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Peruvian Chocolate…. does life get any better?
Cacao, pronounced Cak – Cow originated from the foot hills of the Andes. It has been in Peru for centuries although it has spread across the world and is loved by many it has a special place in the hearts and stomachs of the people of Peru. While Peruvian chocolate has not been one of the most noted in the world market it is gaining more and more acceptance. Each type of Cacao has a name, Peruvian chocolate is primarily Creole, a sharp rich flavor native to only Peru. Lucky me, got to try some today. We stumbled across the Chocolate Museum and shop and got some good information and…
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And This Little Piggy Went to Market
Cusco is full of small stands selling everything from food to toys… its kinda an open air Wal-mart, but today we went to the San Pedro Market. Cuscos most historical and authentic market. A collection of stalls overflowing a huge open air building. You would be hard pressed not to find what youre looking for here. We wandered through the hundreds of small shops looking for elusive gifts for friends and family. We began our quest with nourishment. While not exactly a healthy snack the Churros were delicious. We made our way into the market via the side entrance and directly into the the area allocated to flowers. Flowers of…
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Lets See Cusco from a Double Decker Bus
Today we did a double decker bus ride to see the sites of Cusco. We met out guide in one the most historical sites in the city. The Plaza De Armas. It was the heart of the city when the Incans ruled and it still is today. Our guide speaks to the rest of the group in Spanish and is supposed to translate to English but he seems to forget that part a lot. Lucky for me I’ve read the guide book a couple of times.. lol…He tells us that the buses aren’t allowed in the Plaza so we need to walk to the bus station. What he failed to…
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Coricancha, The Incan Sun Temple
Coriconcha comes from the Quechua word Quri – gold and Kancha – encloser. Cusco was the capital of the Incan empire and Coriconcha was its shining jewel. It was where the bodies of past leaders were covered in gold and placed in full ceremonial dress and tended by virgins. It was considered the center of the Incan empire, it was a holy site. In its heyday it was even more of a sight to behold. According to Spanish records there were statues of gold and silver in the courtyard and priceless artifacts everywhere. I guess thats why they looted everything and leveled the temple and built a catholic church on…
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Machu Picchu … the Almost Lost City of the Incas
A trip to Machu Picchu is not for the faint of heart. The day begins extremely early. The line for the bus begins at 3 in the morning. After out super fun train ride the night before we weren’t quite ready for a 3am wake up call. We did make it out of the hotel by 6 so I’m going to call that a win. Our tickets were for the morning session. That runs from 6am to noon. One thing to remember if you come to Machu Picchu , bus tickets are separate. So after our guide finally arrives and we head out the door we stand in line to…
