Cuzco is a Quechua word that means center or navel and Cuzco was just that as the capital of the Inca Empire. Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro took control of the city in 1533 and the Inca Empire which totaled more than 12 million people at that time.
A major earthquake in 1650 heavily damaged the city but the Roman Catholic priests and monks greatly influenced the reconstruction, most of which you can observe today in Cuzco. Cuzco is also a major tourist area as a starting point for trips to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.
Church of the Society of Jesus.
MOTHER HANDLES NEWBORN IN ALLEY IN CUZCO, PERU
THE STEEP AND NARROW COBBLESTONE STREET OF CUZCO,PERU
COURTYARD OF CUZCO PERU’S LA CATHEDRAL
THE YOUNG
THE OLD
CUZCO PERU’S LA CATHEDRAL IN THE PLAZA DE ARMAS TOOK 100 YEARS TO BUILD, STARTING IN 1559
THE COLORFUL
THE RED-TILED ROOFS ACCENTUATE THE ARCHITECTURE IN CUZCO.PERU
A good friend of mine is leaving for Peru today and I’ve told her all the must-see places to photograph. So I decided to post some images from my trip there 10 years ago. It’s quite a place that includes colorful landscapes and people. This first of five posts covers our trek to Machu Picchu via the Salkantay Trail
Our destination for this trek.
The bus leaves at 5am from Cuzco, bringing us to Mollepata, the beginning of the Salkantay Trail. The bus not only took us, but stopped along the road and picked any locals looking for a lift.
Three Colorful Peruvians
Family in Mollepata.
Leaving Mollepata.
I believe this was Pablo Escobar’s Hideout….
That’s Nevado Salkantay in the distance, rising some 20,000 feet in the Peruvian Andes. We would eventually make it to Salkantay Pass at 15,000 feet.
Packing up, day two.
THE RIO BLANCO
Heading up the fog-shrouded pass.
Spoiled Cattle
Salkantay Pass where it was snowing and then raining….
Our trek was at the very end of the rainy season so all the rivers and creeks were quite swollen.
The roaring Rio Santa Theresa winds its way through the Andes.
During part of the trek, it was necessary to be transported by van. I was thinking I’d rather walk.
The young woman nursing her baby was actually pressed up against my right arm so I moved a bit to get the photo. I don’t think she noticed. The baby certainly didn’t.
On the other side of Salkantay Pass, we made it to a tropical valley.
Vegetable stand in Santa Theresa.
I’ll take an order of flies with that…….
THE URUBAMBA RIVER FLOWS THROUGH A LUSH TROPICAL VALLEY NEAR SANTA TERESA,PERU
The easy way to cross the mighty Urubamba River.
A WILD POINTSETTIA FLOWER GROWS IN THE URUBAMBA RIVER VALLEY,PERU
The town of Aguas Caliente at the foot of Machu Picchu. The train takes you right to your hotel.
Peru has its amazing landscapes and lost cities but I was really struck by the people. The young, old and in between. All photos by Dawn2Dawn Photography.
Window shopping for Inca Chess Boards
