Last Day in Cusco
Down to our last day in Cusco, we have only a few things left on our list. First off is finalizing our travel to Machu Picchu. The easy path is to book a tour from the US, which would include all of the tickets, transportation and accommodation required, but for three people that gets pretty spendy pretty quickly, so we are doing things on our own, backpacker style. With that out of the way, we head out to see a couple of nearby museums.
Two things become apparent pretty quickly. The first is that Sam’s attention span and museums don’t mix well (although he gets to dress up Inca style at the second one). The second is that I know very little about South American history. Unfortunately, these are a little at odds, since the only solution to the former is to quickly move through the exhibits, focusing on cool boy things like weapons. Meanwhile, getting even a basic understanding of what has transpired in this part of the world over the last 5,000 years means methodically taking in on that is on display.
I have to admit, the prior to arriving in Cusco, I would have described Incas more or less like the Egyptians of South America, with a long, productive rule culminating in the creation of massive works like Machu Picchu and the 22,000 miles of paved “roads” that connected all parts of their empire. What I have come to learn, is that while there is history going back many thousands of years, the Incas really only comprise a part of that, rising to power in the 1400s and 1500s. Prior to that the area was a patchwork of different cultures that rose and fell such as the Mohica, Tiahuanaco, Nazca, and Wari. It’s fascinating to learn of such history, but unfortunate that we will have time to only scratch the surface.
The rest of our day is consumed wandering through different parts of town, stopping here and there to do some shopping. Sammy scores a pair of llama shoes and Mom settles on a tapestry (or wall carpet as I have taken to calling it) that will surely find its way into my backpack for the next two weeks. Sam also comes to the realization that American food really is only good in America (no more hamburguesas).
Tomorrow begins our journey to Machu Picchu, which after all the build up, travel arrangements, and tickets/fees hopefully lives up to expectations. We have enjoyed Cusco, but are excited to see the one thing that, more than any other, brought us to Peru.