Peru at Last!

Beep...beep....beep... beep...beep....beep...BEEEEP!  It was 5:15 in the morning and time to start the long day of travel.  In the mysterious gloom of dusk, we were driven to the bustling Quito airport.  Soon, we were on the next flight to Lima, Peru and, eventually, after a strenuous connection, to Cusco.  This Peruvian town was once the capital of the Inca empire before it was conquered by the Spanish in the 1500s.  We walked off the plane, and into the most historical city in Peru.



After settling into our hotel room, we noticed a sign on the door.  This warned us to take care in the city, watch our bags, and be careful of the insidious touts roaming Cusco.  We looked at the sign and were a little nervous, but continued our plan of taking a quick look at the city before dinner.  We spent most of our time in a city square a couple of blocks from our hotel.  The first thing we noticed were the people.  Some were well off, others lived on the streets, but all produced a friendly and happy vibe.  This is not to say we did not take care.  Things are never black or white, they are always grey.  Here, we took that moral into account and were never careless, but we always had our eyes open.
 


In the square, we also noticed some beautiful architecture and, yet again, more good vibes.  On either sides of the plaza were two stunning churches.  They looked as if they were built sometime during the early Spanish Empire.  In the center, was a romantic and stunning green and gold fountain.  Around this were flowers, benches and open grass.  Here people relaxed, talked, met, took photos and smiled.  We loved the atmosphere produced and all three of us liked the city.  We could not abide our hunger any longer, and headed towards a renowned restaurant nearby.



The day is over, and we have made it to Peru.  I just came back from an amazing dinner with my parents at an all organic restaurant.  My dad claimed that the dessert, the pasta with mushroom sauce, the smoothie, and the salad were the best on the trip.  I agreed, and am excited to eat there for the next four nights spent in Cusco.
 


Thank you for reading Rohan Geographic!