Leaving Cusco and the Andes

For nearly 3 weeks, I have lived in, and explored the world of South America's Andes highlands. While the regions of South America have a lot common, in many ways, the highlands of the Andes were a world apart from the places I had been. While Chile and Argentina had strong European and cosmopolitan influences, Bolivia and Peru have been more isolated and shaped by indigenous culture and peoples. While the southern cone of South America had modern roads, infrastructure and amenities, the Andean highlands were unmistakably third-world, with decent housing, sanitation and roads all being challenges to obtain.

That said, Cusco was the jewel of the highlands. While the city is definitely over "touristized," the diversity of culture of the people, the gorgeous colonial architecture, the church-lined plazas, cobblestone street, and natural setting easily overrode the negatives and made it a great place to rest up both before and after the Inca Trail.

The night after the trail, I slept for 13 hours in my comfortable Cusco room, and took it easy the entire day. In the evenings, I was able to meet up with many of my trailmates, Armelle and Gerard from France, Silvio, Constanza, Romina, and Patricia from Argentina.

Today I took a flight from Cusco to Lima, and was pleasantly greeted by my friend Christian, whom I met at the beginning of my trip in Rio. I was also welcomed by the beautifully warm weather and the familiar Pacific Ocean after 3 weeks of chilly, near-freezing temperatures. My trip feels like it is effectively over, since my flight home leaves Tuesday morning, but I still have all day Monday to get a feel for Lima, Peru's capital city.

The main cathedral of Cusco, on the central Plaza de Armas in the center of the city. The Peruvian flag waves in front.

Another view of the plaza.

Another cathedral on the Plaza de Armas.



A gated roadway in Cusco.

Another cathedral along a cobbled roadway and wall in the city.

A chance meeting outside the Inca Museum in Cusco with Duda, my friend from Sao Paulo who I last saw in January.

Another colonial street in the city.