Incan Cusco

The Cusco Valley and the Incas are synonymous in most people's minds, but the area was populated well before they arrived on the scene and they simply built their empire on the toil and ingenuity of generations of previous cultures. The Killki culture, for instance, whose members learned to work the hard diorite and andesite stones that abound here and, although primarily agriculturists, built stone structures, dominated the scene around 700-800 AD.

Some of these structures still survive, while others were incorporated into later Inca constructions - the sun temple of Koricancha, for example, seems to have been built on the foundations a Killki sun temple. Early Inca pots, too, are stylistically close to Killki-produced items, while classical Inca pots demonstrate strong similarities to ceramics produced around 1000 AD by the Lucre culture, whose main site was at Choquepugio, 35km from modern Cusco. The Lucre also used significant amounts of diorite stone in their constructions and, like the Incas later, utilized such boulders in multi-angular, earthquake-proof formations. Later Inca pottery shows a strong Wari influence.

Problems
Some of these structures still survive, while others were incorporated into later Inca constructions - the sun temple of Koricancha, for example, seems to have been built on the foundations a Killki sun temple. Early Inca pots, too, are stylistically close to Killki-produced items, while classical Inca pots demonstrate strong similarities to ceramics produced around 1000 AD by the Lucre culture, whose main site was at Choquepugio, 35km from modern Cusco. The Lucre also used significant amounts of diorite stone in their constructions and, like the Incas later, utilized such boulders in multi-angular, earthquake-proof formations. Later Inca pottery shows a strong Wari influence.

Eating and Drinking
Generally speaking, eating out in Cusco is an enjoyable and important part of the city's nightlife, but the food itself is not quite as interesting or as varied as on the coast or in Lima, though there are one or two exceptions. The city prides itself on its traditional foods, and while you'll find it easier to get pizza than roast guinea pig, the more central cafés and restaurants accommodate most tastes, serving anything from a toasted cheese sandwich to authentic Andean or criolla dishes (a Peruvian form of Creole). The most popular area for restaurants and bars is around the Plaza de Armas and along calles Plateros and Procuradores , home to several decent, cheap cafés and a few decent restaurants. The trendy San Blas barrio has two excellent restaraunts - Pacha Papa and Greens - offering something different to the more conventional cuisine found in most places, and there are several vegetarian joints in town. If you're self-catering , the Central Market by San Pedro train station sells a wonderful variety of colourful produce including all the usual meats, tropical and imported fruits, local vegetables, Andean cheeses and other basics. The market also has a wide range of daytime hot-food stalls where you can get takeaway food (if you have a container to put it in) or eat on the spot.

Cusco restaurants range from the cheap and cheerful to top quality. Many serve international cuisine but the quintas, basic local eating houses, serve mostly traditional Peruvian food , full of spice and character in a typical Cusco ambience, though Pacha Pacha offers a more refined approach. Generally speaking, trout is plentiful, reasonably priced and usually excellent and roast guinea pig ( cuy) can usually be ordered, but pizza seems to lead in the popularity stakes. This isn't a region particularly noted for its beef , but there are a few places serving steaks, and British and oriental cooking can be found, the latter in some fairly average chifas, and one very good curry house - El Grano. Unless otherwise stated, most restaurants open daily at around 11am and serve until 10.30pm-midnight

Nightlife
Apart from Lima, no Peruvian town has as varied a nightlife as Cusco. The corner of Plaza de Armas, where Calle Plateros begins, is a hive of activity until the early hours, even during the week. Most nightspots in the city are simply bars with a dance floor and sometimes a stage, but their styles vary enormously, from Andean folk joints with panpipe music through to reggae or jazz joints and more conventional clubs . Most places are within staggering distance of each other, and sampling them is an important part of any stay in Cusco. Many open around 9pm and keep going until 2 or 3am, so it shouldn't be too difficult to manage.

During any of the major fiestas you will encounter colourfuly costumed dance groups in the streets, but there few other opportunities to see folk dancing beyond the occasional show at a few of the large hotels and more expensive restaurants. Only two groups offer regular performances: Dance Performances, at the Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo, Avenida Sol 612 (tel 227901; 6-10pm); and Dance Workshops , at Taller de Danza, Calle Loreto 208 (information from the wooden kiosk at the bottom end of the craft market hidden away at the same location), covering a wide range of Andean and Coastal Peruvian dance steps including Marinera, Tondero, Afro, Cumbia and Huaylas). They're both good and both charge around $5; tickets can be bought on the door or in advance from the venues or from sellers in and around the Plaza de Armas.

Tourist ticket
The Cusco Tourist Ticket ($10) is a vital purchase for most visitors. It's the only key to many of the city's main attractions and includes useful maps of the region and the city, plus it gives opening times. It's theoretically available from all of the sites on the ticket, but in practice only from those in Cusco itself, plus Sacsayhuaman, the Oficina Boleta Turistico, on the corner of Garcilaso and Heladeros (Mon-Fri 7.45am-6pm, Sat 8.30am-1pm), or from the main Tourist Information Office; the ticket lasts for ten days only, but you can usually extend your ticket for free at the last two offices without much hassle.

Shopping
The main concentration of touristy artesania and jewellery shops is in the streets around the Plaza de Armas and up Triunfo, though Calle San Agustin (first right off Triunfo as you head towards San Blas), has slightly cheaper but decent shops with leather and alpaca work. It's worth heading off the beaten track to find outlets hidden in the backstreets, and even in the smarter shops, it's quite acceptable to bargain a little. In the markets and at street stalls you can often get up to twenty percent off.

Cusco opening hours are generally Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm, though some of the central gift stores open on Sundays and don't close until well into the evening. If you're worried about being robbed while making a substantial purchase, it's fine to ask the shopkeeper to bring the goods to your hotel so that the transaction can take place in relative safety. However, robberies of this sort are much rarer now than they were during the early 1990s.

The Cusco Valley and the Incas are synonymous in most people's minds, but the area was populated well before they arrived on the scene and they simply built their empire on the toil and ingenuity of generations of previous cultures. The Killki culture, for instance, whose members learned to work the hard diorite and andesite stones that abound here and, although primarily agriculturists, built stone structures, dominated the scene around 700-800 AD.

Some of these structures still survive, while others were incorporated into later Inca constructions - the sun temple of Koricancha, for example, seems to have been built on the foundations a Killki sun temple. Early Inca pots, too, are stylistically close to Killki-produced items, while classical Inca pots demonstrate strong similarities to ceramics produced around 1000 AD by the Lucre culture, whose main site was at Choquepugio, 35km from modern Cusco. The Lucre also used significant amounts of diorite stone in their constructions and, like the Incas later, utilized such boulders in multi-angular, earthquake-proof formations. Later Inca pottery shows a strong Wari influence.

Problems
Some of these structures still survive, while others were incorporated into later Inca constructions - the sun temple of Koricancha, for example, seems to have been built on the foundations a Killki sun temple. Early Inca pots, too, are stylistically close to Killki-produced items, while classical Inca pots demonstrate strong similarities to ceramics produced around 1000 AD by the Lucre culture, whose main site was at Choquepugio, 35km from modern Cusco. The Lucre also used significant amounts of diorite stone in their constructions and, like the Incas later, utilized such boulders in multi-angular, earthquake-proof formations. Later Inca pottery shows a strong Wari influence.

Eating and Drinking
Generally speaking, eating out in Cusco is an enjoyable and important part of the city's nightlife, but the food itself is not quite as interesting or as varied as on the coast or in Lima, though there are one or two exceptions. The city prides itself on its traditional foods, and while you'll find it easier to get pizza than roast guinea pig, the more central cafés and restaurants accommodate most tastes, serving anything from a toasted cheese sandwich to authentic Andean or criolla dishes (a Peruvian form of Creole). The most popular area for restaurants and bars is around the Plaza de Armas and along calles Plateros and Procuradores , home to several decent, cheap cafés and a few decent restaurants. The trendy San Blas barrio has two excellent restaraunts - Pacha Papa and Greens - offering something different to the more conventional cuisine found in most places, and there are several vegetarian joints in town. If you're self-catering , the Central Market by San Pedro train station sells a wonderful variety of colourful produce including all the usual meats, tropical and imported fruits, local vegetables, Andean cheeses and other basics. The market also has a wide range of daytime hot-food stalls where you can get takeaway food (if you have a container to put it in) or eat on the spot.

Cusco restaurants range from the cheap and cheerful to top quality. Many serve international cuisine but the quintas, basic local eating houses, serve mostly traditional Peruvian food , full of spice and character in a typical Cusco ambience, though Pacha Pacha offers a more refined approach. Generally speaking, trout is plentiful, reasonably priced and usually excellent and roast guinea pig ( cuy) can usually be ordered, but pizza seems to lead in the popularity stakes. This isn't a region particularly noted for its beef , but there are a few places serving steaks, and British and oriental cooking can be found, the latter in some fairly average chifas, and one very good curry house - El Grano. Unless otherwise stated, most restaurants open daily at around 11am and serve until 10.30pm-midnight

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