Laundry Day and a Walk Around Cusco

Today we got up early to take our dirty laundry down to the lobby where they were picked up by a local woman who washed them and returned, pressed and folded, in the afternoon. She charged by the kilogram weighed and paid in advance. We were told they would be left in the lobby cabinet sometime in the afternoon, so there were many checks of the cabinet made as the day wore on 🙂 12 days worth of clothes cost us just under $20 US (including tip) was a bargain. We will now have clean clothes for the 2nd part of our trip.

There was a walking tour this morning, our last one with David. Broken toe Sue sat this one out at the hotel. We visited Coricancha, which is the biggest temple complex in Cusco since the 1400s. It contains a sun temple, a moon temple, a a rainbow temple, a lightning temple, gardens. It was once covered in sheets of gold and silver and was once the most important temple in the Inca Empire. It was taken over by Spain in the 1500’s and the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo was built on the foundation of the original Inca temple.

We also walked to the main city square, the Plaza de Armas. It is a vibrant hub with colonial architecture, and while surrounded by iconic colonial buildings like the Cusco Cathedral & Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús  it now serves as a tourist area with  restaurants and shops. Our tour ended here and we were left to make our way back to the hotel at our leisure.

Dan set off on his own also wondered around within the San Blas neighborhood known for its artisan workshops, art galleries, and excellent restaurants. He found a gelato stand and sat back by Santo Domingo to enjoy it. He also went in search of more medical supplies and also picked up sandwiches for lunch with Sue. Google translate came in very handy.

The group met back at the hotel in the evening for Pisco Sours and did a final toast to health. Then we headed to our farewell dinner with David before returning to the room to pack. We leave for Ecuador bright and early tomorrow. Bags out at 4:45 a.m.