre of old Cuzco. One of the first things we notice about Cuzco is the thinness of the air here – at over 12000 feet altitude sickness is a real problem. As soon as we reach our hotel, the Los Andes, we sit down to catch our breath, and partake of the coca tea – an ancient and seemingly potent aid for preventing the worst effects of altitude sickness.
As we have a planned afternoon tour of ancient Cuzco and the Incan ruins we walk down to the main plaza, Plaza de Armas, in the colonial part of the city to find somewhere for lunch. Fortunately we find a wonderful little restaurant and settle down for a wonderful 3 course meal. Our bellies full we return to the hotel to await our tour bus.
The fist stop on the tour is the large Cathedral, the most prominent structure overlooking the square and is adjoined to a church on either side, the Iglesia Jesus María and Iglesia El Triunfo. Inside is the elaborately carved wooden altar, covered in gold and silver plate, and the carved wooden choir stalls that are acclaimed to be the finest in the country. Also of interest is the painting The Last Supper, which portrays Jesus and his disciples gathered around the table, on which a central platter of the local Inca delicacy, 'cuy' or roasted guinea pig, is placed.
From here we make the short journey to the Coricancha Inca Ruins (a Quechua word meaning 'Golden Courtyard'), but the Inca stonework is all that remains of the ancient Temple of the Sun, which was the most important temple in the Inca Empire, dedicated primarily to Inti, the Sun God. The walls and floors were once covered in sheets of solid gold, and the courtyard was filled with golden statues. Spanish reports tell of its opulence that was 'fabulous beyond belief'. The Church of Santo Domingo was built on the site, using the ruined foundations of the temple that was flattened by the gold-hungry Spanish in the 17th century, and is a fine example of where Inca stonework has been incorporated into the structure of a colonial building. Major earthquakes have severely damaged the church, but the Inca stone walls, built out of huge, tightly-interlocking blocks of stone, still stand as a testimony to their superb architectural skills and sophisticated stone masonry.
We climb back on our tour bus and travel high into the hills above the city. Our first stop is Sacsayhuamán, and on leaving the tour bus we get our first opportunity to have our photo taken (for a small gratuity) with a lady in traditional dress and her alpacas. The ruins of Sacsayhuamán is the closest and the most remarkable of the Inca ruins to Cuzco. Its proximity to Cuzco and the dimensions of its stones caused it to be used as a quarry by the Spanish conquistadors, providing building material for their colonial buildings in the city 
below. The complex suffered such destruction by the Spanish conquistadors that little is known about the actual purpose these magnificent buildings served, but it is usually referred to as a fortress, constructed with high, impenetrable walls, although it is also believed to have been a ceremonial or religious centre. The ruins cover an enormous area, but only about 20 percent of the original complex remains and are a fine example of extraordinary Inca stone masonry. It is estimated the complex took 100 years to build, using thousands of men in its construction, the massive blocks of stone fitting together perfectly without the aid of mortar, one weighing over 300 tonnes and standing 16ft (5m) tall. The magnificent centre was the site of the infamous bloody battle between the Spanish and the Inca people in 1536 that left thousands of the native people dead. Today it holds the annual celebrations of Cuzco's most important festival, Inti Raymi, the sun festival, a spectacular and colourful affair that re-enacts the Inca winter solstice festival every June.
From here we return to the bus and travel off to see some more of the Inca ruins surrounding Cuzco. By the end we are all very tired and are happy to return to the hotel.
From here we return to the bus and travel off to see some more of the Inca ruins surrounding Cuzco. By the end we are all very tired and are happy to return to the hotel.
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