Wednesday, July 24, 2013

A Magic Journey To The Heart Of The Inca Empire



Cusco, or as the Incas called it, "the navel of the world" is located at about 3.400m (11.200) above sea level.
 It was once the capital of the almighty Inca Empire, whose territories included not only Peru but large parts of Bolivia,Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and Argentina. In the 1400s it w as one of the largest states in the world.
Quechua, the old Inca language is still widely spoken.
The charm of the city lies not only in its beautiful architecture but as well in the mix of cultures between Inca and colonial traditions brought by the Spanish  who conquered the Empire under the command of Francisco Pizarro in the middle of the 16th century.
Most historic buildings are build on Inca temple and palace foundations on which the Spanish constructed their churches and mansions. From there Christianity was spread through the Andean territories.
Most temples housed incredible gold treasures which were taken away by the conquerors.
The Incas revered gold as tears of the sun and all gold belonged to the Inca, the son of the sun god.
Lamas were the most important domestic animals, carrying heavy burdens and providing food and  wool for clothing.
Join me at this fascinating journey discovering Cusco and its surroundings.

The old Santo Domingo church build on the foundations of the temple of the virgins of the sun.
If you look at the foundation you can easily spot the huge, perfectly built in stones made by the Inca architects.
  
Details of the fine masonry with precisely cut and shaped stones closely fitted without mortar. 

  
The famous twelve angle stone that fits in precisely


 A bowl of Coca leaves on display in a luxury hotel. Coca leave tea is offered to all visitors upon arriving against the altitude sickness which makes breathing difficult.


The reception of a luxury hotel


..and the daily hardship of life in the Andean. An old woman carrying her heavy burden.




Breathtaking landscapes in the Andean




Archeological remains from a pre Inca period


   

A pink pepper tree


Taking a close look


Sun drying pork skin at a roof top


After that the skin is deep fried until crispy and offered to travelers by a street seller


A trip full of contrasts: sophisticated dessert at a restaurant in Cusco made of elderberries



After a "sweet" and happy end of part one this adventurous trip , we will continue our journey soon.
See you next week.

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51 comments:

  1. Great pictures! Thanks for taking us all along - can't wait for the second part!

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    1. Hi John,
      It's my pleasure to share this journey with my blogger friends :)
      Have a great day!

      Delete
  2. Wonderful! What an amazing adventure!

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    1. Thank you Amy! It was a wonderful trip full of adventures and we enjoyed it enourmosly.

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  3. Hi Daniela, thank you for the tour. Very beautiful scenery and those wool costume are really lovely. Excellent pictures.

    The piggy skin, may sound tempting and full of collagen but so far I don't eat those piggy skin or lard. The dessert look luscious, I don't mind to have 2 serving. :)

    Have a lovely week ahead, regards.

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    1. Hi Amelia,
      Belive me, I also had my doubts about the piggy skin, on the other hand no doubts abut the dessert :)
      Thank you for accompanying me on this journey!

      Delete
  4. Wow Daniela, I love the pictures...it was sure a virtual trip. I have never been to this part of the world in spite of living in Brazil for such a long time...
    Indeed a beautiful and elegant dessert...look forward to more pictures Daniela.
    Hope you are enjoying your week my dear :D

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    1. Hi Juliana,
      Thank you for accompanying me on this journey!
      I'm sure you had a wonderful time in Brazil, it's such a beautiful country and maybe one day you come to visit Peru :)
      Cheers.

      Delete
  5. Breathtaking landscape and perfect clicks to accompany us on your amazing journey too, loved the post and was quite intrigued by fried pig skins...:-)

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    1. Hi Rakesh and Swikruti,
      it was indeed an amazing journey and I'm happy that Blogger friends like you both keep me company at this trip.
      Me too I was impressed by the pig skin and you will see at the second part of this post there is an even bigger culinary surprise :)
      Cheers.

      Delete
  6. wow! wonderful place to visit, thanks a lot for sharing. i love to visit one day

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    1. Thanks to you for accompanying me at this journey . Would be lovely if you could visit this place, there are so many interesting things to learn and to visit.

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  7. I loved the trip and I'll definitely be back next week for more. I hope you have a great weekend to look forward to. Have a good day. Blessings...Mary

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    1. Hi Mary,
      so nice to hear that you enjoyed the trip, looking forward to welcome you at my virtual home next week.
      Cheers.

      Delete
  8. A delightful adventure -- thanks for sharing :)

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    1. Thank you, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed travelling with us :)

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  9. I'd love to visit Peru! What gorgeous landscapes and monuments. Thanks for sharing your wonderful pictures with us.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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    1. Thank you Rosa for accompanying me at this journey!
      You should really come to visit, I' m sure you would like to travel around, it's such an interesting place.

      Delete
  10. My husband went to Peru to see Machu Pichu. But he was traveling with his father who got the dates mixed up and the day they arrived was the day after they were supposed to be in Machu Pichu. He had to fly out without having seen it. And is now desperate to get back there - one day xx

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    1. Hi Charlie,
      That's really a pity that your husband didn't make it to Machu Picchu, it's a magic place.
      Maybe next time....and then you come along with him :)

      Delete
  11. These are such beautiful pictures! That elderberry tart looks incredibly delicious.

    xx Kait | ChickadeeSays | ChickadeeSays Bloglovin

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    1. Hi Kait,
      Great to hear you enjoyed the post.
      Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  12. Really enjoyed you post. We visited Peru just over a decade ago. magical place. Your images are terrific. Don't remember the pink peppercorn trees, that is so interesting because we have them here on my street. Curious what one person notices and another doesn't...
    LL

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    1. Hi Lori,
      Actually I didn't know that those were pink pepper trees until the guide pointed them out to us. How lucky you are to see them every day, they are such a pretty sight.
      Cheers.

      Delete
  13. An adventure is right - what an amazing trip. Thanks for sharing, I learnt a lot in this post!

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    1. Hi Kari,
      Yes it was an amazing trip and I'm happy to hear you enjoyed traveling with me :)Cheers.

      Delete
  14. What a wonderful adventure, indeed! The ruins and colorful costumes would be a dream to see! Thank you for the 'arm chair' trip :)

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    1. Hi Susan,
      I'm happy to hear you enjoyed traveling with me on this part of the journey
      to the magic land of the Incas!
      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  15. An amazing trip. Love your photos! I really love learning about other cultures and their food, religions and traditions. Looking forward to your next post. Take care, BAM

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for accompanying me on this amazing trip, I'm glad you enjoyed the post!
      Cheers.

      Delete
  16. Mr. P went to Peru on a misonary trip for his masters a few years ago and loved it.. The peruvian people are so nice and the cuisine is delicious!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. It's great to hear you liked the country,the people and the cuisine!
      I do agree completely with your impressions :)

      Delete
  17. Hi Daniela, beautiful pictures! I'm amazed by the pig skin drying in the sun, wow! I wish I can go on such a trip soon!

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    1. Hi Jaseline,
      Yes the pig skin was quite impressive-it's such fun to learn so many new things when you are travelling.
      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  18. Hi Daniela
    we are nominating you for the Liebester Awards for your blog. For that you need to follow some procedures…they are given in the link below
    http://indiaandworldcuisine.blogspot.in/2013/07/time-for-liebester-award-on-lovely-way.html
    please answer the last 11 questions asked by us, nominate 11 other new bloggers. ask them 11 questions of your choice and do post all this in your blog…for example the way we posted it it…
    Glad to nominate you :-)
    HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, thank you so much for nominating me, sounds like a really interesting and fun award! Just checked your Blog for more details.
      It was so interesting to learn more about both of you through the 11 facts- I'm impressed by the variety of hobbies you have.
      Now I'll do my "homework" and come back later :)

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  19. Ah, these shots are amazing! Makes me wanna jump on a plane and jet.

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    1. Hi Angela,
      why not? Great journeys often start with a spontaneous decision :)
      Cheers.

      Delete
  20. Great photos... I have a sudden urge to travel!

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    1. Thank you Pam, I' m glad you liked the pictures!
      And about the urge to travel: why not give in? :)

      Delete
  21. I was so pleased to come along on this journey to a place I've never experienced and probably never will. Wonderful photos and beautifully written.

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    1. Thank you so much Barbara for your kind feedback!
      I'm glad you accompanied me on this adventurous journey.
      Cheers.

      Delete
  22. What a wonderful opportunity and beautiful trip. I adore traveling. It helps me breathe :)

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    1. Thank you Tricia, so glad to hear you enjoyed traveling with me at the first part of this magic journey!

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  23. Looks amazing, such beautiful pictures and journey.

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    1. Thank you so much Natalie, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this first part of the journey!
      Cheers.

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  24. I traveled out to Lima and Cusco a few years back! I loved everything about my trip, except for the high elevation in Cusco. Thanks for sharing this Daniela! Brings back memories.

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  25. Hi Anne,
    it's great to hear that you enjoyed your trip to this fascinating country.
    Me too ,I had some "breathtaking " experiences cause of the altitude :)

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  26. The color of lady's dress is simply beautiful. I'm always fascinated to learn about different cultures and really hope to take a trip to some new places. Maybe just a few more years till my children are bigger. Thanks for sharing your journey!

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