CUSCO AND SASAYWAMAN, PERU

We left the Colca Canyon and headed to Puno on Lake Titicaca to catch a 10 hour train journey to Cusco and the Sacred Valley. The winged backed chairs, lounge car with leather sofas, observation car, mahogany and marble wc's, white linen and silver service dining car made the journey just about bearable! British Rail could learn a thing or two! The train sets out and travels through the market of Juliaca...Literally. The traders display their wares adjacent to the track and occasionally between the rails! The train then proceeds through the plains and into the mountains, finally arriving at Cusco.


















The historic centre of Cusco is charming despite all the trappings of a tourist destination.

















We drove to Sasaywaman, an important Inca site just outside the town. Huge stones were quarried then shaped using primitive tools and rubbed with sand so they fit together perfectly without mortar, some weighting as much as 130 tons. As the Inca didn't use the wheel, these rocks were moved using only logs and man power to transport them 28 km from the quarry! Some of the stones used in the construction had as many as 32 angles.




















The children particularily enjoyed the natural rock rock formations at this Sasaywaman, which made fantastic slides! Many an Inca bottom slide down these rocks and even our guide Danny spent many hours (and many trouser bottoms!) smoothing the way for Alice, Will and James