South America: Main account, part 4: In and Around Cusco, Peru


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"Inca": Member of the royal family who ruled over empire of 18 million, stretching a distance equal to width of USA, with economy sophistocated enough to have food reserves to survive 7 year famines. The people at the heart of the empire, who have descendants today, were the Quechuan. ('ketch-you-wan') (The Spanish killed the Incas.)

This (modern) statue surveys Cusco, the city at the centre of the empire, geographically and politically. (The word means "navel".)






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Cusco. I really liked this mountain town (11,000 feet).

The picture on the left is of the area just to the left of the main picture. (The yellow arrows mark the cathedral, parts of which appear in each photo. The town's main square is to the right of the cathedral. (I had several pleasant evening strolls there.)

Our hotel was uphil from the center of town, created from a large former monastary. The light green line marks the small public square in front of the hotel, the two dark lines mark the two cloisters of the hotel.


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Cusco was our base for several days. From there we made several trips, one of the first was to the weekly market at Pisac.............



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Candid photography was difficult... people dress up in "photogenic" finery, and make money from tips which are expected if you take photographs. Carole photographed a group of children, and was giving sweets to them. By the time the first three were compensated, the crowd had grown! The street traders were not threateningly aggressive, but you certainly never lacked for opportunities to buy postcards, textiles, take pictures!












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There was some very fine craftwork at the market, none of it seemed "made in China" and also....



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... one part of the square was for non-tourist trade in local foodstuffs. The range and variety of corns and potatoes is remarkable. The plastic ribbon holds something for the tourist: samples of the variety.











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