Peru - Archaeological Site Exploration Tour in Cusco
2024.08.21
Yesterday I bought a 10-day package to Cusco, which includes tickets to many Inca cultural sites and different areas around Cusco. Today I came here specifically to explore these ruins.
A half-day tour costs about US$20-25 per person, and you will be taken to see four or five ruins in 3 to 4 hours. However, I personally don’t like traveling with a tour group, because every time after listening to the explanation of these ruins, I can’t remember much. In addition, it becomes difficult to take pictures when a group of people appear in the same place at the same time.
Therefore, I chose to take a taxi up by myself, which cost about 16 US dollars. If you want to save money, you can actually take the bus, the fare is only 2 soles (about NT$16). 🚖🚌
My first stop today was *Tambomachay*, a site primarily dedicated to water worship and said to be a resting place for the monarchs of the Inca Empire. It is located in the Andes Mountains, about 7 kilometers from downtown Cusco. I took a taxi directly from the hospital where I originally planned to get the vaccine. The taxi fare was about 55 soles (about NT$470).
Located at an altitude of 3,700 meters, the entire site consists of a series of aqueducts, canals and several waterfalls flowing out of the rocks. The Incas demonstrated amazing engineering skills, and the most interesting thing is that the two waterfalls they designed are completely synchronized. If you place two bottles under each waterfall, they will be filled with water at the same time. Such craftsmanship is truly amazing! 🌊✨
After finishing Tambomachay, I decided to walk to *Puka Pukara*. Although the walk took less than 10 minutes, the scenery along the way was so beautiful that I kept stopping to take pictures. The archaeological site is called the "Red Fort" due to the red color of its stone surface. Although it is mostly ruins, according to historians, it may have been a military fortress or a rest stop for travelers or messengers during the Inca period. Every stone seems to tell a story from the Inca era, and even though only ruins remain, one can still feel its past glory. 🏰🔴
Next, I chose to take the bus to the next attraction, Q‘enco Archaeological Complex. The journey only takes 5 minutes and the fare is 1 sole. Google shows that it takes 1 hour to walk down the mountain.
This is an important Inca religious ceremony site, where ceremonies were once held to commemorate the main gods of Inca culture. Now most of what remains of the site are the carved rocks that could not be destroyed by the Spanish. You can imagine the roads, aqueducts, walls and even the legendary underground sacrificial chambers that were once used for rituals or to preserve the bodies of Inca nobles. Such ruins make people wonder about these mysterious ancient rituals. 🪨⛪
Next, I continued to walk to the only attraction that did not require a ticket today - *Mirador desde el Cristo Blanco*, where there is a huge and eye-catching white statue of Jesus. Standing here you can overlook the entire city of Cusco. Although I am not a devout believer, the scenery here is still worth seeing. I took some photos and left. 📸✨
We had originally planned to go to *Saqsaywaman*, but on the way to the white statue of Jesus, we found that we needed to walk up for about 15 minutes, which was too tiring, so we decided to come back tomorrow to explore this attraction closest to the city center. 🏞️
After finishing today's tour of the ruins, I slowly walked back to the city center, which took about half an hour. After returning to the city center, I went to the Central Market, which I frequent most, to have lunch. But maybe because I had been exposed to the sun all day and had a little heatstroke, my appetite was not very good. After a quick meal, I went back to the hotel and took a two-hour nap. After waking up, I felt much better. 😴
When I went out to find food at night, I happened to see a restaurant having a Happy Hour promotion. Two glasses of Pisco Sour were only 30 soles, which was much better than the 22 soles I paid for one glass before! I was so happy that I wanted to order a burger to go with it, but I accidentally ordered fried cheese with avocado sauce, which surprised me. But since I had ordered it, I just finished it. This missed meal became an unexpected episode in my journey today. 🍹🧀
Such a wonderful day has ended today. Although I am a little tired, it has satisfied my desire to explore. Looking forward to more discoveries tomorrow!
#Peru #100 Ways to Travel