Although we booked the flight through Delta it was code share and operated by LATAM, they treated us very well but the plane did look pretty ancient. It was an overnight flight from Atlanta to Lima and then transfer to a Domestic flight to Cusco. We did not get much sleep and so we are dragging a bit. We are here for a 9 day lodge to lodge hike on the Inca trail with Back Roads finishing at Machu Pichu. But given the high altitudes we thought it wise to stay in Cusco for a few days in advance.
As this is also supposed to be a celebration of Rob hitting 70 last Saturday, I booked the Palacio Del Inca and we were not disappointed. The location is right in the center of Town opposite the temple of the Sun God and parts of this building at from 1250AD, it was then taken over by the Spanish when they invaded and has gone through a number of other iterations including being a museum to be the hotel that it is today. If you look at the Stone work under the flags, you will see a relief of a snake, which is from the Inca period. The Interior of the hotel is beautiful and we were lucky to get an upgrade to a suite so we are very comfortable. We were treated to a delivery of fruit from the hotel and a bottle of Wine from the guide that is leading us for the Hike.
We went for a walk around the town but we were keeping is slow and steady, we can both feel the effects of the altitude. A quick little nap after lunch. At 5 the hotel has someone conduct a tour of the main parts of the hotel and tell us about the history of the building. At the end of the tour we were treated to the most amazing ceremony to represent the Inca culture and religion, he must of used at least 12 different musical instruments all imitating and reflecting the beauty of the land, sky, animals and flora of the region. The large stone is a 8 angled stone which is very important in the Inca religion.
We had dinner in the bar and then went for a walk into town again, there was a parade of dancers going through the main square.
To round the evening out, the hotel delivered some nice desserts for us to try, I think we will both come back heavier than when we arrived!
