At 10 am we are collected from our hotel by our guide and a driver for a half day private tour of CuscoWe visit the Santo Domingo ConventRic and our guide, Christina The Cloisters of the Convent of Santo Domingo On the hill above the city is a giant statue of Christ called Cristo Blanco
From the hill above the city, near the Christ statue, is the best view over the city The Plaza de Armas, the major square of Cusco stands out surrounded by the city’s major churches
In the far distance is the Cusco Alejandro Velasco Astete International AirportTraditional Peruvian brightly coloured cloths, woollens and handicrafts are on sale by local ladies nearby Above the city looms the ancient military fortress of the Incas called Sasayhuaman Very little of the fortress of Sasayhuaman remains however in it’s time it would have been a grand structure overlooking CuscoWith the altitude of around 3,400 m above sea level one feels the shortness of breath especially while walking uphillAfter our tour we were dropped off at Plaza de ArmasLa Catedral of Cusco which was built on top of an Inca palace took 100 years to complete between the mid 1500’s and mid 1600’sEl Triunfo, Cusco’s first church which was built on top of the main Inca armoury to symbolize Spain’s victory over the IncasThe 18th Century Jesus Maria y Jose chapel has a lavish Baroque interior, with gold, silver and hundreds of paintings compared to the plain Renaissance exteriorIglesia de la Compania, a Jesuit church was originally intended to be Cusco’s grandest church however some of the plans were thwarted not to surpass the Cathedral …. it still looks amazing!!Plaza de Armas is a very popular meeting and relaxing place for locals and touristsPhotos at a price are always worth it!!!The wooden balconies on the Plaza de ArmasDuring the afternoon we make a booking for dinner at CicciolinaWhen we arrived early at 6 pm taking 2 seats at the bar, there were already a large crowd for dinner at Cicciolina’sRic orders our usual wine of choice, vino tintoDelicious sesame seed prawnsStaff bringing in the fresh produce for the restaurantThe next wonderful dish which we ordered is the salmon ceviche It is amazing how many staff were working in the tiny open kitchen at Cicciolina Fantastic scallops arrive nextA delightful American couple enjoying their holidays were sitting beside usA perfect finish to a wonderful dining experience at Cicciolina Heading back to our hotel we pass the wonderful Plaza de Armas with it’s amazing churches
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