A trip to Peru could not be considered complete without visiting the legendary Inca capital of Cusco, a place that, despite the over crowdedness, chaos and dust retains an authentic halo of mystery and magic. Cusco remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in South America, but sadly many of the original Inca features have been wiped out, stolen or re-built by the Spanish “conquistadores”. In fairness though the Spaniards have themselves left a legacy of treasures, such as the baroque-style “Catedral” and “Iglesia de la Compagñía de Jesús”, from the colonial era which nowadays merge almost seamlessly with the monolithic Inca architecture in our collective consciousness, so much so that it is almost impossible to separate them.
What made Cusco so important at the height of the Inca Empire was its strategic location. Legend has it that it was the celebrated Inca ruler Pachacutec himself who had the foresight of developing Cusco into the capital of the Empire. Resting in the belly of a valley surrounded by imposing mountains and glaciers, the city lies in the midst of very fertile land, where a large variety of crops were grown skilfully to feed the ever-growing population. The inflow of fresh water from two rivers guaranteed plenty of irrigation for both agriculture and population.
Visiting Cusco and the Sacred Valley these days, it’s easy to gauge the enormity of what the Incas had achieved, both culturally and technologically, and one cannot avoid the sense that a mighty civilisation once inhabited these lands.
Fast forward approximately five hundred years; the city nowadays is hub of never-ceasing human activity, in which the presence of colourful artisanal products, street vendors, street food and huge markets define its very core.
In Cusco, Andean people, whose first language is often still Quechua, keep their culture and traditions alive by manufacturing and selling their products, mostly handmade still using basic raw materials like Alpaca wool. This is unfortunately not always true though, as seemingly “authentic” items such as gloves, hats, necklaces, socks and ponchos are increasingly being industrially manufactured in the city of Juliaca (sometimes referred to as the China of Peru!). Having said that, many genuine producers of garments still remain, and they make a living by selling their products to the hordes of tourists that visit the city all year-long. Artisanal products, whether “authentic” or not are simply unavoidable in Cusco. Other than the huge artisan markets sprinkled across the city, one can virtually find vendors in every corner, especially towards the central Plaza de Armas, near the San Pedro Market and in the picturesque streets of the San Blas barrio.
Key to city life is also food, especially street food. Street food culture appears to be still alive and kicking in Cusco (perhaps more so than in the rest of Peru) and streets are heaving with traditionally dressed women, selling fresh fruits salads, juices, chichas (drinks derived from the fermentation of maize), breads and cakes but also hearty meals like the unavoidable caldo de galina, ceviches and chicharrones. Despite having a bad reputation in the west due to less stringent hygiene standards, street food is an integral part of Peruvian life and I believe that one cannot really have savoured the Peruvian way of life without having tried some of these specialities. Street food is so popular that it is not uncommon to find “gringos” enjoying the local specialities and coming back for more during their stay!
Another focal point of city life is the central market, and you’ll be hard pressed to find one more colourful, intriguing, exciting and at times as bizarre as San Pedro Market.
There is nothing average or ordinary (at least by western standards) about this market. Once you enter the door you leave the world behind and enter a dream-like state, an alternative reality, a microcosm of city life where you can find pretty much anything under the sun: from basic foods, to artisan products, fortune tellers, sellers of magic stones and potions, fresh herbs for all-curing brews and things so bizarre as to seem unreal or coming straight from the realm of dreams, or nightmares, depending on your inclinations (more of this later on as these bizarre products are worthy of their very own post!).
Other than the shopping heart of the city, San Pedro could also be thought of as the city’s feeding machine. Lunch times are in fact so busy that finding a place to sit in one of the hundreds of stalls can be a challenge. Among the things served are the various “caldos” or broths made with chicken or goats head, the “escabeches”, a chicken broth served with pickled vegetables, the never-ending rows of stalls serving rice with fried eggs and fried bananas, the stalls serving quinoa, vegetables and meat soups and the “cevicherias” serving sea and lake fish ceviches with the very typical fried trout.
Also unavoidable are the endless “jugerias” or juice bars serving delicious freshly made juices that the locals like to augment with “maca” powder, a root found in the Andes with seemingly magical properties, and “algarrobina”, a syrup derived from the black carob tree with high levels of protein and vitamins.
Another type of food stall to note is the “desayuno” (breakfast) stall serving locally grown coffee, mates (fresh herb infusions), cakes and the ubiquitous jellies which the locals inexplicably seem to love.
In conclusion, Cusco and its cultural legacy cannot be separated from the Andean and Quechua heritage and the cultural and traditional baggage that they carry with them to the present day. This gives the city a very strong identity rooted not only in the Inca and colonial days, but also in the customs and traditions of the Andean people who live in the present. There is in fact such a strong sense of identity among the locals that westerners might find exaggerated and even anachronistic, but that in reality ties the people together and creates strong bonds within communities, with their way of life and with the land of their ancestors. It is no surprise that the bond with the land is celebrated with the worshiping of the mother earth goddess of Pachamama.
Cusco is a 360 degree sensory experience which hits you hard and may leave you dizzy for a while (or maybe that’s just the altitude!). There is only one remedy, embrace it fully and let the atmosphere of the city and the valley guide you into what may well be the experience of a lifetime.
great job guys!beautiful pics and very good descriptions,Carl and i enjoy your blog very much.
have a great time.
Valter
Hi Valter, how nice to hear from you. Thanks for the kind words. Hope you and Carl are doing fine!
Take care
Alex