Cusco, with it’s southeastern location in Peru, lying within the Andes, used to be the historic capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th until the 16th century Spanish conquest and is today considered to be the historical capital of Peru. The ancient name of the city means “navel of the world”, due to its many roads that connect the city with almost all of South America, from the south of Colombia to the north of Argentina. Since I haven’t been to any other countries or places in South America, I can’t really judge this city in comparison to others. But what I know for sure, is that Cusco got me hooked from the very first second I arrived here.
Let me try to give you a couple of examples, of what life here feels like. First of all, I know that I’m repeating myself, but: I did not expect the weather to be this cold here in Cusco. I have to admit that I kinda forgot about that whole north-south-of-the-equator-opposite-seasons-thing and therefore, was a little surprised by the winter here. It does get down to zero degrees celsius at night & I could’ve used one or two sweaters, pants, socks & jackets more in my backpack. On the bright side:
- during the day, temperatures reach 15-20 degrees
- since we’re so close to the sun here, it really recharges your heat storages to just walk outside in the sun for a while
- and most importantly: backpackers are adaptable, which is why I already bought myself an authentic mass production Peruvian wool sweater (only saw this type of sweater on about 50 other backpackers, it’s basically unique) & my little self-made heating-waterbottle – filled with tea water from the hostel – functions very well as a substitute for my beloved “Körnerkissen” at night
The cold is not all I want to talk about though, there’s so much more that characterises this beautiful city & its people. The first couple of days here, I just spent walking around the city, exploring narrow streets, discovering cute little cafes & shops and catching my breath after taking one of the many stairs that connect the different levels of Cusco. It’s really crazy how much you can feel the altitude of almost 4000m everywhere you go. It doesn’t even have to be stairs or a long hike – you’re already out of breath from just walking 10 minutes from the Hostel to the center. I felt so relieved when I realised that it wasn’t just me but that also the locals get exhausted quickly. What’s not helping with that condition, are the stairs I mentioned before: it’s hard to get anywhere without taking them & the nicest places & cafes lie on top of a hill in a neighbourhood called “San Blas” (the best part of Cusco, if you ask me). But once you make it to the top, you’ll be a rewarded with an amazing view & some pretty great coffee. It’s worth the gasping for air.
Another thing I really like about Cusco – besides the view & the free workout every day – are its beautiful little cafes & healthy restaurants. At first, I was surprised to find so many places offering vegan, vegetarian & healthy food, bakery goods or drinks, but I quickly realised that they’re all over the place – which, of course, made me really really happy. On the other hand, I still haven’t decided what I should think of all these modern and westernised locations. Usually, I try to avoid places like that while travelling. I try looking for authentic restaurants where the locals eat, to make sure that I get the “actual” experience of the country or city I’m visiting. Here in Cusco, that seems to be a little harder than expected. Then again, those cute little cafes I love so much, are owned and managed by Peruvian people who just try to be customer/backpacker-orientated and therefore, probably count as part of the local culture as well. I’ll keep thinking about this for the next couple of weeks and I’ll let you know what conclusion I’ll reach. But until then, I will just keep enjoying my cappuccinos at my favourite places. Within a couple of days, I already spotted so many of them where I want to have coffee, that it’ll probably take me until the end of my stay to accomplish that goal. I’ve had harder tasks though ;)
Coming up: I will upload a complete post with all my cafe & restaurant recommendations here in Cusco towards the end of my trip – stay tuned!
The best way to get to know a city & find out about the daily lives of the people, is to simply walk the streets and observe. I love strolling around, without an actual destination, getting lost & finding yourself somewhere you would have never arrived if you had used a map. It’s so interesting to see what the people on the streets try to sell: from snail slime over dental care products, popcorn, churros, old tools, fruit, juices to toilet paper, you can find anything you could possibly need right there on the streets. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of beggars and homeless people in the city & you can feel the desperation of the people needing to sell something to make it through the week, everywhere you go. You constantly hear “Massage massage, señorita” or “quieres comer, buena comida, come in, come in” when walking through the center and it’s hard to explain to the ladies with the little lambs & alpacas that you do not want to take a picture with them. But in the middle of all these offers, the poverty, the mix of English and Spanish, the Peruvian sweaters & socks, and everything else you stumble upon in the streets of Cusco, I feel surprisingly comfortable and at home already. I’m really looking forward to the next 5 weeks in this city.
lenacatherine 