Cusco - Friday

Jorge has three stops planned for our final morning with him. We begin at Koricancha temple. This site was originally an Inca temple and later turned into a Spanish palace.

These blocks haven't moved in hundreds of years and they were carved without carving tools, presumably using rocks.

The next stop is the Cathedral of Cusco. The layout is different than the cathedrals of Europe. There is also a prohibition on photography which is bizarre. You can photograph in most European cathedrals including the Vatican. There is also little in this cathedral that is photo-worthy.

Our driver, Washington, climbs far above Cusco for the visit to the Inca temple or fortress of Sacsayhuamán, or 'sexy woman' as Jorge pronounces it. That is Cusco down in the valley.

One part of the ruins occupies the bluff overlooking Cusco. There is the equivalent of a ceremonial ballfield in the middle. Across the flat area is another hill of ruins, must less preserved.

Most noteworthy is the interlinking of the huge boulders used in its construction, particularly the irregular joints. How did the Incas do this without tools?

On our final evening, we decide to dine in the room. CJ takes a walk to the main square where he finds a major event in progress.

It has been an educational and tiring experience. Tomorrow we're off to Lima and the return to Miami.