Cuzco and Ollantaytambo, Peru

The trip from Puno to Cuzco took the better part of a day, with stark, beautiful scenery en route as we traveled through the high Altiplano region.

Cuzco is the continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city, and the hub of the South American travel network. Inca-built stone walls line most of the central streets and we didn't have to go far to see other major Inca ruins. It is a city steeped in history, tradition and legend.Every year Cuzco attracts thousands of travellers who come to delve into its noble but tragic past. This city flourished as an Inka tribute to excellence until the Spanish conquistadors invaded in 1532 and Catholicized the plac.

We took time to relax and explore this fascinating city for a day and acclimatize to the high altitude. Cuzco’s numerous colonial churches are one of the city’s most common sights. The Cathedral was started in 1559 and took 100 years to build; it is also one of the city’s greatest repositories of colonial art. I also really enjoyed the Inka art museum and had a private tour from one of our local guides who used to be a docent there.

While most ruins are just outside of the city, the main ruin within is that of the Coricancha, once the Inca Empire's richest temple. Today the ruin forms the base of the colonial church of Santo Domingo. During Inca times this temple was literally covered with gold, but within months of the arrival of the first conquistadors this incredible wealth had all been melted down. It is left to us imagination to envision the magnificence of the original structure.

After our day in the city we headed out to Ollantaytambo, Saksaywhuman, and Pisac, some of the Inka ruins within hour drives from Cuzco and along the way we stopped at a llama farm and tried some chicha, local beer brewed from corn.