Cusco, Peru: City of the Sacred Jaguar

August 2011

To the Incas--the children of the sun---there were three sacred animals:  the condor (representing the heavens), the puma or jaguar (representing the earth), and the snake (representing the underworld).  They say Cusco*, the ancient capital of the great Inca empire, was designed in the shape of the puma.  It must have been an amazing city.  Situated high in the majestic Andes (over 10,000 ft or  3,000 meters), the walls of the glittering temple to the sun god Inti were covered in 700 sheets of gold, studded with emeralds and turquoise.

Cusco's ancient streets were paved; there were sophisticated water systems; and the buildings were constructed of perfectly fit stones without mortar.  From Qosqo, as they called it in the ancient Quechua language, the Incas ruled an empire that stretched north to Colombia and south to Chile and Argentina--  until the Spanish conquistadores arrived in 1533, hungry for gold and eager to impose their rule and religion.

As our van climbed nearly 10,000 ft. to return to Cusco from our rainforest adventures in Manu (see PE Manu posts on sidebar), a chilly wind began to blow. We hurried  back on those narrow dirt/gravel roads to reach  the highway outside Cusco before dark.  By then, not only had my prized DSLR camera stopped working, but I had an error message on my secondary camera that kept shutting it down.  Arriving in Cusco, we were surprised to be dropped off in the cold and dark at the main square far from our hotel, but our faithful guide, Nefi, took us back in a cab.

However, my chill did not subside when we returned to the hotel.  Despite several warm blankets, I spent a restless night, shivering and trying to quench my thirst with bottled water.  By dawn, I realized this was  not altitude sickness.  On my fifth day in Peru, I was sick--feverish from an intestinal bug (not the food)--and without a working camera.  Discouraged, I told the others to go on the excursions, and I spent the day in bed  (or in the bathroom).

By evening, I was somewhat better (ate toast and crackers) and was still determined to go to Machu Picchu the next day with a working camera.  With the assistance of a bilingual hotel employee and one of my friends, we took a cab at 9 p.m. to a camera shop where I bought a decent camera for twice what it costs on a good deal in the US.  But what else would you expect for a desperate, sick, non-Spanish speaking customer just before closing?

All this to say that in the next several posts, I will rely on the comments and photos of my traveling companions for those sights I did not see or photograph.  Fortunately, I had come prepared with Immodium and the prescription medicine Cipro, just in case of such an emergency illness.  It still took a few days before I fully recovered, but at least I was able to continue my journey.

While Cusco no longer glitters with gold, the Incan stones still form the foundations of many buildings and churches and provide contrast for the brilliantly colored wraps and clothes of its mostly indigenous population.  Despite uneven stone pavements, the tall curbs, and steep inclines, I found the streets of Cusco fascinating as the residents conducted their daily business.  When we needed to exchange money, our travel agent, Elvis, led us to a corner where a seemingly reputable person gave us Peruvian sols for US dollars out of his pocket at a good rate with no receipts or identification required.  But exchange shops didn't ask for ID or give receipts either.  It was just how they did business.

In Cusco, we were joined by our friends, Jan and Dale.  Jan had arrived in Peru a week earlier in order to attend Spanish language classes in Cusco.  Although she had spoken Spanish in her mission in South America for the LDS (Mormon) Church many years before, she wanted to refresh her skills.  She enjoyed her extended stay in Cusco and was an invaluable translator for us as we made our way around Peru.  One afternoon, we explored a colorful local market together.

We found Peruvian food delicious and easy to adapt to.  While sick, I stayed with soups, breads, and chicken dishes, but later enjoyed the abundance of vegetables  and fruits ( we were careful to have them cooked or peeled).  They have identified 2,000 varieties of potatoes and 600 types of corn in Peru, and recently the rest of the world has "discovered" the amazing nutritional benefits of the quinoa grain that has grown in the high Andes since Incan days.  We enjoyed quinoa vegetable soup and flavorful quinoa-rice combinations.  Often at meals, they would bring a dish of large, multi-colored, boiled or crispy corn kernels as a tasty appetizer.

During the bloody conquest (see upcoming posts about the Sacred Valley) and colonial period, the Spanish attempted to suppress the native worship and replaced the Inca temples with cathedrals.

The Cusco Cathedral was built on the Inca Tahuantinsuyo--the square representing the center of their empire--which was once covered in white sand mixed with tiny shells and bits of gold, silver and coral.  As we visited on a Sunday, we were able to enter the cathedral at no cost to observe the services and view the silver altar and religious paintings completed by the renown 17th century School of Cusco that combined European and native elements.

Under the Spanish, this square became known as the Plaza de Armas, and it was here that Tupac Amaru II was executed after the  Inca rebellion in 1781.  The Jesuits built their church (La Compania de Jesus) on the same square which is considered the "most beautiful" church in the city.   Today the square has a public park and is surrounded by covered arcades and shops.

The Dominicans  built their convent and church (Iglesia Santo Domingo) on  the foundations of the gold-covered temple of the sun, Koricancha.   Inside, one finds stone rooms that have been uncovered from the Inca temple, but none of the Inca  life-size gold or silver statues that were taken and melted down by the Spanish.  Still, there is a lovely courtyard and Spanish paintings. In the great earthquake in 1650, the grey stone Inca foundations survived, but many of the Spanish buildings collapsed in Cusco.

Despite Spanish persecution, the religion of many of the native people became a blend, much like this church, of Inca and Catholic Christian beliefs and practices.  They worshiped both Mary, the Mother of Christ, and Pachamama, the mother earth figure.  So, it was not surprising to also find in this museum-church modern paintings representing the Seqe system of towns and outposts radiating out of Cusco (all roads led to Cusco, not Rome) and a portrayal of the Inca astronomical beliefs regarding the Milky Way.

In the early 20th century, Peru (and Cusco) became more aware and proud of their ancient history.  Since then, the Quechua language has been revived, streets have been renamed after Inca sites and rulers, museums and archaeological sites have increased, and ancient rites have resurfaced.

Every year,  Cusco holds both a grand procession for Corpus Christi and then later (June 24), the Festival of the Sun (Inti Raymi) where participants follow an Inca procession from Koricancha (Santo Dominigo) to the Plaza de Armas up to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman  (upcoming Sacred Valley post).  As we were there in the month for celebrating the Pachamama (August), we saw offerings prepared for her.  The ancient ways have not been forgotten.

Click below for slideshow:
Cusco--Capital of the Incas

Music:   Allpa, Karunan, Machu Pichu


* Spellings vary in different texts.  Cuzco was the Spanish spelling; more recently Peruvians use Cusco.    As the sign welcoming us to the city used Cusco, that's what I used.  Likewise, the Inca names of places may be spelled with a Q, C, or K interchangeably.

Additional Information:
Insight Guides, Peru
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cusco