Cusco, Peru 🇵🇪

Sacsayhuaman was a Inka fortress that gringos call 'sexy woman'. Steve has the day in Machu Picchu via the Hiram Bingham train today, so Justin and I decide to scramble up the hill behind our hotel to explore the site.

We have to buy a tourist ticket at the gate that is valid for several sites over the next week. On entering we turn left to walk under shrubbery and enjoy the vista view of Cusco laid out below. There is music and a parade of sorts we can see in the main Plaza far below.

Continuing on we find that the site is quite extensive with evidence of lots of buildings and the base of what would have been a main tower. We find a photogenic group of Alpaca clambering down towards us before heading to graze, taking a few tourists along with them. The main ceremonial area is overlooked by the door to the sun temple and huge high walls.

These walls have been created in a zig zag shape, said to either represent the teeth of a puma or bolts of lightening. What you can't overlook is how big the stones are, precision carved and stacked slightly leaning without mortar. Apparently they are the largest stones used in a structure in South America.

On a hill across the way is the cemetery and a slide formed of stone that people are trying to slide down. We sneak through a cave before heading out of the site and down the hill to the city. We visit a museum that is part of the tourist ticket, but it doesn't hold our attention.

We spend the rest of the afternoon walking in the sunshine and trying to set up a tour of the Sacred Valley tomorrow. All tour operators seem to close on a Sunday and we finally get a message response confirming us on a cheap tour. I hope it is okay.

Steve is back too late for us and we crash early hoping he has had a good day.