Cusco

My travel companion Peter Jaspers-Fayer snapping a photo of Cusco

The streets of the old quarter are all one lane

The foundations of this capital city of the Inca Empire are evident everywhere in the old quarter, with Spanish colonial buildings built on top of them.

It's now a charming town of cobblestone streets and plazas but heavy traffic and thousands of visitors from around the world are taking their toll. You can't walk far without dodging cars and touts offering trinkets, meals and massages.

To really appreciate the mastery of Incan stonemasonery, a visit to Sacsayhuaman (pronounced "sexy woman") is a must. 

 

Situated on a hill above Cusco, it was a fortress and a ceremonial site for the Inca until their defeat by the Spanish conquistadores and their allies. Each huge stone fits perfectly with the next without the need for mortar. Amazing!

 

I thought I might avoid the tourist hordes by coming during the rainy season. Guess I was wrong!

 

As well as traveling with Peter, I was joined in Cusco by dear friend Ralph White, who is organizing the Esoteric Quest to the Lost World of the Inca and my daughter Heather for our journey to Machu Picchu.