Cuzco

I arrived in Cuzco yesterday afternoon on a tour bus from Puno. We made several stops along the way to view Incan and pre-Incan ruins, and also a very beautiful church outside of Cuzco. The ride into the Cuzco valley was quite scenic; I have to say, my inital impression is that I like Cuzco more than I liked Arequipa, there is more going on here, it is more cosmopolitan and lively.

Today, I changed over to a new hotel, and then met a German graduate student I had met on the tour bus for a walking tour of Incan ruins right outside of town. We took a bus to the outermost ruins, and walked back into town, about 4 miles, passing through 4 ruins total.

By ruins, let me emphasize ruined, as in ruined by the Spanish and the Jesuits. Only the very foundational stones are left at a lot of these sites as the Christians were wont to destroy everything foreign. They hauled away all but the largest stones, and used them to build their own houses and buildings in Cuzco, utilizing Incan slave labor. I know that people have dramatized the burning of books in public squares by Hitler, but I don't think he surpassed the centuries of seek and destroy empirism of the 'Christian' Conquistadores. Sorry. Not to be disrespectful--I admire the Golden Rule very much. However, the Catholics intentionally destroyed as much of the Incan culture as they could, just as they did to the Maya civiliztion in Central America, so we are left with little to really understand their history with.

Oh well. What remains of these sites is still quite impressive to gaze upon. There are many theories about how the stones were quarried, cut, and brought to these places, but all eventually must be considered speculation, as the Incas kept no written record or language, their history was passed down orally. The stonework is quite impressive. Large pieces fit together neatly and tightly without the use of mortar, and have survived several large earthquakes, whereas many of the Spanish built edifices had already crumbled during these quakes.

The largest site, Saqsaywayman, is on a hill overlooking the center of Cuzco, and was the site of the key battle that resulted in the loss of the Incan Empire to the Spanish, in 1536. Manco Inca, the last great Inca, led an uprising beginning in 1533, against Pizarro and his brothers, and against the Spanish occupation of the Incan empire, which had stretched from Ecuador to Chile and Argentina. The Incas recaptured Saqsaywayman, and from this entrenched position, rained red hot stones all over Cuzco's thatched roofs, resulting in the burning down of most of the city. Rebellion across the empire had the Spanish on their heels, and the regiments sent from Lima to aid the fight in Cuzco were all wiped out to the last man by the Incas. Somehow, the Spanish in Cuzco were able to storm the walls of Saqsaywayman and defeat the Incas in this decisive battle. The site then served as the literal stone quarry for the rebuilding of Cuzco up until the 1930's, so all that remains here, again, are the foundational walls and largest stones. The Peruvian government also has a program of "rebuilding" the ruins, so you have to look carefully to discern what is original, and what has been replaced.

Fascinating stuff. The original Incan masonry is evident throughout Cuzco, and there are many museums and cultural attractions here to take in, as well as ruins in the Sacred Valley, heading out of town towards Machu Picchu, which I'll be exploring next week.

After the walk today, I went with the German gal and a couple of locals to the stadium for a soccer match, Cuzco hosting Uruguay. My first professional soccer game. Cuzco upset the Uruguayans, 1-0, but failed to score a key second goal despite many chances, which would have earned them more points in their league cup, so the local fans wandered off, drenched by rain the entire game, sullen despite the victory of the hometeam. It was really a lot of fun, and a loose atmosphere in the stands, with people shooting bottle rockets and roman candles during the game--the kind of thing that would get you arrested at a sporting event in the states. Vendors roamed the stands selling candy, hot tea, skewers of roasted meats and beefhearts for 70 cents (delicious !), and hot apple bread for 35 cents, among other delicacies. Ah Peru. The food here is varied, delicious, and cheap. I had lost 10 lbs in Costa Rica, and will dutifully enjoy as much of the food here as I can.

A very satisfying day. I hope these posts aren't boring. Wish you all were here to take in the sights. It's really been an eye-opening trip, relaxing, and rejuevenating.

As always, best wishes, and thanks for your interest. JJ