Day 8: Cusco

Mood: Frustrated
Music: Air - Moon Safari

After last night's fun and games, today was to be the rest and recuperation day. I had nothing planning until my half day city tour began at almost 2pm and as such had planned to sleep in late and then have a late brunch while having a mosey around the centre of town. This plan was shot down in flames by the pneumatic drills from the building site next door to my hotel from 7am onwards. That and the paper thin curtains that seemed to amplify the light rather then keeping it out. The hotel also didn't have little bottle(s) of water in the bathroom, which is different to each of the other places I've stayed so far. Therefore tired, grumpy and a little hungover I was forced up and out to find some water to quench my thirst, and to brush my teeth with etc.

I made the quite touristy decision to go to the Irish bar for an all day breakfast (as I'd missed my inclusive breakfast due to not realising it finished at 9am and having to do some washing). A proper full Irish breakfast would have really hit the spot but I guess the ingredients are hard to come by in this part of the world. I did have to introduce the barman to orange juice and lemonade although being forced to use Sprite makes for a lesser drink in my opinion.

After eating and watching a bit of the premiere league games on the TV in the bar off the town square I headed back to my room to read a little and relax before the tour.

I have to say that, after 4 days of an interesting, informative and enthusiastic private guide (in the form of the wonderful Hilda Jimenez) today's tour itself fell rather flat. I was one of two people in the English language tour for whom English was their first language and as such there was much confusion over the course of the next several hours. The tour guide was on the phone for long periods of time at the start of the tour and at one point left us to our own devices for 10 minutes or so to go and sort something out.

The main City Cathedral was very impressive. Apparently it's the second largest in the whole of the Americas. Mostly, I feel, as an attempt to impress and convert the native population. Cusco was the former capital of the (surprisingly short lived) Incan empire. No photography is allowed inside following the looting of the church some 15 years ago.

We then walked down to the site of the Temple of the Sun. The Spanish build a church over the main temple itself but several smaller temples have survived in the complex. The main temple is clearly visible as the foundations of the church built over it. Rolf is pictured as an Icon in the Temple of the Stars.

After this we boarded a bus to briefly visit a number of archaeological sites on the outskirts of the city. The first of which was the massive site of Saqsaywaman. Sadly this was mostly used as the building material for the Spanish when building their churches in the city. The group was briefly walked past the site and then ushered back onto the bus without being able to see the full extent of it.

Next stop consisted of a brief walk to an Incan water temple and then to a site used in the preparation and mummification of the Incan dead. The tour concluded by being bussed to some shops before being attempted to be sold a DVD of tourist information of the region.

Hopefully I don't sound overly impressed. If so, that was what I was trying to convey. Maybe dinner and a good night sleep will leave me more cheery tomorrow.

Until again.