Day 447 – Cusco
Hostel change and more sights of Cusco
Today we have to pack our backpacks, since we were moving to a different hostel. After packing, we made a simple breakfast and left Carlos Guest House Cusco. Our new accommodation was a short walk away, and slightly closer to the Central Plaza. At Cusco International Hostal, we were able to drop off our bags since it was too early to check in.
We went back to San Blas Market (Mercardo San Blas) to have some more delicious juice and early lunch. We went to the same stalls as yesterday, which were Shop 3 and Shop 4.
Then we found a nice place to chill for several hours called 180 Eco View Bar. It was pretty quiet when we arrived, but the views of the city were really nice. We connected to the WiFi here and planned our trip to the Sacred Valley. The bar would be a cool place to have drinks late at night.
Boleto Turístico del Cusco
Since we were planning to visit the Sacred Valley, we needed to go to the Boleto Turístico del CUSCO – COSITUC office to purchase the Boleto Turisticos del Cusco Pass. We purchased the 10 Day Pass, which includes entrance to most of the sites along the Sacred Valley and some attractions around Cusco. In total the pass includes entrance to 16 attractions.
Museum of Popular Art
The first attraction we went to was just downstairs from the COSITUC office. It was the Museum of Popular Art (Museo de Arte Popular). The museum is nice, but everything is in Spanish. The single room museum is mainly full of statues. The museum can be seen in less than 15 minutes.
Machu Picchu Museum – Casa Concha
Afterwards, we decided to visit the Machu Picchu Museum. This museum is not included with the Boleto Turístico del Cusco Pass. After purchasing the tickets, there is a short video presentation that is an interesting introduction to Machu Picchu.
The museum is inside a colonial house and is laid out very nicely. There are lots of interesting exhibits with information in English and Spanish. We spent over 1.5 hours in the museum looking at all the exhibits. The model of Machu Picchu looked really cool.
Cusco Central Plaza – Plaza de Armas
After the museum, we were craving some churros. To get to the churros stalls that are in front of Plaza San Francisco, we had to walk past the central plaza. To our surprise there was a parade with different dancing groups.
The plaza appears to be a hotspot for these kinds of events in the afternoon. Even yesterday, after our free walking tour there were some dancers in the main plaza.
We eventually left in search of the churros. We also went past Plaza San Francisco, to the San Pedro Market (Mercardo San Pedro). The market was larger than the San Blas Market but when we arrived late in the afternoon, most of the stalls were closing.
On the way back from the market, we had dinner at Rock & Roll’os Shawarma Pizza Café. The staff and locals were friendly and curious. A Spanish speaking couple started up a limited conversation with us. I wish I knew more Spanish.
As we headed back to our hostel in the dark, it started to rain. Luckily it was only once we were inside that the rain, hail and thunder started.
Travelled November 2019
Expenses and Transport
Boleto Turístico del Cusco – 10 Day Pass – 130 PEN (~$62 AUD) per person
Entrance Fee – Machu Picchu Museum (Casa Concha) – 20 PEN (~9.50 AUD) per person