Took and overnight bus to Cusco, which was incredibly hot so I found it difficult to sleep. I was so tired when I finally arrived in Cusco after two over night busses in a row so basically had lunch and went to bed. I woke up around 6pm and went to see a movie with a girl from my hostel – The Divinci Code (In french with Spanish subtitles). I really would have preferred to read the book but have searched everywhere in South America and cannot locate an English copy.
Cusco was long an important center of indigenous peoples. It was the capital of the Inca Empire (13th century-1532). Many believe that the city was planned as an effigyin the shape of a puma, a sacred animal. It is unknown how Cusco was specifically built, or how its large stones were quarried and transported to the site. Under the Inca, the city had two sectors: the urin and hanan. Each was divided to encompass two of the four provinces, Chinchasuyu (NW), Antisuyu (NE), Kuntisuyu (SW) and Qullasuyu (SE). A road led from each of these quarters to the corresponding quarter of the empire. — Wikipedia
On my second day here in Cuzco a group of us from the hostel took a taxi out to Moray o see the circular terraces & salt pans. Incredible faming technology for the era, nobody knows exactly what was planted here but it was supposed to have been used as an “experimental green house” to plant different crops.
It was a hard climb for me as the altitude was high and it was our first day at Cusco.
Moray is an archaeological site in Peru approximately 50 km northwest of Cuzco on a high plateau at about 3,500 m and just west of the village of Maras. The site contains unusual Inca ruins, mostly consisting of several enormous terraced circular depressions, the largest of which is approximately 30 m (98 ft) deep. As with many other Inca sites, it also has a sophisticated irrigation system.
Both sites were really interesting, we walked from the salt pans back to Urubumba, about 5km to catch a bus back to Cusco.
I’m keen to get some rest as tomorrow I begin The Inca Trail to Machu Piccu.