Day 49 – Monday, March 16, 2026

I stayed in bed till 8 am and my body felt a lot better...

...but not my mind! I wanted to buy a return ticket to Lima. Usually, a no-brainer, but this time, it got to me. From Kiwi, a travel site, I was offered a rebate, I wanted to apply that for my return flight. On the first try, the payment did not go through, but on the second try, the rebate was deemed as having been used. A third, fourth, fifth attempt - I stopped counting. It took about three hours to get the ticket finally booked - on a different flight than I originally intneded to book.

At 1 pm, I went on a tour of Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire. It is a city where ancient Andean history blends seamlessly with Spanish colonial influence.

We first visited the Temple of the Sun (Qoricancha), the most important temple in the Inca Empire. Its walls were once covered in sheets of solid gold. Following the Spanish conquest, the convent of Santo Domingo was built directly on top of the original Inca structures, creating a striking contrast between precise, mortarless Inca masonry and colonial architecture.

Temple of the Sun

Convent

Perfect architecture

Then came Sacsayhuamán Fortress, situated on a steep hill overlooking the city, this massive complex is a masterpiece of Inca engineering. It features enormous stone walls assembled from huge limestone blocks that fit together with incredible precision. It is often cited as a fortress or ceremonial center.

What a view!

Huge stone

The next visit was to Qenqo, a significant Inca archaeological site, known for its intricate, maze-like stone carvings and underground chambers. After this, we visited Puca Pucara, a fortress where one had an excellent view of both the valley and its surrounding mountains. Finally, we visited Tambonachay, with a series of aquaducts, canals and waterfalls that run through terraced rocks.

Quary

Underground chamber

Black sheep

Eucalyptus forest - what a pleasant smell there was!

Ruins

We got back to Cusco just when a heavy thunderstorm started, luckily, it did not last long. I joined some locals at a street food vendor, had s chicken stew, I liked it!

Chicken stew - I enjoyed it

Me at the street vendor

Overall, a pleasant afternoon - I had slept well.