Our arrival to Cusco was a rather stressful affair. Entering the outskirts of the city we were met with very heavy traffic, that resulted in a very slow approach. Following that, our chosen place to park the camper van for the week was located high up in the overlooking hills, and necessitated revs I didn’t even know our long-suffering vehicle had! But arrive we did and after grabbing our bags we went to our hotel in the historic centre.
We stayed at Cooper Hotel Boutique. I only really mention it as we were really impressed with everything there. The breakfast was sensational, the rooms roomy and clean, the staff so friendly and nice, and the price extremely competitive. Also, location wise it could not have been beaten, so certainly two thumbs up from all our travellers!
We spent our first evening in Cusco strolling the narrow streets before heading out for dinner. Cusco has all levels of culinary quality that you could want. From the seven-course evening-long experiences to the local fixed price menu, you really can get whatever you want. As it happened, we chose a relatively upmarket place called Kusykay to mark our arrival, and it turned out to be the best meal we enjoyed during our whole travels.
Our next morning began with an unexpected military parade in the main plaza (Plaza de Armas). This really was a sight to be enjoy, with so many participants, such colour, such enthusiasm and such smiles from all involved. We ended up watching for a good two hours before continuing our exploration of the city. This included a trip to the Catedral Basilica, an extremely impressive structure both inside and out. With so much art, paintings, sculptures and woodwork craft on show, it really is one to admire and well worth the entrance fee. A trip to the chocolate factory was called for following the religious excitement. Strange how the abundance of artisan chocolates and huge hot chocolates drinks did little to relax the kids thereafter…!
Our next day saw a trip to the Museo de Arte Precolombino (Pre-Colombian Art Museum) in the centre of the city. While the adults really enjoyed the exhibits and layout of the place, it was not one that the kids really took to. Fortunately, our trip later that day to the Museo Inka was much more successful, with young and old really enjoying learning about the history and culture of this amazing civilisation. A quick visit to Qorikancha (Inka Sun Temple) followed. We did not enjoy the huge numbers of tourists here and felt that the experience was quite underwhelming. Perhaps others think different, but for us that day at least, this was not one to recommend. Later in the afternoon we boarded an open-top city bus tour. Not something we would usually do but thought it would suit our three generations of travellers. To be fair, it really worked out well and we all enjoyed. Some of the historical sites a little outside of the city were visited, alongside a short blessing ceremony with a local Shaman. Not something any of us had ever experienced before, but definitely one we will look back on fondly.
We were up early the following morning to travel to Machu Picchu. We chose to travel from Cusco via a combination of bus and train. The minibus brought us the 2 hours to Ollayntambo before we transferred to the Inc Rail train to Aguas Calientes (the closest town to Machu Picchu). The train ride was wonderful with amazing valleys, rivers, trees, colours and rock formations from start to finish.
Aguas Calientes is a unique little town, set on a river of the same name and dwarfed by the overhanging green mountains. The towns sole purpose seems to be for tourist logical requirements, be they train, hotel or food related. While certainly very busy with visitors, the town handles it well and we enjoyed our brief time there. After a nice evening meal we retired ahead of another early alarm the following morning.
To get to Machu Picchu a local 20-minute bus ride is required. As Machu Picchu entrance tickets are time specific, the queues for buses is duly diluted. Having said that, we still waited 30 minutes to get there and then 60 minutes to leave after visiting. Also, it is very expensive by South American standards, as is the train from Ollayntambo.
Machu Picchu itself is obviously known the world over. I visited myself a number of years ago, and while it was busy then, the amount of tourists visiting now dwarfs that number. Up to 5,600 tickets are now sold daily, meaning that a small army comes and goes to this remote location each day. While the Peruvian government limit the impact of this with scheduled entrance times and different circuit tickets covering different routes, it is still fairly hectic. We chose the basic entrance circuit (Circuit 1&2), getting to enjoy some of the better know areas plus a couple of more remote areas. Returning to Aguas Calientes after an hour waiting for the bus in the rain, we recognised what we enjoyed about the experienced, but also some of the things that maybe did not live up to our expectations.
After travelling back to Cusco and resting weary heads and bodies, we enjoyed a final day with grandparents in the city. This included shopping for all-things Alpaca wool related, sampling more great local food, and generally just enjoying the squares and streets of the city. It certainly is a busy place, and local sellers can be rather pushy, but if you can look past this it really is a great place to spend a few days.
We all left Cusco with very fond memories of both the city and the trip to Machu Picchu. There is so much culture and history to be explored and enjoyed that we were delighted that we came. They are however places that are in huge demand nowadays so this should be factored into any travel plans or decisions.
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