Peru, Bolivia,Brazil 4.9.08

Peru,Boliivia,Brazil 4.9.08
Met new guide, Cusycoullour. Her name means Happystar = Venus.
Today is for touristing Cusco. This city was the centre of the Inca Empire which was huge in the years before the spanish stuck their oar in. The stratagy of the Inka Kings was to employ diplomacy when setting out to absorb neighbouring communities, doubtless in conjunction with a show of force. They also incorporated the new tribes´ religious beliefs and ceremonies into their own, thus avoiding resistance on this basis. (Maybe christian and moslem empires could have learned something from these people)
The Incas were actually just the latest (and last) of a series of rulers of this part of the world. Civilisation here had been developing over thousands of years, resulting in sophisticated agriculture and building practices in particular, all inherited and developed further by the Incas.
We visited Qorikancha. Under spanish rule, this had become a Dominican monastery, but they built this on top of an Inca set of buildings that formed the centre of Inca rule and religion in Cusco and hence their empire, and in their minds therefore - the world. The Incas called this place The Royal House of the Sun. In modern times, the Peruvians have uncovered and cleaned up remaining inca structures and their stonework is breathtaking. Huge stone sections perfectly fitting together, with no morter, but lumps and grooves that key in exactly, a kind of ancient tongue and groove in stone, but on a massive scale. Remarkable to see.

Next a drive up and up and up to the top of a hill overlooking Cusco to a place called Saqsaywaman. An amazing series of stoneworks integrated into natural rock formations in places, a massive area that took tens of years maybe centuries and millions of workers to create. Huge stones quarried and transported from hills miles away. In one hillside, they created three massive zig-zag lines of stone walls to look like lightening flowing down the hill. Incredible stuff.
Sadly, after their civilisation was superceeded by the spanish invadors, millions of Incas were destroyed by disease imported by europeans, mainly smallpox from spain.

Got a photo of me standing with a genuine Inca Chief - only 1 sol = about 20p.

Next back to the main square of Cusco for a set lunch - only 15 sol for 3 courses and my lucky day it was another member of the groups birthday so we all had a piece of his chocolate birthday cake.

Then on to the Cathedral also in the square. As has happened so many times, the conquerers destroyed the previous civilisation´s religious building, in this case the Incas´, and built their own in its place. An impressive structure with much gold leaf covered carvings and valuable paintings.

I like Cusco, it´s more like a town than a city really, buzzing but not cold and impersonal. I would recommend it to anyone but remember the altitude - 3,500 metres I think. The effect is like a combination of a mild hangover and motion nausia in a boat.

We´re on the move again tomorrow. All the Best to everyone,
John