PERU CUSCO

Portrait in pink: women in regulation Cusco attire of hats, multilayered skirts and colourful woven blankets; sitting some 2300m above sea level, Machu Picchu (it means “Old Mountain” in Quechua) was once home to an estimated 10,000 people

Citadel in the skyHigh in the Peruvian Andes, the trail to magnificent Machu Picchu begins at Cusco.

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WORDS MARYANNE BLACKER PHOTOGRAPHY MYLENE D’AURIOL

Citadel in the skyHigh in the Peruvian Andes, the trail to magnificent Machu Picchu begins at Cusco.

WORDS MARYANNE BLACKER PHOTOGRAPHY MYLENE D’AURIOL

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SEE & DOCUSCO CATHEDRALPlaza de Armas.Built on Inca foundations, the cathedral’s renaissance facade conceals an ornate baroque interior. Don’t miss The Last Supper with Christ and his apostles supping on roasted guinea pig and corn beer, the massive 400kg silver altar, and the Lord Of Earthquakes crucifix.

MUSEO INKACuesta de Almirante 103.(084) 237 380.Although slightly ramshackle, this 22-room museum is endearing and fascinating. Highlights include painted wooden cups (qeros), bracelets, golden idols, and a wall of mummies – adults, children, even a pet.

MUSEO DE ARTE PRECOLOMBINOPlaza de la Nazarenas 231.(084) 233 210. www.map.org.pe Centuries-old Peruvian ceramics include exquisite works by the Mochica culture, featuring a 1600-year-old bottle sculpted in the shape of two cormorants, Nazca figurines and cups bearing proud Inca profiles.

AUSANGATE MOUNTAIN TRAILwww.ausangate.net or www.andeanlodges.com Hike the second largest glacier system in Peru, exploring

Ausangate, a sacred mountain locals believe to be the source of water and life. Nights are spent at altitudes of around 4500m in eco-friendly lodges boasting private bathrooms and traditional food meticulously prepared with a nod to the mod. The trek runs through lush valleys over ochre and red-streaked crests to snowcapped peaks.

SACRED VALLEYThe Sacred Valley has some of the best-preserved Inca sites, from the ceremonial centre of Sacsayhuamán to the hilltop fortress above Pisac. The last stop before Machu Picchu is Ollantaytambo, famous for the stone carved terraces that snake up to a constellation of temples some 1000m above.

MACHU PICCHUThis city above the clouds comprises cascading terraces, fountains, huts and temples, including the Temple of the Sun, the site’s only round building.Colossal granite blocks fit seamlessly together, the buildings effortlessly aping the outlines of the surrounding summits. Early birds can catch the sunrise around 7am or clamber up Huayna Picchu, the mountain behind to get a bird’s-eye view. The site is usually jam-packed between 11am and 4pm.

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THE FIRST GLIMMER of mythical Machu Picchu, the mountain-ringed Inca citadel, can win over even the most hardened traveller. Built in the 15th century, the mist-veiled city was never breeched by the Spanish conquistadors; instead it was quietly abandoned and left to the vagaries of the surrounding forest. It was wrenched out of obscurity in 1911, when American explorer Hiram Bingham scampered up a

peak in this remote part of the Andes and came upon the “lost” Inca city. Machu Picchu is now a UNESCO World Heritage site as well as being one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, but its original purpose remains a puzzle — was it a ceremonial centre, a military citadel, a stargazing lab, or simply the imperial retreat?

The journey to Machu Picchu begins some 70km south in Cusco, a city where old and new are omnipresent. Glittering examples of the Spanish conquest abound in the stately colonial architecture while the geometrically perfect stonework reminds visitors this was once the capital of the Inca empire. Francisco Pizarro conquered Cusco in 1533, then built his city on the foundations of the vanquished, stacking bricks and adobe on top of Inca masonry. As earthquakes rattled the region down the centuries, Spanish constructions have cracked and tumbled, but the statuesque Inca walls have stood firm. Some of the stones in the leviathan walls of Sacsayhuamán, the fortress overlooking Cusco, are said to weigh as much as 350 tonnes.

Linking the two ancient cities is the Sacred Valley, a lush pocket sprinkled with terraced fields, a procession of stone bastions and the ruins of the granaries of the long-gone Inca. Amid crumbling houses and temples, peaches, cherries, corn, tomatoes and quinoa (the staple grain of the Inca) thrive, while trout flourish in streams and rivers. Life in the villages is slow, even primitive. Hand or foot ploughs are still used to till fields, bowed men transport vast sheaves of barley on their backs, women tote babies in blankets wrapped around their shoulders, and small children tend flocks of goats or alpacas by the roadside, sometimes serenading them with Andean pipes. At Sunday markets, farmers barter beans and corn, while be-hatted women sporting three or four layers of polleras (skirts) and sturdy sandals fashioned from recycled truck tyres lay out their woven handiwork. Cheap factory-made goods have filtered in and there’s a readymade supply of “genuine” alpaca jumpers, ponchos, blankets and bags. However, quality handmade items can still be had. Seek out market vendors who make their own products.

Often dubbed the Romans of ancient America, the Inca were successful in conquering both tribes and terrain. At its height, in the mid- to late-15th century, the empire covered one-third of the continent, stretching from present-day southern Colombia down to northern Chile. They were right at home in the lofty Andes. Cusco sits at 3300m above sea level, which means that almost all visitors suffer from some form of altitude sickness on arrival. The solution? Rest, eat sparsely and drink lots of water and cocoa tea, just as the locals do.

Despite rising tourism, Cusco and its surrounds remain unwaveringly traditional. Women with impossibly long, and impossibly black, plaits sit chatting in the main plazas while men in chullos (knitted hats with ear flaps) kneel at prayer in the cathedral. And somewhere along a cobblestone street there’s bound to be an almond-eyed child with a llama in tow, waiting for a photo tip.

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Be-hatted women, sporting three or four layers of polleras (skirts) and sturdy sandals fashioned from recycled truck tyres, lay out their woven handiwork‘‘

Clockwise from top left: Moray terraces,

Sacred Valley; hilltop fortress above Pisac;

local textiles; llama at Machu Picchu; San

Blas handicrafts; Ollantaytambo,

famed for its terraces; Cusco hombre models a chullo, or knitted hat

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EAT & DRINKBACORuinas 465. (084) 242 808If you hanker for a gourmet pizza (smoked trout and fennel) or an Argentine steak, look no further. Warm wood, cool art and heady cocktails make an irresistible mix.

LA CICCIOLINATriunfo 393. (084) 239 510.Two huge canvases by Melbourne artist Virginia Hodgkinson dominate La Cicciolina’s diminutive dining room, a reminder that owner Tammy Gordon also hails from the Victorian capital. Dark oval tables and classy burgundy chairs host upmarket diners hungry for char-grilled beef with berry and gorgonzola sauce, and squid ink tagliolini with prawns, lemon grass and coconut milk. An adjoining tapas bar serves sashimi, bruschetta and crispy prawns under rustic rafters strung with garlic and chilli clusters. Downstairs it’s “bread and breakfast” until 11.30am.

GREEN’S ORGANICSanta Catalina Angosta 135.(084) 243 379. www.cuscorestaurants.com Cusco’s (mostly) organic eatery dishes out garlic- and lemon-

crusted rack of lamb and local trout with jungle fruits along with rocket ravioli, and chickpea curry with almond couscous. Food and mood are designed to nourish body and mind.

JACK’S CAFÉ BARChoquechaca 509. (084) 806 960.Run by Australian Jane Berthelsen, Jack’s is noteworthy for its laid-back atmosphere, cheery staff and comfort food such as toasted sandwiches and burgers, smoothies, nachos and melt-in-your-mouth beef and mushrooms in red wine with roast garlic mash. Fritter away a few high-altitude hours with a creamy cappuccino in one hand and a cinnamon toast doorstop in the other.

MAP CAFÉMuseo de Arte PrecolombinoPlaza de la Nazarenas 231.(084) 242 476. www.cuscorestaurants.comMuseum cafes worthy of an unhurried lunch or dinner are rare. This modern glass cube in the courtyard of the Pre-Columbian Art Museum is one. Try crispy quinoa chicken salad, crayfish with yellow potato gnocchi, finished off with lightly sautéed straw-berries in purple corn syrup.

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Cusco’s only organic eatery – food and mood designed to nourish body and mind‘‘

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Clockwise from top left: in Cusco farming is still manual labour; Map Café; Cusco Cathedral; canvases by Melbourne artist Virginia Hodgkinson at La Cicciolina restaurant; San Blas doorway

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SHOPAUCELLSPalacio 116. (084) 226 330.Banish winter chills with wrap-around coats, bell-shaped short tunics and flirty cardigans embossed with big buttons, silver pins (tupus) and columns of knitted flowers, all handmade from the softest Peruvian alpaca.

CENTRO DE TEXTILES TRADICIONALES DEL CUSCOAvenida Sol 603. (084) 228 117. www.textilescusco.orgIn the Andes, the life and spirit of a community is woven into its cloth. The Centre for Traditional Textiles works with some 450 individual weavers to preserve traditions and promote local textiles – weavers benefit directly from the sale of the handwoven, naturally dyed items – hats, bags, table runners and blankets make a perfect sustainable souvenir. An adjoining museum showcases textile customs and has weaving demonstrations.

SAN BLAS Head to Cusco’s San Blas district for traditional handicrafts – long-necked religious figures or saints with oversized feet and hands, ornate candles, tooled leather chests and colonial paraphernalia.

HIRAM BINGHAM TRAINwww.perurail.comThree plush carriages transport visitors through mossy valleys, past granite obelisks to the city in the clouds, Machu Picchu. Gourmet brunch, complete with Champagne, starts the day; cocktails and a four-course dinner (alpaca steak with pink pepper sauce) end it. Arrival at Machu Picchu at 12.30pm, departure in the evening, with a tour of the ruins (and sunset) included.

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In the Andes, the life and spirit of a community is woven into its cloth‘‘

Clockwise from top left: footwear to go – Cusco women wearing sandals made from recycled truck tyres; long-necked religious figure; handmade knitwear from Aucells; bright mantas, used by villagers to carry children or firewood on their backs

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PERU

Terracotta-tiled bungalows rimmed by purple sage‘‘

Clockwise from top left: engraved gourds; Libertador Palacio del Inka; restaurant at Libertador Palacio del Inka; two heads, four hats; Hotel Monasterio

STAYLIBERTADOR PALACIO DEL INKAPlazoleta Santo Domingo 259. (084) 231 961. libertador.com.pe/eng/cusco.htmIn Inca times, chiefs gathered on this site to bring offerings to the emperor. Later, Spanish nobles moved in. Spanish arches and Inca walls remain, now embellished with plump sofas, antiques and precious ceramics. The vivid blue window frames and doors are said to “welcome the sun”, a tradition inherited from Andalusia in Spain. Some rooms have views over Koricancha, an Inca temple built to honour the Sun God. Double from $225.

HOTEL MONASTERIOPalacios 136. (084) 241 777. www.monasterio.orient-express.com This restored 400-year-old monastery is part of the Orient Express stable, so expect five-star fittings, colonial charm and a smart restaurant. Oxygen can be piped into some of the rooms to alleviate altitude sickness. Double from $540.

INKATERRA MACHU PICCHU Aguas Calientes Train Station.(084) 211 122. www.inkaterra.com Nestled amid rainforest alive with wild orchids and vibrant hummingbirds, this is one elegant ecological option. Rooms are stylishly rustic, many with fireplaces. Nature walks available. Double from $630.

SOL Y LUNA LODGE & SPAHuincho, Urubamba. (084) 201 620. www.hotelsolyluna.comA nest of terracotta-tiled bungalows with exposed wooden beams and creature comforts, rimmed by purple sage and

mountain peaks, spells retreat. A spa offers holistic treatments. Double from $190.

URUBAMBA VILLASCaserío Higuspucro, Urubamba.(01) 610 0400 Peru/toll-free. www.inkaterra.com Go river rafting or horse-riding, or tour nearby Inca sites before returning to your adobe hideaway – with maid, driver and personal guide. No roughing it allowed. Villa from $318 for two people. �

For airfares call Qantas on

13 13 13 or visit qantas.com

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