peru-8-cuzco-sacred-valley

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206 Cuzco & the Sacred Valley AC C u T zC I V O I T I E S COOL FOR KIDS: THE CHIQUITY CLUB This excellent children’s activity center (Map p198; %23-3344; www. chiquityclubcusco.com; Marquez 259; child with parents S15; h9am-8pm Thu-Tue; W) offers a great way for young families to decompress. The brainchild of a bilingual Waldorf-trained teacher, this multifaceted space includes covered play areas, a climbing wall and sandbox of ‘fossils.’ There’s also a library with English language books, an art room, a dress-up theatre and a rockin’ dark mini-discoteca, pulsing strobes and fun tunes. The ideal age for visitors is one to nine years old. It also offers babysitting services and activity kits to go. was also an observatory from which high priests monitored celestial activities. Most of this is left to the imagination of the modern visitor, but the remaining stonework ranks with the finest Inca architecture in Peru. A curved, perfectly fitted 6m-high wall can be seen from both inside and outside the site. This wall has withstood all of the violent earthquakes that leveled most of Cuzco’s colonial buildings. Once inside the site, the visitor enters a courtyard. The octagonal font in the middle was originally covered with 55kg of solid gold. Inca chambers lie to either side of the courtyard. The largest, to the right, were said to be temples to the moon and the stars, and were covered with sheets of solid silver. The walls are perfectly tapered upward and, with their niches and doorways, are excellent examples of Inca trapezoidal architecture. The fitting of the individual blocks is so precise that in some places you can’t tell where one block ends and the next begins. Opposite these chambers, on the other side of the courtyard, are smaller temples dedicated to thunder and the rainbow. Three holes have been carved through the walls of this section to the street outside, which scholars think were drains, either for sacrificial chicha (fermented corn beer), blood or, more mundanely, rainwater. Alternatively, they may have been speaking tubes connecting the inner temple with the outside. Another feature of this side of the complex is the floor in front of the chambers: it dates from Inca times and is carefully cobbled with pebbles. The temple was built in the mid-15th century during the reign of the 10th inca, Túpac Yupanqui. After the conquest, Francisco Pizarro gave it to his brother Juan, but he was not able to enjoy it for long – Juan died in the battle at Sacsaywamán in 1536. In his will, he bequeathed Qorikancha to the Dominicans, in whose possession it has remained ever since. Today’s site is a bizarre combination of Inca and colonial architecture, topped with a roof of glass and metal. Colonial paintings around the outside of the courtyard depict the life of St Dominic, which contain several representations of dogs holding torches in their jaws. These are God’s guard dogs (dominicanus in Latin), hence the name of this religious order. Iglesia de Santo Domingo CHURCH The church of Santo Domingo is next door to Qorikancha. Less baroque and ornate than many of Cuzco’s churches, it is notable for its charming paintings of archangels depicted as Andean children in jeans and T-shirts. Opening hours are erratic. Museo del Sitio de Qorikancha MUSEUM (Map p204; Av El Son s/n; admission with boleto turístico; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat, 8am-1pm Sun) There are sundry moth-bitten archaeological displays interpreting Inca and pre-Inca cultures at this small, mangy, underground archaeological museum, which is accessed off Av El Sol. Museo Quijote MUSEUM (Map p198; www.museoelquijote.com; Galería Banco la Nacion, Calle Almagro s/n; entry S10 or with boleto religioso; h9am-6pm Mom-Fri, 9am- 1pm Sun) In a new location housed inside a bank, this privately owned museum of contemporary art houses a diverse, thoughtful collection of painting and sculpture ranging from the folksy to the macabre. There’s good interpretive information about 20th-century Peruvian art history, some of it translated into English. 2 Activities Scores of outdoor outfitters in Cuzco offer trekking, rafting and mountain-biking adventures, as well as mountaineering, horseback riding and paragliding. Price wars can lead to bad feelings among locals, with underpaid guides and overcrowded vehicles. The cheaper tours are liable to be the most
crowded, multilingual affairs. Due to tax exemptions for new agencies, cheaper outfits also regularly change names and offices, so ask other foreign tourists for the most recent recommendations. No company can ever be 100% recommended, but those listed in the following sections are reputable outfits that have received mostly positive feedback from readers. Trekking The department of Cuzco is a hiker’s paradise. Ecosystems range from rainforest to high alpine environments in these enormous mountain ranges. Trekkers may come upon isolated villages and ruins lost in the undergrowth. Since altitudes vary widely, it is essential to properly acclimatize before undertaking any trek. Of course, most come to hike the famed Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Be aware that it’s not the only ‘Inca trail.’ What savvy tourism officials and tour operators have christened the Inca Trail is just one of dozens of footpaths that the Incas built to reach Machu Picchu, out of thousands that crisscrossed the Inca empire. Some of these overland routes are still being dug out of the jungle by archaeologists. Many more have been developed for tourism, and an ever-increasing number of trekkers are choosing them. For more detailed hiking information, purchase an Alternative Inca Trails Information Packet from the South American Explorers Club. Closer to Cuzco, imaginative operators have developed multiday Sacred Valley trekking itineraries that go well off the beaten track to little-visited villages and ruins. For full coverage of the Inca Trail and alternative trekking routes to Machu Picchu, see p38. Other recommended treks to archaeological sites include Choquequirau (p265) and Vilcabamba (263). Other highly recommended treks include Lares (p213) and Ausangate (p264). The following companies are Cuzco-based trekking specialists often recommended by readers. For international outfitters and those offering Peru-wide treks, see p36. Andina Travel HIKING (Map p198; %25-1892; www.andinatravel.com; Plazoleta Santa Catalina 219) Apu’s Peru HIKING (Map p204; %23-3691; www.apus-peru.com; Cuichipunco 366) Eco Trek Peru HIKING (Map p198; %24-7286; www.ecotrekperu.com; Atocsaycuchi 599) X-treme Tourbulencia HIKING (Map p198; %22-5872; www.x-tremetourbulencia. com; Plateros 358) Peru Treks HIKING (Map p204; %22-2722; www.perutreks.com; Av Pardo 540) Peruvian Highland Trek HIKING (Map p198; %24-2480; www.peruvianhighlandtrek. com; Calle del Medio 139) Quechua’s Expeditions HIKING (Map p198; %23-7994; www.quechuasexpeditions. com; Suecia 344) WHEN TO GO The best time to go trekking in the Andes or the Amazon is during the colder dry season, which lasts roughly from May until September. Make reservations for treks during high seasons several months in advance, and up to a year in advance for the Inca Trail. In the wettest months of January to March, trails have a tendency to turn into muddy slogs, and views disappear under a blanket of clouds. Note that the Inca Trail is completely closed during the month of February for its annual cleanup. The high jungle Vilcabamba trek is not recommended outside June to August due to heavy rainfall. Temperatures can drop below freezing year-round on all the other, higher-altitude treks, and it occasionally rains even during the dry season. WHAT TO BRING Modern internal-framed backpacks, tents, sleeping bags and stoves can all be rented in various places in Calle Plateros from around S15 to S20 per item per day. Check all equipment carefully before you agree to rent it, as some is pretty shoddy, and most isn’t modern or lightweight. Also take water-purification tablets or a purification system from home. Once you’re trekking, there is usually nowhere to buy food, and the small villages where treks begin have very limited supplies, so shop in advance in Cuzco. If you’re on a guided trek, take a stash of cash for tipping the guide and the arrieros (mule drivers). About US$10 per day per trekker is the minimum decent tip to a guide; a similar amount to divide between arrieros is appropriate. For more tips on appropriate trekking gear, see p38. 207 Cuzco & the Sacred Valley AC C u T zC I V O I T I E S
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261 YELLOW RIVER LODGE A cozy, lazy
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