Peru was a country I had long dreamed of visiting: home to the mysterious Amazon rainforest, the soaring Andes, the vanished Inca Empire, and Machu Picchu, the city in the clouds that lay hidden for four centuries. A year later than originally planned, we finally set out for Peru in April 2017.
© Richard HuangAir Canada’s direct flight from Toronto to Lima, the Peruvian capital, takes just over seven hours. The timing is rather odd, though: it leaves at five in the afternoon and arrives in Lima at one in the morning.
© Richard HuangEven a red-eye flight has its advantages: you can count on seeing a sunrise or sunset from the air. When the evening sun settles along the edge of the wing, even a casual phone snapshot turns out beautifully.
© Richard HuangAfter landing in Lima, we transferred directly to a domestic flight for Cusco. In the language of the Incas, “Cusco” means “navel,” suggesting the centre of the world. Once the capital of the Inca Empire, it was the empire’s political, military, and cultural heart. Only after the Spanish destroyed the empire in 1535 was the capital moved to Lima. The historic city of Cusco was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. For us, it would be the gateway to Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and Lake Titicaca.
Cusco is a high-altitude city, 3,400 metres above sea level. Most people flying straight in from Lima experience mild altitude sickness: they become short of breath, and at first may feel almost drunk. Hotels here keep the local coca tea on hand, and drinking plenty of it can help ease the symptoms. If the reaction is more severe—headaches or vomiting, for example—you can also ask the hotel for oxygen.
© Richard HuangOnce we reached the hotel, we followed our original plan to rest and promptly fell asleep. It was afternoon by the time we woke and ventured outside. Blazing sunlight, solid stone, and brilliant colour: these were my first impressions of Cusco.
Our first planned stop was Sacsayhuamán, an Inca ruin and military fortress built from enormous blocks of stone. Several smaller Inca sites lie nearby—including Puka Pukara, Tambomachay, and Q’enqo—so they can all be visited together.
Sacsayhuamán was not far away and could have been reached on foot, but since the route was uphill, we decided to take a taxi. That was when we encountered our first major challenge: the language barrier. Most taxi drivers here speak only Spanish, not English. The taxis have no meters, either, so you have to agree on a fare before getting in. The price was manageable enough: if words failed us, we simply typed numbers into a phone until everyone agreed on one. Explaining the destination was harder. A complicated place name was not so easily communicated. In the end, the driver had to call his dispatcher and have an English speaker translate over the radio before we seemed to get things straight. Yet after all that effort, we still failed to reach Sacsayhuamán.
© Richard HuangThis was where the driver eventually dropped us off. Sacsayhuamán was still a few minutes’ walk downhill. Fortunately, Inca ruins tend to share a certain family resemblance, so missing one or two was no great loss.
© Richard HuangAs it happened, we had wanted to visit this statue of Jesus as well. Standing at a high point on the mountain, it overlooks the whole hillside city of Cusco. Enormous statues of Jesus and monumental crosses are common sights in Peru. They are products of the Spanish colonizers’ spiritual conquest of the local population. After subjugating the Inca Empire, the Spanish destroyed Inca temples across the land, then built larger and more imposing Christian churches on the same sites to overawe and conquer the colonized people in spirit as well.
© Richard HuangA walk of just over ten minutes downhill from the statue brought us to the Church of San Blas, halfway down the slope.
© Richard HuangBeside the church is a small square that usually serves as a market selling handicrafts. It is also a fine place from which to see Cusco at night.
© Richard HuangThe district around the Church of San Blas is Cusco’s oldest neighbourhood. Its narrow cobbled streets are lined with good restaurants and cafés, distinctive little hotels, and numerous galleries and craft shops. It is a neighbourhood to explore slowly, taking time to look and to taste.
© Richard HuangPart of San Blas’s charm lies in its artistic heritage. Many local artists have settled here, where they paint, exhibit their work, and sell their crafts.
© Richard HuangWe came across an elderly man painting alone in an alley, working away without pause. He eagerly showed us his work, though sadly, with no common language between us, we had no idea what he was saying. In general, the people here struck us as honest and good-natured; they rarely pressured anyone to buy. They were delighted if you looked at their wares, but seemed equally untroubled if you bought nothing—there was no pestering or abuse.
© Richard HuangSan Blas is renowned not only for its art shops but also for a single stone: the celebrated Twelve-Angled Stone. Its twelve corners fit seamlessly against the surrounding blocks, with joints so tight that not even a dagger blade can be inserted between them. One cannot help marvelling at the Incas’ skill in cutting and assembling stone. The wall also conceals the shapes of a feline and a snake. It was already getting late, so we took a quick look and moved on.
© Richard HuangAt night, Cusco seems as still as its legendary stones, suspended in silence and peace. Yet its evenings are also rich and colourful, offering countless places to see, things to try, and flavours to taste—dazzling as the colours of traditional dress. That was my first impression of Cusco.
Good night, Cusco.