Cusco - Day Two

Our itinerary offered an optional tour today to Tipon- an Inca site that shows their irrigation systems.  Not enough interest from the group so our guide, Rene, took us on a mini tour of some museums close to our hotel.  

First we went underground to the Museum of Koricancho (no photos allowed).  The exit took us up a flight of stairs into a large park.  

We went into the large church structure you see in the background.  It had been an Incan temple.  But during the Colonial period, a church was built within the Incan structure.

This is part of the preserved Incan structures.

This is the Colonial structure within:

We had the rest of the day on our own.  But we had admission to another museum just off the main square of Cusco, so that was our next stop. (No photos allowed)

I have to admit, I had my fill of museums so I enjoyed the fresh air in the courtyard.

We met up with another couple from our group and had an outstanding lunch at a restaurant called Green Organic. By the time we finished, the weather looked threatening for the first time all week, so we meandered back toward our hotel.  We went up and down the aisles at a local grocery store. We found a textile shop with a small museum describing the history of the famous weaving of the area. We found a girls' basketball game behind a building.

Our last stop - spend the rest of our Peruvian soles!  There is a big "craft market" across the street from our hotel.

Tonight was our Farewell Dinner at another local restaurant.  Our last night in Peru before we travel to Ecuador.

Here is our group (minus Gregg)

And with Gregg

The night view from our hotel window tonight with the mountains in the background.