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Above
Peruvian boy with a llama
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Having spent several days in Lima – or rather Miraflores –
an upmarket suburb, where we were warned not to go out
alone, it was a pleasure to be able to wander the streets of
Cusco, once the capital of the Inca empire, and a UNESCO
World Heritage site. The city is 3,710 metres above sea level
and so, particularly if you arrive by plane, you have to
acclimatise yourself to the altitude.
Coca tea, a derivative of cocaine, is served in all the
hotels to combat this. At the luxurious Monasterio Hotel,
oxygen is pumped into the bedrooms to alleviate any
headache or sickness problems. The vast main square,
which is always a hub of activity, has an amazing array
of architecture, and includes a Renaissance-style cathedral
with an incredibly ornate and lavish interior. Don’t miss,
within its walls, a painting of The Last Supper, where the
meal in the forefront of the painting is that of a skinned
guinea pig, one of the specialities of the area. I joined my
fellow travellers at a meal where they all decided to taste
this local delicacy, which was served whole at the table
with a tomato in its mouth.
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Ceviche – raw marinated white fish – is another meal to
try, as it is Peru’s national dish. The country makes its own
wine, which is very drinkable. The beverage served as an
aperitif wherever you go is Pisco Sour, also made from
grapes which, depending on your host and his magnitude,
can be very intoxicating!
One of the advantages of being with a tour is that the tour
operator, particularly in Peru, will have access to some places
where you may not be able to go on your own. In Lima, we
dined close to the city’s historical centre at the Casa-Solar de
Aliaga. Originally home to the co-founder of the city, and
still inhabited by his ancestors, it was originally built in 1535,
and is full of beautiful artefacts. Another day, we ate at the
Casa Hacienda Orihuela, home of the Orihuelas family,
collectors of popular and colonial art, which is off the beaten
track in the Sacred Valley.
Private museums are, apparently, quite common. We were
taken to an ordinary-looking house in Miraflores, one of
the more expensive suburbs of Lima. Once inside, we were
surrounded by an amazing collection of art, not just in the
form of paintings but also valuable collectables.
Below
Machu Picchu - the lost city of the Incas, built around 1440
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Copyright 2002-2007
MQ Magazine
Web site created by Mark Griffin
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