ACCLIMATING IN CUSCO

Joelle McDonald
Jul 11
13 min read

Updated: Nov 2

Sunset above Cusco's Historic Plaza de Armas

Where we Stayed

We rented a small apartment on Airbnb for our couple of nights, very close to the San Blas neighborhood and historic center. It was a cozy, if very cold, home base. Because Cusco is at high altitude near the equator, it has relatively mild weather. We visited in July, Peru's winter, so having no heating, barely-not-freezing showers, and windows without seals got a bit chilly. Before bed, I warmed up a pot of water for Hannah and I to stick our feet in because we were seriously that cold. Under a pile of blankets at night, eventually it was warm enough to manage.

Fun Facts

San Pedro Cactuses are considered a medicinal plant here. They are highly hallucinogenic when drunk in its dried and powdered form. This is illegal in many corners of the world for obvious reasons, so medicine sellers sell "Aloe Vera" powder in the markets, resting alongside San Pedro Cactuses so buyers can see what they are really getting.
Fireworks go off at all hours of the day, every day of the week. Peru is a highly catholic country and latin Catholicism is very celebratory. Fireworks are used to celebrate and announce weddings and baptisms, among other things.
On our walking tour of the city, our guide warned us that if we were pick pocketed and had our phone or camera stolen, there is a black market every Saturday just outside the San Pedro Market. He said it is extremely unsafe, but you could almost certainly find your stolen phone there on the next Saturday.
Cusco is located at an altitude of 11,152 feet. That's pretty darn high even for Coloradoans like us. Of course, we were coming from sea level, so we got mild altitude sickness symptoms for the first time in our lives. We both felt "spinny" after napping the day we landed, so we took some altitude sickness meds that left our feet and hands tingling at random times.
Though usually called the "Incan empire" and it's people "Incas", this is a misnomer. Only the king was an Inca, all others were the Quechua people. For this reason, Peru's indigenous language is called Quechua. There were only 18 Incan kings and therefore technically only 18 Incas have existed.

Eats

Usually when we travel, we stay in apartments when we can so we can cook our own food. Being a traveling vegan can be hard in some cultures. This time, we got an apartment, but we were going to be in Cusco for such a short time that we didn't think a meal plan and grocery shopping was worth it. Instead, we explored the surprisingly numerous vegan options in Cusco. That's how you know they get a lot of tourists. I don't imagine those restaurants get many locals.

Our favorite restaurant, Green Point, was in the San Blas neighborhood, only a five minute walk from our apartment. We tried to find it our first night in Cusco once Hannah spotted it on Google Maps, but even when our GPS said we were right at the door, we couldn't see it. Very confused, we saw a different avocado-themed vegan restaurant exactly opposite it on the alley and tried that out. We got a vegan burger sandwiched between two avocado halves instead of buns. Not Hannah's favorite.

The next day we tried to find Green Point again. When we finally did find it, we discovered we had literally stepped into it the night before, but didn't realize it because it looked like a bakery counter, not a restaurant. Whoopsies. The host walked us into the restaurant, which was deep inside the block in a large courtyard. Not something you could easily find if you don't know how to get to it. The menu was full of deliciousness. We came here many times, and by the end, we had tried their pad thai, nachos, and tacu tacu (vegan version of a Peruvian dish), plus a few rounds of vegan empanadas and cookies from their bakery counter.

To buy snacks, drinking water, and food for breakfast, we stopped into tiny mercados where we could get granola, almond milk, and some fruit (with peels of course, no food poisoning here).

Streets

After traveling as much as we have, we have seen plenty of museums, restaurants, music, and more from around the world. Even with all the "real attractions" you can see, observing the streets is by far my favorite way to get to know a culture. Here is a picture of our time on the streets of Cusco.

Students, identified by their uniforms, are on the streets often, in evenings, morning, and sometimes midday. They look polished and put together, with a nice skirt or pants, a button down, a tie, and a nice jacket. Even little kids, who must be in Kindergarten, wear their jackets and ties. We see a lot of students in Cusco's main square when a youth Orchestra concert is organized. I am impressed that such young students are playing for such a large crowd of tourists and locals alike.

We get caught up in local life when we need to get cash on a Friday afternoon. It must be pay day because the line for the bank wraps around the block. Something we never considered about being in a cash economy is the lines to withdraw cash on pay day. Some smart fruit sellers position themselves on the corner just across from the bank to capitalize on the foot traffic. Others looking to capitalize on foot traffic were the amputees who busked as singers on the streets. Without good medical care, opportunity, or social safety nets, I imagine this is the only means they have to work without limb.

The fruit vendors, like those by the bank, aren't a rare sight here. People walk the streets selling popcorn, fruit, and many snacks we don't recognize. Others sell bracelets, sunglasses, hats, and little trinkets for tourists. The most memorable street seller: women wearing white uniforms standing on nearly every corner advertising massages. "¿Masajeeee? ¿Masajes senioritas?" We become accustomed to saying "No gracias" each time we pass through a street corner.

The animals on the streets provided some of the most excitement for Hannah and I. Firstly, dogs were all over the street, but they weren't necessarily strays. It seems to be common practice to let your dogs out on the streets to wander, eat, and hangout with their friends. Lots of them are wearing knit sweaters as they nose through piles of scraps for food. There are also lots of "llamas" on the streets tucked in slings hanging from women dressed in traditional Peruvian clothes. These women stand on the streets, making money by posing for pictures with tourists. Why put "llamas" in quotes? Well, many women do not have llamas and tourists aren't always the brightest, so they put a hat on a sheep and many clueless tourists are none the wiser. Ten points for creativity.

Sights

Cusco's Incan Palace

One stop on our free walking tour is visiting the footprint of Cusco's historic Incan Palace. Cusco was the capital and center of the Incan empire, a significance that comes through in its architecture. The city was constructed in the shape of a Puma, and served as the intersection point for the four trails leading from the Empire's four region to the capital.

The Incan palace was a huge 8x8 grid, with 91 yards surrounded by buildings. Each building served as a house for one of the Incan ruler's wives and all of her children. It was customary for the Incan king to take dozens of wives and produce hundreds of children. Each building was 6 meters by 12 meters and would have a thatched roof. The triangle between the roof's slope and the top of the stone wall was made of loosely woven material so that light could pass through while still offering protection. Each building was slightly spaced to allow light to filter between buildings. Buried in one corner of a building is an unearthed skull of a human sacrifice victim. We learn many victims of human sacrifice were selected from the King's numerous children so that the sacrifice would be seen as significant by the Gods.

San Pedro Market

Another stop of our free walking tour of Cusco is San Pedro market. This market is apparently Cusco's most vibrant and famous. It is filled with stalls, each grouped by what it sells. A whole alley of juice stands is lined up, their only differences being the women who operate each one, whose names are proudly displayed on the sign above their stall. There are rows of beans and other staples, fruits, and tourist trinkets. Our guide explains that quinoa, a food that originated as an Incan staple, is now too expensive for most Peruvians to eat because they have been priced out by Western demand. We walk through the witchcraft section, where powdered San Pedro cactuses and sacrificial dried baby black Llamas are for sale. Then we arrive at the restaurant stalls. Each is tiny and nearly all sell a menú del día, which is essentially an inexpensive "you get what you get" type of lunch where you eat whatever is served up that day. Our guide warns us away from eating here, even though there is a vegan stall, because our unadapted stomachs are unlikely to fare well in these somewhat unhygienic conditions.

Museo Inka

Looking to learn a bit more about Incan culture during our time in Cusco, we sought out the Incan Museum. We went an hour or so before closing, and to absorb everything you'd probably need a week. Anyway here is what we did take away with us.

The museum had an exhibit of Incan musical instruments that were fascinating. Someone Indigenous was working the exhibit and demonstrating the sounds each instrument produced to a small group of people. I felt lucky to get to hear them because seeing a musical instrument is like touching a book, you won't get its full essence without further exploration.

We also saw the pottery used by Incans for food storage. They created huge vessels with pointy bottoms and thin necks to hold and transport food. The pointy bottom would be dug into a hole or placed on a stand so the vessel could be tipped over and spun for easier access. For transport, people would strap the incredibly oddly shaped, heavy vessels to their backs and walk long distances.

The most eerie exhibit was the mummy room, which had no warning so we got a jump scare. As rooted in Incan tradition, each mummy was bent in the fetal position, as the Incas believed in rebirth after death. There were mummified babies in tiny curled balls, adults, and children. Many were missing appendages, which was apparently common (read on to see their construction methods and you'll get why).

Tour of Four Incan Ruins

Having gotten the feel for what Cusco's historic center has to offer, we decided to venture out to get a taste of the nearby Incan ruins. We booked a tour that would take us to four in half a day: Sacsayhuaman, Q'enqo, Tambomachay, and Puka Pukara.

Sacsayhuaman is the first and most impressive sight of the day. It is a sacred sight that sits on a mountain just above the city, overlooking its sprawl. There are two key areas at Sacsayhuaman, divided by a wide, flat grassy areas. On one side is the men's temple, shaped like a lightning bolt's jagged edges. At the top, there is a ruin of the sun dial that once stood, where important male priests and leaders would study. On the other side of the grassy expanse is the women's area. The hill on this side has the shape of a pregnant belly, and just over the hill is the ruin of a large round pool. It is believed this pool was used by priests to do astronomy by night, reflecting the sky above.

Here we learn what is known (and unknown) about the fascinating methods Incans used for construction. Firstly, a site would be chosen for a structure and another site at a high altitude would be chosen as a quarry to bring stone in for building. After the building site was chosen, it was leveled with gravel and sand. A ramp was then built so rocks could be brought to the building site with the aid of gravity. Large slabs would be cut from the quarry sight by drilling holes every two or so feet, plugging the hole with a piece of wood, then wetting the wood to expand it. This would create a crack along the line of drilled holes. The piece was then maneuvered onto a mixture of aloe vera gel and pebbles to glide it downhill to the building site. To test this theory for transporting materials, there was a modern attempt at this, but they called it off after too many people began to lose limbs in the process. Rocks were placed one at a time, being sanded down by stone until they fit perfectly with the neighboring stone. Rocks were leaned into one another to create tension that could hold each stone in place. This construction has made Incan buildings relatively stable in the frequent earthquakes that affect them because they are braced against one another and on a bed of sand and gravel, which absorbs most of the Earth's shaking.

Q'enqo is a small site. We descend into a gap between two enormous rocks where a table has been carved out of the rock. This is a space where mummies were prepared by priests. Being deep in rocks creates a cool temperature, helpful in the mummification process, and a small gap in the rocks provides light. The carved table is tall and it's hard to imagine an Incan, known for being short, able to work at it.

We arrive at Tambomachay's entrance and have to walk a ways up a wide stone Incan trail. This is an Incan trail original to the Incan Empire. We are walking to a specific point, a sacred site with water fountains that still run today, thanks for canals the Incas built to provide water.

Our last ruin in the tour is Puka Pukara. This site served as a food bank and guest house for people traveling along the Incan trail to and from Cusco. One of the reasons the Incan Empire became so powerful was its ability to produce, preserve, distribute, and store food. These large food bank type locations could feed large populations for long periods of poor agricultural production.

Adventures

Haircut on Night One

Last year in Banff, Hannah and I went on a quest to get me a haircut. Sometimes you just wake up one day and it's got to go. Well, Hannah experienced the same conundrum the day we landed in Cusco. We crashed for a nap, woke up, and Hannah immediately started researching hair salons. Did I think she was crazy? Yes. Yes I did. It's hard enough to get the cut you want with a new stylist in English, let alone when communicating in Spanish.

We went out for dinner, and I expected the haircut urge to fade, but nope. After dinner we found the tiny salon tucked deep in an alley that Hannah had tentatively scheduled an appointment with on WhatsApp. They didn't seem to know we were coming, and as soon as we got there, Hannah felt like the vibes were off. She asked about them washing her hair before cutting and they asked if it was dirty. I, having the more fluent Spanish of Hannah and I, told her it wasn't and they said they weren't going to wash it then. Hannah's hair is curly so she was not down for a dry haircut. They started spraying her down with a squirt bottle to get it damp, then promptly got distracted by another American woman who came in with her daughter in a whirlwind requesting an immediate touch up of her daughter's nails. Hannah gratefully used the distraction to cry to me for help with her eyes. I plotted an escape for us in Spanish, delivered it as soon as there was an opening, and we got out of there before Hannah ended up hating her hair in every picture for the rest of our trip.

Despite fleeing the hair salon, Hannah's urge for a haircut was still strong. It was getting late at this point, but the streets were as full as we had seen them. Hannah had one other salon she reached out to, and she decided to give it a try. We find it, walk in, and I explain our situation. I really thought I would get to ease in to using Spanish for the next two months but no. Night one and I am responsible for Hannah's hair looking cute in thousands of pictures! Ahh!

We are stoked when a very stylish older woman agreed to give Hannah a chop. She immediately seemed more trustworthy and popped Hannah in a chair for a wash. The look of bliss on Hannah's face as she got her scalp scrubbed made the very high stakes Spanish worth it. The washing basin didn't have water connected to it so the woman got a bowl of water and a cup she used to scoop water over Hannah's hair for rinsing. As I watched, I listened to the music the salon was playing. Incredibly inappropriate club music in English. I have a feeling the staff didn't understand a word as they innocently bopped their head to words that would cause a scandal in a salon at home.

After the wash came the scary part, communicating the haircut. Hannah wanted long layers and a bit of long face framing with nothing falling short of her shoulders. Of course, her hair curls when dry so it needed to be cut slightly longer than the goal dry length. Not exactly a scenario covered in Spanish 1. If you every find yourself in the same situation I worked out that "Capas" means layers. That should help you out.

After a lot of back and forth, pointing, and saying "No así" to a picture of Brittany Spears in the early 2000s, everyone was confident we had the same look in mind. Phew. While she worked, I chatted with the hairstylist. She gave us lots of recommendations and we each learned a little about the other. She asked where I learned my Spanish because she couldn't believe how good it was (Let's go gringas!). Hannah followed along, chiming in occasionally. She has great comprehension but doesn't speak as much as I do, so I'm glad we could entertain her.

Trapped in an Alpaca Store

Our tour to the four Incan ruins surrounding Cusco ended with a stop at an Alpaca, Llama, and Guanaco "sanctuary." It was probably more like a petting zoo with a store in reality. Here we learned that in addition to llamas and alpacas, there are Guanacos and Vicuñas, close relatives with important distinctions. A man working there thrust a huge bundle of fresh greens into my hands without warning, and suddenly, I was swarmed with wooly mouths reaching to get a mouthful. I did not see that coming. After feeling attacked for a few seconds, it started to be fun, and I handed Hannah what the animals hadn't eaten during my shock to try feeding them too.

Inside we were taught that vicuña wool is the finest wool in the world, genuine alpaca wool is always cool to the touch, and the difference in softness between baby alpaca wool (from an alpacas first shave at 1-2 years old) and regular alpaca wool. This was all super interesting considering how prevalent fake alpaca sweaters are in Cusco streets and stores. We are told sellers use the Spanish to English language barriers to trick tourists into thinking they are saying "Baby Alpaca" when they are really saying "Maybe Alpaca."

Hannah and I wander the store, checking it out until we realize that we both have a sales person tailing us and anytime we pause for a second too long we get a pitch. Oof not fans of that. We can't leave until our group is ready, so we wait among the high quality vincuña until the stares of our sales people is too much and we ask if the tour van is unlocked to wait there instead. We aren't shoppers but understand others are, so we don't mind waiting a bit, but that "bit" stretches on. And on. And on. Finally, what felt like nearly an hour later the last members of our group exit the store, with–I think–incredibly expensive vicuña products in tow. I am happy for the sales people that were assigned to tail them around the store because that must have made for a good pay day.