..and 16 hours on from Nasca, CUSCO...

..the heart of the once mighty Inca Empire sits at 3,300m and is a melting pot of centuries old Andean tradition, modern Peruvian life and fat American tourists. It's the continent's oldest continuously inhabited city where massive Inca-built walls line steep, narrow cobblestone streets and plazas. Legends tell that in the 12th century the first Inca, Manco Capac, was ordered by the sun god to find the navel of the Earth (qosq'o) A subsequent Inca, Pachacutec, devised Cusco's famous puma shape. Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish conquistador, marched on Cusco in 1533 heralding the end of the Inca Empire in Cusco.

Our time in Cusco was divided between pre and post-Inca Trail to Machu Picchu (see next entry!) We arrived a few days before we started the trek to acclimatise and thought that a trip out to the Valle Sagrado (Sacred Valley) on our first full day in Cusco would be a good idea.
Our first stop was Pisac, a bustling colonial village, at the base of a spectacular Inca fortress perched on a mountain spur . We took a very steep 4km footpath that seemed to ascend 3km but enjoyed spectacular views of terraces before finally arriving at the ceremonial centre - good training indeed!

Took un colectivo via Urubamba to Ollantaytambo. Its massive fortress stands over the tiny cobblestoned village as the tourists swarm over the ruins. More spectacular steep terraces mark one of the few places the Spanish lost a major battle.

Spent a day soaking up the plentiful city sights including a walk downtown to climb the imposing monument of Pachacutec for sweeping views across the city. The Plaza de Armas is surrounded by colonial arcades and dominated by the cathedral which the Spanish erected using blocks from nearby Saqsaywaman. Inca walls line the alleyways leading off from the plaza including Hatunrumiyoc, a street which features an excellently fitted 12-sided stone in one of the walls. It is interesting to compare the colonial buildings with the Inca walls which have withstood Cusco's historic earthquakes far better over time .

Post-trek activities included a mini downhill trek to see the Inca sights of Saqsaywaman, Q'enqo, Pukapukara and the ceremonial baths of Tambomachay as well as watching a traditional dance show and spending time on the toilet! The most impressive of these sights was Saqsaywaman (meaning 'satisfied falcon') or more memorably 'sexy woman.'  Unfortunately mostly torn down by the Spanish after the fierce Inca defeat of 1536 where the thousands of dead attracted swarms of Andean condors, memorialised by the inclusion of eight condors in Cusco's coat of arms. In the puma shape of Cusco, Saqsaywaman is the head with its 22 zig-zag walls forming the teeth.

Culinary highlights included alpaca steak and some home comfort nourishment whilst in a fragile state at Jack's café where we witnessed a ferocious storm before our onward journey which departed from a pitch-black, intimidating bus station.

Onward overnight bus journey to Arequipa, 11 hours.