We spent the whole day in close proximity to the centre of Cusco. It started with a walking trip with Katy (our guide) to the Plaza San Francisco market. Every imaginable form of “food” as well as other domestic goods are on sale here under a covered area the size of a football field. Amongst the stranger foods were cows heads, tracheas, glands, intestines, tongues,… etc.
Fruits from all over Peru are imported for the market as are a huge range of flowers and vegetables. For example, a dozen or so types of potatoes were on sale. Cheeses and breads of all types were on display too. A number of perishable foods such as fish and other meats were available in salted or dried form. Piles of caviar were displayed on open benches surrounded by crushed ice. The market was very busy with people buying their goods as well as having their morning meals and fruit drinks from the stalls.
We then visited the Cusco Cathedral and spent an hour or so taking in the splendour of the numerous gold covered icons and religious art. It was interesting to see the Spanish version of the last supper painted just for Peru, showing Christ and the apostles having guinea pig with a glass of Chicha. The task of maintaining the works of art and all the internal décor is showing its limits with a number of sections within the Cathedral looking in need of repair.
After lunch we visited the Inca Temple of the Sun which is within the Santa Domingo church. The five Inca Temples (Sun, Moon, Stars, Lightning and Rainbow) made up the Qoricancha Complex that was raided and partly destroyed by the Spanish Conquistadors in acquiring the tonnes of gold that formed much of the wall coverings of each temple. The Sun and Moon Temples were demolished except for their foundations and the Inca blocks were then used (partly) to build the Santa Domingo Church in its place.
We finished our wandering by venturing down the main avenue to the handicrafts market which at 3.00pm was largely deserted. The usual articles of alpaca knit-ware and general souvenirs were stacked high in numerous little conjoined shops where the owners were often asleep or watching TV on tiny sets hidden under brightly coloured blankets and cloth.
On return to the square we met up with Marcus and Deb who’d just returned from their Amazon Rainforest trip.