We fly to Cusco. At 3500m, this is the highest place of our journey (apart from the flight itself, of course).
Cusco is Peru’s premier tourist destination, and is a quite tidy town.
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It was the capital of the Inka empire, and still retains some of its origins.
The bottom part of these houses, e.g., is still the Inka foundations.
On top, the Spanish have built their city and churches.
The main plaza has two, which look rather similar.
Otherwise, the alpine houses ressemble more Swiss architecture...
...if you ignore the more slum-like houses in the surroundings (dots at the top of the mountain).
Unlike in the countries we visited previously, only 15% of Peru’s people are white.
The majority (45%) is indigenous.
In all places we have visited so far in Peru, the police is very present.
Chocolate Museum
We visit the chocolate museum. This is how the cocoa beans look when they are harvested. The grains are taken out and dried.
The cocoa is basically grown in the poor countries, and refined and eaten in the rich countries. We ask why it is not refined in the poor countries.
The major chocolate producers have vowed to
abolish child slavery in their plantages
until 2020. That is reassuring.
Santo Domingo
Cusco is full of ancient Inka ruins. When the Spanish came, they destroyed the Inka buildings, killed the people, and thus erased the memories of this culture.
To make up for it, they build a convent on top of the ruins (background).
Follow us to
Ollantaytambo
