Saturday, August 27, 2022

Day 19 - History, Colors, and People

Today was a non-riding day to regroup and get everything ready for the Amazon. We got back to Cusco from Ollantaytambo in the morning and proceeded to check on the motorcycles, get laundry done, check on emails and work stuff, and roam the city's many sites, narrow streets, markets, churches, and plazas.

Cusco is a great place to meet people from all walks of life ... met Maximo who sang a Quechua song for us ... met security guards at the Cathedral and learned about the treasures inside ... met shop keepers, artisans, artists ... visited the book fair on the Plaza de San Francisco ... went to the massive San Pedro produce market to see the real action that feeds this amazing city ... and even ended up at the Mercado Paraiso for black market goods like electronics and phones.  

The highlight was a visit to the Cusco Cathedral.  One of the most impressive churches I have seen.  Massive, full of art, paintings, gold, silver, wood work ... a testament to the center of power Cusco was back in colonial days.

Just thinking about the awe that people from around this area felt when centuries ago they entered the building and saw what was inside, gives me mixed emotions ... on the good side, faith, comfort, happiness ... on the other side, control, abuse, and exploitation.   

This city is definitely a melting pot of local and international people ... lots of colors, markets, vendors, nice stores and art galleries, and very good restaurants.  The day was beautiful and sunny ... and all was good with the world.

Tomorrow, we ride up to 17,000 ft. to finally get over the Andes to head back down to the Amazon basin, jungle, and river.  The second phase of this journey begins tomorrow.


The view this morning from my room in Ollantaytambo with an Inca structure on the mountain in front

Stop lights in town

Back in magnificent Cusco - the Plaza de Armas

The famous Peruvian wood balconies

My new friend Maximo singing in Quechua with his Charango

The impressive, bold, over the top cathedral in Cusco

The Cathedral

The Cathedral - massive heights and columns

The Cathedral - gold and silver everywhere

The Cathedral in motion

A side pedestrian street in Cusco

The produce market in Cusco

People from all over the world here

An Inca wall with its perfectly fitted stones

Laundry the day before we hit the Amazon

A nice group dinner at Pachapapa in Cusco

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