Acclimatizing in Cusco – before up to Machu Picchu we go!

So, the Nazca Lines have been thoroughly examined and documented and snapped. All bueno.

And though our LatAm-trip-2025 had only just begun, my brain had already received a powerful dose of contemplative radiation and awe-inspiring impressions – leaving it in a state of immense rapture. It was hard to believe that so much more brain-busting and surprising experiences lay ahead. Where will I store it all?…

After returning to Lima airport after our flight to and back from Nazca, we immediately boarded another, larger plane – a scheduled flight – and headed to Cusco. From here, we’d planned to embark on a four-day trek up the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. We spent a day-and-a-half in the city’s outskirts – partly to acclimatize to the high altitudes: we’d be climbing up to 4000 meters above sea-level on the upcoming passes, and later as high as 5000 meters. Without proper acclimatization, this isn’t just very difficult but also dangerous, but the mountainous areas around Cusco are perfect for this very purpose (acclimatization). Plus, there’s plenty to see here; no wonder the city’s listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

So, here we are in Cusco, capital of the Inca Empire:

Yes, this city was once the capital of the great Inca Empire, which stretched for around 4000km along the Andean mountain ranges: today’s modern-day Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile – from the southwestern coast of Colombia almost to Santiago. Naturally, the city looked completely different back then, but then the Spanish arrived, dismantled the Inca state, destroyed their temples and palaces, and built their own cathedrals, administrative buildings, and residential quarters on their foundations. However, some walls from the ancient Inca structures remain:

Walking along these walls is a curiously intriguing activity…

The views of the city from the Spanish period are also beautiful, with remnants of Inca structures still visible in places. So let’s go for a walk!…

Remains of the wall of the ancient palace of the Inca rulers:

These are the same granite blocks that the Incas shaped so precisely that there isn’t the slightest gap in among and between them. It’s often said about such masonry that “you can’t even slide a knife in-between”. Well I can confirm that: you can’t (not that we tried – we didn’t need to). And the Incas hadn’t even mastered iron production! That means they shaped and polished these stones using stone tools. Now that’s motivation… What a strict regime it must have been to achieve something like this! ->

And here’s more recent masonry from the Spanish era!…

In one place, the stones are laid out in stylized animal shapes (or is it just a wild imagination thinks so?:). Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a good photo, but it goes something like this ->

For example, on this wall – can you see a snake? ->

Or is it just my imagination, unaccustomed to the plains 3400 meters above sea-level? :) Just kidding: I can manage fine at 4000 meters. But it’s not imagination running wild when it comes to this here 12-angled stone. Imagine the effort it took to carve such blocks – again, without metal tools! ->

But let’s take a break from (fascinating) history, and switch to some relaxing, touristy photo content…

Cathedrals from the Spanish era:

It’s early January, the time of the Epiphany celebration, so Christmas nativity scenes of various sizes and budgets are set up everywhere:

However, Catholicism here has its own specific, local flavor…

And we continue our stroll through the squares and streets of Cusco. We need to acclimatize, after all! We take it steadily and slowly…

On the fountain – clearly an Inca king (right by a Catholic church!). I don’t remember the story behind it/him. But it/his highness still looks beautiful ->

By the way, our local guide told us that the word “Inca” in the Quechua language means “the most important, supreme authority”. So the Incas were the rulers, not the entire people. When meeting the Spanish, the locals invited them to meet the supreme leader, and the Spanish took this as the name of the people.

Further along the streets of the ancient capital these here ladies are not without business-savvy: you can only take their photos for a few soles. Oh – and it’s better to agree on the price beforehand, or else… you know how it goes :) ->

The next day, we piled into a minibus early in the morning and set off toward the start-point of the aforementioned four-day trek along the Inca Quechua trails.

First stop – a viewing platform by the eight-meter-tall “White Christ” ->

From here there’s a beautiful view of Cusco:

And if you get a bit higher with a drone… you can (and should) take a closer look at the “Orange City”:

But these are the wealthy neighborhoods. In the poorer areas, there’s less orange-tiled roofing – more gray and red brick:

And here he stands, watching over it all…

The next stop will be in the next post. For now, here’s a small overview-video of our adventures in Cusco ->

The best photos from our LatAm-2025 trip are here.