First stop on our around the world trip is Cusco. So much has changed in the 35 years since we last visited. Although a world heritage site because of it significance as the capital of the Incan empire, the Cusco of 1985 was a quaint, undeveloped city of 200,000 people that was installing its first traffic light. The Plaza des Armes was a large gravel square surrounded by churches where vendors in Andean dress sold wares off blankets on the ground. The Cusco of 2019 is a beautiful, modern city with upscale shops that sell high quality alpaca and vicuna clothing, gold and silver jewelry, sports the main Andean retail outlets for Patagonia and North Face and has more fine restaurants than one could possibly dine in. Population has grown to just under half million people and homes, rather than metal shanties, dot the surrounding hillsides. The Plaza des Armes is paved with beautiful stonework, has a fountain with a monument to Incan ruler, Pachacutec in the center and several flower gardens. We stayed at a lovely hotel, Belmont Palacio Nazarenas one block away from the Plaza. Hotel was on a hill so as we walked down the street we were able to get great views of the Plaza and surrounding churches. When we visited the Plaza on Friday evening, the first night we arrived, we saw Cusco’s version of a slow roll – young people riding around the plaza on bikes blinged out with lights!
