Touring Cusco

Saturday, June 02, 2012
Cusco, Peru
We had requested a 7:30 AM wake up call but didn't need it because firecrackers were going off in the city about 6 AM. Today was our last formal tour day. We were picked up by Pilar and Wilbur at 9 AM for our half day city tour and more Inca ruins. Our first stop was Pukapukara which was an Inca control point for people visiting the city from the country. Next we went to The Temple of Q'enqo and the the fortress of Sacsayhuaman. It was mind boggling to think the Incas could move rocks the size of those used in the fortress. We then went to the Santo Domingo Monastery Qorikancha which was built on top of the Inca temple of the sun. It was interesting to see the old ruins integrated into the newer monastery. There were various groups practicing for Inti Raymi which is a Festival to the Sun held on June 24 at Sacsayhuaman. Last stop was the Basilica Cathedral in the Plaza de Armas. Pilar was a fountain of knowledge of Inca history and she filled our heads with a lot of new information over the past four days. We saw big tour groups along the way with some people listening and some standing in the back just talking. We are really glad we did the tour with Kuoda which was tailored to our desires and needs. We hugged Pilar goodbye for the last time about 1 PM then we went to lunch at Don Thomas restaurant near our hotel. After lunch we made dinner reservations for tonight and Sunday at two restaurants that were highly recommended. We then continued walking around the general vicinity of the Plaza de Armas then came back to the hotel for some down time. We sat out on the rooftop patio to veg for awhile. It is warmer in the sun than in our room. As we found throughout Peru, the heat in the rooms is not turned on until well after dark (thank goodness for our sweatshirts). We went to Limo Restaurant (not Lima) for dinner at 7:30. It is located on the Plaza de Armas around the corner from the hotel. We had a great table overlooking the Plaza. Had a delicious Alpaca steak. After dinner, we watched the festivities in the Plaza including some interesting fireworks. Thank goodness the firecrackers stopped at 10 PM so we could get some rest.
 
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