Lima- Cusco... 7. Day

Now the next part comes along and I already had started to drink my coca tea every mornin'.
In the airplane we've been shaken up a view times and again, the food was more something like ..what the f.. is this.. no thank you.. I said it again.. but it's just an two hour flight. 
And again you see not much then clouds and hills and some hills with snow and then the town Cusco and you wonder...is this the right town..? And the airport with it's runway... is in the middle in the town... well, Cusco- the town lies in a valley. 
One runway... no more, a very little airport and old and they seem to change this airport into a modern one... this is in my opinion very necessary... older luggage treadmills did I never saw... stone time old... 

can you see the runway/ airstrip? in the middle of Cusco

When we got up to get off the plan a women immediately had a lack of blood pressure and went to ground of the plan... well this happens... better to remember starting with a coca tea and take a chewing gum while you fly.. the difference of the highs is much... from next to the sea level to 3300 meter over the sea level... the air is thin, the sun is stronger, and so your body has to fight a bit, although for the most it is just to slow down a bit and after a day you should be alright.. mostly you feel it when you look around or inside your body.. it's like having problems with seeing, or a tingle in your bones or just you must breath stronger... you need more to rest then to walk fast... 

looks better then it actually was

view from my hotel room

Cusco does not at all look like the pics from the prospects you got home... they seem only to catch the hidden beauty... somewhere here.... it was much like "Are you kidding me?!" in my mind.... and most of the faces around me looked the same.... Cusco is poor, that's clearly to see and nearly the most houses are unfinished... 
Simple, but I am no one to give up to soon... the day just stared... let's see what it brings... It's warm and now I am back in Germany I can also tell you it's cold there... in the nights... from 27°C on the day to 9- 10°C on the nights... cold, cold, cold and if the hotels did not had something to head up the room, it would not pleased you you stay a night longer... 
Let's walk to the centrum of Cusco, we are just about 15- 20 minutes away.. Well, first day and your body is still fighting with the new area, it is a challenge, but we made it and there we saw the first signs of the Incas... and of course, because of the time and history, the spanish people destroyed a lot but could not all... so they build a church above the Inca buildings... leveled out, painted over...half destroyed and half year... There it is the monastery Santo Domingo, with it's colonial arches and paintings, with it's frescoes and under and around the Koricancha- the Inca temple in honor for the sun god Inti.....It is said this was the richest Inca temple... golden, with statuaries... lifesize art of the animals... well we just saw the walls, the gold is stolen and somewhere.. no one knows... The conquistadores did all the work...

inside the S.D., part of the temple

the patio

cyclamen... did not expect them there in Cusco

Inca wall... very good work...

Inca and spanish as one...

After this long visit and a lot of people/ tourists with us we went to the "La Catdral". The first christian sign in Cusco and big as possible... typical catholic church. 
It's full of gold everywhere, a lot of very big altars and of course this church is not only so famous here, because it is the first thing from the spanish people in Cusco, it also is known for the school of Cusco.. what does this mean... well the spanish people could not take enough artist from Europe to Peru, so they though the peruvian to paint and like this... but so it became, that on the holy pictures you always find flowers and plants and animals of Peru... So the Jesus eats and guinea pig at his last communion instead of the bread. Next pics shows you part of my traveler book, so forgive that it's not so good and one pic I took by myself...

After all, for me it was interesting to see all this inside, but it all was so big, so much, so kitschy, so unreal and had nothing to do with christ or what Jesus said.. no feeling of spirituality, no feeling of some holy.. it was -and for the time when they build those churches and cathedrals- it was the! way to talk to people- for me just and all about propaganda. A very big propaganda in gold for the "better" people, the spanish.... I mean, all faces looks european, all good is white and all those morality on the paintings... Interesting, but I was happy when i stepped out of this big and oversized building... a power thing... to rule... people... O.K: done with it..:-)
The afternoon rises.. as everywhere... it's getting colder... and we went back to the hotel.. alone... me as always.. watched TV and eat a bit I bought on the way back to the hotel... Shoppin' is never hard to do for me... ;-)

LOVE & LIGHT