Cusco - Capital of the Incas

So the bus trip from La Paz was uneventful and even luxurious - this was the most comfortable bus I've been on in my life, with seats that reclined and footrests that rose up to create a good approximation of a proper bed. Also I had a first row seat on the top floor of a double decker bus - so no complaints about the view either. There was even a working toilet, which however the driver and bus boy didn't allow passangers to use. Apparently it's cheaper or at least more convenient (for the driver and bus boy) to get people to do their business during the couple of short breaks we took. 

During our 14 hour odyssey we passed places, which made me think of home for some reason, such as Munapata, Cusipata and Villapata.

So I am back in Peru and was duly delivered to Cusco last night. Cusco was the capital of the Inka empire and even though the conquistadores did their usual destroying and melting down and plundering of most of the Inka artifacts and buildings, there are still clear signs of the original Inka city here: Churches and houses built on the foundations of old Inka buildings, Inka walls lining the narrow streets etc. 

This, I must admit, if a very pretty city indeed. Admittedly touristy, but hey, I'm a tourist! And having quality cafe's with great views all around makes life just that little bit more luxurious.

This morning I did my tourist thing and visited the Cusco cathedral complex, which consists of two smaller chuches joined to the main cathedral. Having seen quite a few churches and temples in my time, I'm a hard person to wow, but wow! A truly magnificient place, with superb wood carvings, paintings, statues, altars made from silver - 1,5 tons of silver in fact etc. I was not allowed to take photos though, so uncharacteristically here are a few images from the internet (clearly not everyone adheres to the no photos rule) as well as some photos I took from images in an artsy book.

One of the interesting objects in the cathedral was a very old painting - around 4x4 meters big - of the disasterous earthquake of 1650, which destroyed or at least damaged churches, convents and practically all the houses of Cusco (leaving only the Inka walls standing). Happily someone had the good idea to take out a statue of crucified Christ from the Cathedral into the mail square outside and hallelujah! - miraculously the earthquake stopped shortly after this!! In the lower left corner of the painting you can see the people gathering in the square around this miracle working crucifix. This statue has since been designated the Lord of the Earthquakes (sequel to Lord of the Rings, anyone?) and is one of the, if not the, most revered statues around these parts. Such is the dedication of people to this statue, that it has turned quite black from the smoke of votive candles. 

 

Other much worshipped statues included that of saint Whatshisface who may grant single women their wish of finding a good (or any) husband and saint Thiggummy who may grant single men their wish of remaining batchelors - which two saints would seem to counteract eachother nicely.

Oh and once a year during Easter a mass is held in the cathedral in Quetchua - language of the Inkas and still more widely spoken in the villages than Spanish. Entry to non-Quetchua-speakers is denied during this mass, which is the most popular of the year though it's held at the inconvenient time of 5am.

No doubt there will be more ooohing and aaaahing about Cusco, once I get settled in comfortably and have time to wander around town. Now my lunch of rocoto relleno (stuffed very hot-hot peppers) is finally here. Buen Provecho!

 

****  Spezialreport:
As it turns out, I won't be oohin and aaahing over Cusco tomorrow, as I just reserved a 4 day treck starting tomorrow morning and ending in Maccu Picchu. The treck includes mountain biking and zip lining (like a cable car except without the cable - just little old me hanging at best 200 meters over the jungle from a cable in a harness) and naturally some old fashioned trecking and walking up mountains.
No rest for  the wicked...