Cusco is an amazing place to spend a week or two. It was our favourite place in Peru. You can get altitude sickness here which feels like a really bad hangover with a pounding headache, so take it easy for your first 2 or 3 days when you'll feel a bit out of breath - after that we felt fine, and I only had one evening of feeling quite ill. Also, the sun is very strong for Europeans, so slap on factor 30 at least and wear a hat, even if it's cloudy. One of us doesn't wear sunscreen every day, and got really burned... I can't say who.
Peruvians tend to cover up, whether for protection or modesty or both, we're not sure.
This is a Peruvian lady wearing traditional dress. I didn't notice an equivalent male costume with a similar hat. Most Peruvians wear trainers and sports gear though.
Whilst we were there at the end of December and early Jan in El Nina time, the weather was warm and hot during the day and really cold at night (2 jumpers needed). It also generally rained in the mid to late afternoon for anything from 10 minutes to an hour or two, so we carried thin raincoats for walking and horse-riding.
I heard that Cusco is one of the most dangerous airports in the world to land in due to being surrounded by mountains. It didn't seem so hair-raising to us, but this is how it looked on approach.
This is Plaza del Armas. There area many Plazas of the same name in Peru. In Cusco as in Arequipa, you'll be approached by street sellers. Many are selling cheap jewellery and hand-made artworks. I bought a 'silver' necklace with a colourful hummingbird design for 25 soles (€5), and after that we always said 'No, Gracias' and they are a little persistent, but nothing like some other countries we've visited. I also bought a colourful headband for 15 soles (€3) on a side street from a pretty old lady. The experience can be nice if you take your time.
Above, right are some of the more upmarket earrings from a store selling them for around $50USD. These are silver and inlaid by hand. This store told us that items sold by street sellers aren't silver, but are - I think they said 'Alpaka' which is a mixture of silver and copper and it dis-colours quickly. So far I'm happy with my hummingbird, and I don't tend to spend a lot on jewellery and I like to support the street sellers too.
Next to San Pedro market, where you can get lunch for about 6 or 7 soles, there is this old church, I would guess built by the Spanish and they say these buildings were made from the stones of Sacsayhuaman at least partly.
On the middle photo you can see 'Viva el Peru' written on the hillside in the background. the others show the steep streets which are very picturesque in the main areas, but less so in the less touristy outer edges.
It looks lovelee