Cusco

Cusco, the capital of the Incan Empire, literally means "navel of the world". It's a colorful, vibrant city with a fascinating mix of traditional and contemporary history, culture and food. Tucked high in the Andes, it sits at 11,000 ft, and as soon as you start to climb the hilly steps that surround the Plaza de Armas (the main square), you feel the altitude hit you. We needed to take stops every few feet just to catch our breath. The views from the neighborhood where we stayed, San Blas, were totally worth it though.

The view from our window at our adorable hotel, Casona Les Pleiades, in San Blas.









Coca tea, which we drank non-stop to help acclimate us to the altitude.





Doggies and blue doorways were plentiful...





On our way to visit La Catedral on Santa Semana, we ran into an Easter procession...and missed church.











Cusco and its surrounding towns are the handicraft center of Peru...





Fabulous food and friends! Aixa & Ted, Mike & Chrissi and Chris & I at Cicciolina.



La Catedral in the Plaza de Armas, glowing like gold at dusk.