Cusco, Peru
Full of culture, history, architecture, and WONDER! Come visit today!
Sweet and Spicy
Simple yet complicated, spicy yet sweet. There are many kinds of Peruvian dishes to tantalize your taste buds with. Chicken soup is a simple favorite among Peruvians. Another example of a dish is chicken in a spicy yellow sauce served with almost any vegetable out there. Some of the most commonly eaten vegetables are potatoes, corn, and peppers. There are over 300 varieties of peppers that can be found in Cusco! On the sweeter side of things, Peruvians enjoy a soft drink produced in Cusco called "Inca-Kola." You should come and try it yourself!
Food Market
Fresh fruit and veggies are available daily
Inca-Kola
A Peruvian soft drink somewhat like cream soda
Spicy Chicken
Shredded chicken in a spicy yellow sauce served with rice
Array of Colors
Colorful clothing, dancing, art and celebrations fill the street. The traditional dress in the land of Cusco is a vibrant, colorful mix of Pre-Spanish and Spanish Colonial clothing. Much of the clothing is made from hand woven wool. The material is then turned into brightly colored skirts and ponchos. The style of hat that is worn indicates which village a person is from. In addition, celebrations are an important part of traditional culture in Cusco. One of the most colorful celebrations is the Inca Sun Festival on June 24th. The pageant ends at the Sacsayhuaman ruins above Cusco. It is a sight you won't want to miss.
Plenty to see & do!
There are many tourist attractions to explore in Cusco. You can walk through the city or take a taxi to the many different streets. One place you can go visit is the historical center of the city, the "Plaza de Armas", which has all kinds of activities day and night. During the day, you can visit Qurikancha, the temple of the sun, that is adorned with gold plated walls. At night, there is lots of dancing and live music in the local discos. Whether you prefer to dance the night away or spend your time reliving ancient history, there is always plenty to see and do in Cusco!
Ancient History - The Incas
The area in and around Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire, has so much ancient history. At the highest height in the Andes Mountains is Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the ancient Inca. It was built from stones put together so tightly a knife blade cannot fit in between the stones. These ruins are so popular that 75,000 or more people visit each year, most hiking in on foot. Down below in Cusco, there are 8 historic churches, one of which is called "The Cathedral". The church is Baroque in architectural design and made from stone that was stolen from Sacsayhuaman which is between Cusco and Machu Picchu. Whether you look high, low or in between, all you have to do is look...
Two Languages - One People
There are 2 spoken languages in Cusco, Quechua and Spanish. Quechua is the official ancient Incan language. They had no written language to document their history. After the Spaniards conquered Peru, Spanish became common as well. So, brush up on your Spanish and come this way!
Warm Days Chilly Nights
It can be chilly in Cusco, but not too cold. During the day it is 60 degrees throughout most of the year. The nights are much cooler with temperatures dropping into the low 30's and 40's. Due to heavy rains from November to April, the best time to visit is Summer and Fall, but whenever you visit, be sure to dress in layers and bring a coat.
Bibliography
Falconer, Quek. Cultures of the World: Peru. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2006.
"Machu Picchu." National Geographic. n.d.
<http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/machu-picchu/>.
Niles, Susan A. "Machu Picchu" World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. 13, 2013 ed. Chicago: World Book Inc., 2012.
"Things to do - Cusco." US News - Travel. 2013.<http://travel.usnews.com/cusco_peru/>.
Weston, Mike. "A Guide to the Culture and Traditions of the Andean Communities." My Peru. 2007. <http://myperu.org>.