Day 2: Cusco, Peru

Today the group enjoys a little time to sleep before breakfast and a day of exploring Cusco! The group will enjoy authentic meals and a walking tour of Cusco in the afternoon. After winding down a little bit, the group will enjoy a 3 course meal at the hotel.

UPDATE FROM THE GROUP

“Beyond” exciting day!

We started the day off with one of the most beautiful breakfast buffets that we have ever seen. It had a delicious assortment of fresh fruits, pastries, bread, breakfast foods, and variety of fresh squeezed juices. Not to forget the coca tea which helps adjust to the altitude. We all definitely tried a little bit of everything!

We had our first full group meeting and got to know everyone a little better and went over the agenda for the day. We have such a great group of people on this trip ranging in age and life experience. This is going to be a great group. 

After a little free time, we met up for lunch and had our next amazing meal. The ingredients they use here are so unique, even when they are paired with a meat or vegetable we are familiar with, it still blows our minds. Our cooking class tomorrow will be very interesting. We are looking forward to learning more!

After lunch, we did a walking tour around Cusco. Carlos, our tour guide shared the amazing history of the city and the Incas. He shared that while no one actually calls Cusco this, the correct pronunciation is similar to Costco. The Incan architecture is intricate and thoughtful and it makes us all want to learn more. It was interesting to see how things were built over what they created once the Spanish arrived. The tour guide said they built “catholic stuff” over the top and they really did. While still beautiful in so many ways, it was sad to think about the loss of their lifestyle and culture. 

The Catholic churches we visited were beautiful, but we now look at them with a different perspective. In the cathedral you can see where local Incan artists would find ways to put their spin on Catholicism through their art. 

We finished up around 6pm and it was dark when we left the last cathedral and 53 degrees. 

We are back at the hotel now and heading to dinner soon. It feels as though we have eaten all day but if the next meal is as good as the last have been, we will be happy to continue to eat our way through Peru. 

Such an awesome day!

-Kirsten Haynes