Cusco, Peru
The city of Cusco is the largest city and is built along the rolling mountains rising and falling with steep and narrow streets that connect to alley ways which are filled with stairs or cobblestone paths up and down the hills. It is located in the central Andes mountain range at 11,400 ft above sea level. Our hotel is well located and we were able to venture a few blocks to find Plaza Armas. It is located in the historic center of Cuzco, and is surrounded by tourist restaurants, jewelry stores, travel agencies, tourist shops, etc.There are two temples built around them are kept as such with religious services, and most of the buildings have some Inca walls in their foundations, however it is the colonial style that prevails.
In our wanderings we also found our way to Plaza San Francisco. An imposing church stands on the edge of the plaza and gives it its name.
This is the church of St. Francis constructed by the Franciscan order in the sixteenth century. It attracts many tourists and locals with its tranquility and its colonial architecture, making it one of Cuzco’s gems. There you can enjoy a break watching the fountain, reading, or simply people watching.
We tired of walking and checking out all the shops with alpaca clothing and fabics and various handmade items and restaurants so we headed back to the Plaza Armas and went to a Bar that overlooked the plaza and drank a local beer and people watched.
Its sizable footprint not evident from the exterior but unveiled just inside doors that harbor hundreds and hundreds of stands selling everything from whole meats to souvenirs. Divided loosely into sections, clothing from handmade to cheaply manufactured allocated to the side opposite juice stands and restaurants. You could buy meats freshly butchered, cheeses, spices, grains, dried and fresh Potatoes and fresh Vegetables or Bread in various sections in this place.
We have spent most of our exploration of the city in the areas that the tourists go to. So we ventured out into the city where the locals go. First stop is the Mercado Central de San Pedro was ready for exploration.
Toward the back is a food court unlike any you have ever seen. The locals were sitting on benches in the narrow aisles eating the local fare of soups, meat, rice and potatoes, all being sold by booths not much larger than 6 ft wide. The place was packed with school aged children in uniforms to local businessmen in suits and you could smell the rich aromas of the spices in the foods. We spent a couple of hours exploring this amazing marketplace.
We followed some of the locals as they left the Mercado. On the walk we began to notice more and more street vendors and women in traditional dress sitting on the sides of the streets selling nuts, corn, and bags of dried foods. Until we came upon alley ways filled with locals displaying all their produce. The produce was absolutely amazing and would be the envy of any of our local farmers markets. All organic, no preservatives or chemical fertilizer here. There were tens of varieties of corn, peaches, apples, oranges, limes, bananas, guavas, mangoes etc. There are rows of fruits and vegitables and the smiling faces of the little women in their hats and thier hair tucked up beside the fruits and the array of colors make it hard not to stop and buy bags of avocados or tomatos. Living here in Cusco and buying all your produce this fresh would be amazing.
Eventually, we found our way to the streets where the local shops for everyday items are sold. Some sides of the streets only sold housewares, pots, pans, and household cleaning items. The stores generally specialize in one category of products. We ventured into the clothing district where the locals would buy their shoes, shirts, pants, dresses, under garments, hats etc. Laid out like we would find in our swapmeets or flea markets. Also there were large buildings devoted to hundreds of booths selling electronics from, cell phones, to steros, televisions to speakers and all the accessories in between.
We finished our morning and afternoon of shopping by sitting outside on a balcony overlooking the Plaza Amars having some drinks and people watching. Along the shopping day we picked up a couple of items for ourselves as souvenirs.
Today is another free day and a good day to visit some museums and sites. We started our day with a visit to the Museo Arzobispal. It was the grand residential palace of the archbishop and the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lima and is now a museum featuring many roman catholic art, and artifacts. Unfortunately, i cannot tell you more because it is set up as an audio tour, but the audio system was not working and so we wandered from gallerie to gallerie looking at objects, paintings, and stained glass with no supportive information.
Templo de la Sagrada Familia & Cusco Cathedral
Next stop was Templo de la Sagrada Familia. This cathedral, in the main Plaza de Armas, is massive, but not great. The chapel, with its mirror decorations and stunning alter is the highlight. Also known as the Church of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, this church is a great place to see the art work of colonial Peruvian Inca artists.
Many of the beautifully painted religious scenes served as lessons to teach the people about the religious doctrine. We discovered that the Catholic ministry in Peru recognized that they needed to incorporate the Inca traditions and culture into the religious indoctrination, so they used Peruvian clothing and colors in the religious artwork and even in a portrait of the last supper they incorporated local foods including Guinae Pig as the food on the table of The Last Supper.
Linked to Templo de la Sagrada Familia is The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin, also known as Cusco Cathedral, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cusco. The Cathedral is built in the shape of a cross. The Jesuits decided to make it the most magnificent of Cusco's churches. The archbishop of Cusco argued that it should not be allowed to compete with the cathedral as the seat of the diocese. The conflict became so heated that the parties appealed to Pope Paul III in Rome. The Jesuits succeeded in keeping their ornate facade. The Cathedral is absolutely stunning and has so many beautiful artifacts. The cathedral has two altars, the original at the back, and in front of that, the neoclassical embossed silver altar, which is currently used. The silver altar was originally cedar wood covered in gold flakes, but in 1803 (according to the inscription on the front of the silver panel), Heras Bishop donated the silver to be beaten and applied to the altar.
As I stood before the Black Christ of Cusco, the striking statue radiated a sense of reverence that enveloped the grand cathedral. Its darkened features seemed to tell a story of resilience and faith, capturing my attention. Learning that this revered figure, known as Señor de los Temblores, saved the city from a devastating earthquake in 1650 added layers to its mystique and the dark color symbolizes the suffering and struggles of the indigenous people of Peru, embodying their pain and resilience. The blending of Andean and Christian traditions felt palpable in the air, and I couldn't help but feel a deep connection to the rich history .
Climbing up to San Cristobal Church in Cusco is as much a journey as it is a destination. The path winds through steep cobblestone streets, offering ever-expanding views of the city below, nestled in the embrace of the Andean mountains. With each step, I could feel the altitude, but also the anticipation building. Once at the top, the sight of the charming, whitewashed church felt like a reward. It'ssimple, yet beautiful facade invites you in, but it's the sweeping view from the church plaza that truly takes your breath away. Inside, the atmosphere is peaceful, and the quiet reverence of the small space contrasts with the grandeur of the city sprawling beneath.
R inging the bell at the top of San Cristobal’s belltower is pure, joyful fun. Standing beside the massive bell, I couldn’t resist giving it a tug—and wow, the echo! It felt like I was calling all of Cusco to attention. There’s something about that booming ring that brings out the inner kid in you, leaving you grinning like you just got away with something mischievous. It’s a playful moment in the middle of a peaceful, historic setting, and honestly, who could resist?
