CUSCO No. 1 - Old Town, Incas and a Machu-Picchu Museum
Published on Pascal & Anja Tags: PeruCuscoAltstadt
Accommodation
Our Airbnb accommodation on "Calle Nueva Baja" was quite nice :) Although there were arctic temperatures in our room, everything was compensated by the wonderful view from the roof terrace. We slept there alone on the first night; Jona was then also present for the rest of the nights. We also had hot water including a moldy shower. We paid 53.54 Euros for the three nights, by the way.
SIM Card
Jona could take over Nina's SIM card.
Attractions
In this order, we took a stroll through the city:
- Mercado San Pedro
- Feria Artesanal de Productores - El Marquez Dan Francisco
- Iglesia de San Francisco
- Plaza Regocijo
- Choco Museo
- Plaza Mayor de Cusco
- Iglesia de la Companía de Jesús
- Museo de Historia Natural
- Catedral de Cusco (only from the outside)
- Museo de Arte Precolombino
- Calle Hatunrumiyoc and the twelve-angled stone
- Plaza San Blas
- Templo del San Blas
- Coca Museo (we were in the store, but didn't find the museum very interesting)
- Mercado San Blas
- Museo del Pisco (we peeked inside from the outside on the way back)
The next day we also visited the following as a preparation for Machu Picchu:
- Museo Casa Concha / Machu-Picchu-Museum
But these were by far not all the attractions. In the articles "CUSCO Nr. 2" and "CUSCO Nr. 3" we will look at even more!
Transportation
To get to the airport, for example, we used a taxi; within the city, we walked around on foot.
Food and Drinks
Breakfast:
- Pan con Nata
- Pan con Omelette
- Pan con Mermelada
- Empanadas con Queso
- Croissant de Chocolate
- Mil Hojas
- Alfajor de Maizena Main dishes:
- Moraya Saqta
- Crema de Zapallo
- Ceviche de Trucha
- Cordero Frito
- Frejol con Bisteck
- Alpaca a la Parilla
- Spaghetti al Pesto Drinks:
- Chicha morada
- Limonada
Cafes and Restaurants
- El Mordisco
- La Nueva Chomba
- Los Aromas de Ñucchu / Imperio Resto Bar
Flora and Fauna
We were lucky enough to observe a hummingbird at the "Museo de Arte Precolombino". It found a tasty treat in a "creeping velvetleaf" and a "Japanese honeysuckle".
Number of Germans in the City
In addition to us, there were a few other Germans in the city. However, the majority of Europeans were French.
Contact with Locals
We bought art twice and had very good conversations with the sellers.
The first time we found what we were looking for in the "Feria Artesanal de Productores - El Marquez Don Francisco". Here we spoke with the mother and wife of the two artists from whom we bought the paintings.
People We Met
We had no contact with other travelers.
Expenses
- 200 Soles for five pictures (I think)
- 80 Soles for three pictures (two of which Jona bought)
- 42 Soles for Pascal's sweater (contains between 20 and 30 percent alpaca wool)
- Alpaca wool for knitting
Standard Stall Offer
Headbands, alpaca keychains, pillow covers, fabrics, calabashes, ...
Laundry
We had our laundry washed at an overpriced "24-hour quick service" for 37 soles.
Bus to Ollantaytambo
The incredibly exciting minibus to Ollantaytambo cost a total of 30 Soles. The approximately one and a half hour journey started on the "Calle Pavitos". There was also a police check in between, but we "gringos" were wisely left out. Probably too much paperwork or something in case of violations. The man next to us also prayed and crossed himself several times, as the driver drove into curves at a murderous speed and around various road damage. The road itself was very bumpy and the rubble on the mountain road did not make it any better. Upon arriving in Ollantaytambo, we couldn't find our hostel booked via Booking and assumed it was a fake hostel. We canceled the accommodation just in time. In retrospect, it was not a fake ad, but neither the name nor the phone number were correct and nobody answered via text message. We then looked for accommodation on our own. We paid 130 Soles for two nights without breakfast.
Post Script
More pictures are available at https://hoenisch.eu/photo/mo/sharing/L00WyS9Hv