Day 445 – Puno to Cusco

City of Stairs – Cusco

We arrived at the famous city of Cusco at 5.30 in the morning. The bus stopped at the Cruz del Sur terminal, which is around 2km from the Historical City Centre. It was early and raining so we decided to wait at the terminal for a few hours. We were able to buy some coffee from the terminal’s cafe. My Claro SIM had expired, so we had to rely on the cafe’s WiFi. 

Around 8am we caught an Uber to our hostel Carlos Guest House Cusco, which is a short walk from the central plaza. The owner of the hostel allowed us to check in early, which was nice. The hostel was nice but it was cold inside the room. 

Exploring Cusco

After rugging up, we walked to the central plaza. The uphill section left us out of breath. Cusco is over 3,000m above sea level so every upwards step felt brutal. At the central plaza we could see heaps of locals and tourists walking around.

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After getting our bearings we went to visit the Inca Museum (Museo Inka). The museum was full of interesting artefacts and information about the Inca Civilisation. No photography is allowed inside. The museum mentions some other ruins that seemed pretty cool, including Pikillaqta and Moray.

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We spent around 1 hour at the museum. 

Afterwards we walked to an alleyway, which is lined with ancient rocks from the Incan Empire. The street is called Calle Hatunrumiyoc. The stone work is very impressive. 

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Along the street is Museum Choco (Museo Choco). Unfortunately it’s more of a store than a museum. Nothing like the amazing chocolate museum in Uxmal, Mexico (Day 330).

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Then we had some lunch at a restaurant serving a menu of the day (menu el dia) and reloaded our Claro SIM card. Afterwards we returned to the hostel to unwind and warm ourselves up. 

Later that night, we went to have churros that were recommended to us by new friends from around Peru. As we walked past the central plaza, the moon looked epic. Despite the freezing temperature, the churros and night life were worth the walk. Cusco is a very pretty city.

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Travelled November 2019

Expenses and Transport

Bus – Puno Bus Terminal to Cruz del Sur Cusco Terminal – 60 PEN (~$29 AUD) per person with Cruz del Sur at 10pm (night bus)
Bus – Puno Bus Terminal Departure Tax – 1.50 PEN (~$0.50 AUD) per person
Uber – Cruz Del Sur Cusco Terminal to Historic Centre – 8 PEN (~$4 AUD)
Entrance Fee – Inca Museum 10 PEN (~$5 AUD) per person
Communication – Claro SIM Reload – 1.5GB for 15 days 15 PEN (~$7 AUD)