Thursday, September 25, 2025

Scandinavian driving trip (2) - Netherlands to Sweden


Itinerary (1)

Mons Klint cliffs
We took almost 5 days to drive from the Netherlands to Sweden, entering Norway on the sixth day, where we spent the rest of our holiday. We stopped on the way in Germany, Denmark and Sweden, exploring some places longer and some just while driving through. The highlight for me over this long drive were the hidden gems, the Mons Klint cliffs near Copenhagen.


Day 1: Drive from Amsterdam to Asendorf, near Hamburg (Germany) (4.5h) with stops in Groningen, Bremen and Luneburg Heath

The first two days of our trip were mostly driving days. On the first day, we left early from Amsterdam and drove through the Netherlands and Germany. And we stopped on the way every few hours to explore some interesting places plus to enjoy the simple joy of a European road trip.

Groningen waterfront
Our first stop of the day was Groningen, a town I had heard of as two of my colleagues lived there but had never got a chance to visit. We took a break there, parking by the canal and spending some time walking around. It was a cute little place, generally known as a student town but not that crowded at that time, as it was the summer holidays and all the students were away. The canal front was pretty, with rows of huge boats parked there. We walked along the canal, and reached a nearby park where we had a chai break (this would be a routine over the trip). It was a calm peaceful place with lots of greenery around, and ducks swimming peacefully in the ponds. It was fun to sit there in the sun while loads of people around were enjoying their summer picnics.

Bremen
Our next stop was the German town of Bremen. We walked around the city centre, the Marktplatz, with the city hall, church and shops, all built in the typical German architecture. We walked into a few shops too. Then we walked towards the old town, called Schnoor. It had cobbled streets and pretty buildings all around, including the St. Peter’s Cathedral (Bremer Dom). It felt so cosy walking there. And then we walked around the Weser river for a bit before setting off again on our journey. Overall, Bremen seemed like a nice, cute town for a brief stop.

Schnoor, Bremen
Our Tesla stop that day wasn't as scenic though. It was next to a huge mall where we bought some stuff for the journey. The rest of the drive was through miles and miles of fields. Then we drove through Luneburg Heath, a scenic nature area, known for its purple blooms in autumn. The villages in the Heath looked charming, full of wooden houses and loads of places to stay. Throughout the nature reserve, there were green woods, and wildflowers, it was so refreshing to drive through it. There were also some purple heather fields in the area, though they were not fully in bloom yet.

We drove through a gorgeous sunset and reached our hotel, Hotel Zur Heidschnucke, near the village of Asendorf. It was an old hotel with spa amenities, surrounded by the green woodlands of Luneburg Heath. We wanted to go for walks around, but as we reached quite late, we couldn't. But we could already still feel the beauty around, that it would be a place worth spending some time at.


Day 2: Drive from Asendorf to Copenhagen (Denmark) (6.5h) with stops in Hamburg and Mons Klint

In the morning, we explored the hotel trails and green paths, and they were just such a pleasure to walk around. Then we were on our way. Today was another driving day, with two stops on the way. The drive was mostly through wheat fields and wild yellow flowers all along the way.

Hamburg
We first stopped at a sarson ka khet on the way and took some photos. Our next stop was Hamburg, one of the larger German towns. We first visited the tower of St. Nikolai, which is the only remnant remaining of the church after the war. Then we walked around the city centre, with its port, bridges, waterways and red buildings. The city centre was quite lively to walk through too.

St Nikolai tower
Hamburg waterways













To get from Germany to Denmark, we had to take a 45 minutes ferry from Puttgarden to Rodbyhavn, which takes you from Germany to one of the Danish islands. And then we drove from island to island, through green grasslands, water ways and very idyllic surroundings. Our next stop was Mons Klint, white seaside cliffs on the island of Mon. The drive till there was picturesque. We crossed over many small islands, linked with small and large bridges over the sea. There were hills everywhere, some filled with wild flowers and poppies, some had golden yellow wheat fields. We drove by scenic golf courses and small charming villages. With boats lining the marinas, and simple churches marking the villages. And the sea was everywhere. We drove up and down as this area was hilly, which added to the beauty of the landscape. I loved this drive.

The hike down
It was raining when we reached Mons Klint, but we got out anyway. And thankfully, after some time, the rain stopped. There was a reception centre at the entrance, with a small museum. There were a few trails there, and we decided to walk down the wooden stairs to reach the sea. It was raining a bit as we walked down, but then we came across a magical scene. And the sky also magically cleared at that moment. There were white cliffs of chalk against the deep blue of the sea, the dark gray clouds in the sky, and the white waves on the sea. It was such a mix of colours and landscapes, and as the rain had just stopped, the view felt surreal and refreshing. We were there for a while, taking a few pics and having a chai break, just enjoying being at such a breathtaking spot.

Mons Klint cliffs
Then we drove into Copenhagen, which felt boring given what we had just seen. We were staying at an airbnb, slightly outside of town in a residential area. We reached the Airbnb late and settled into it. It was quite comfortable and well located. There was an EV charging station nearby, as well as a park with a small pond and a few walking trails, though it rarely had any people there. 



Day 3: Explored Copenhagen

Copenhagen City Hall
On our first day in Copenhagen, it was raining. So we left our Airbnb much later in the day and mostly walked around all afternoon exploring the town. We used an app and followed its suggested route to check out all the main tourist spots. Overall, the city felt quite grand and also simple somehow. We enjoyed walking through the city, though the intermittent rain made the experience slightly challenging. Thankfully, the rain did stop at times, giving us space to move around a bit.

Olsen's world clock
We started at the main train station and walked around the Tivoli gardens. Then we walked to the City Hall (called the Radhus) which was quite grand from the inside. It had some captivating paintings, especially on the ceilings and the walls. (In fact, a year later when I visited the City Hall again for a friend’s wedding, I found the place to be a great setting for the wedding). As it started raining again, we spent a lot longer than planned at the city hall and had our chai break there. We also saw Jens Olsen’s World Clock in the city hall, which apparently can tell the time anywhere in the world at any time. Though by the time it was created, digital watches had taken over, so it wasn't as useful as earlier planned. 

Copenhagen from the top
Christiansborg Palace









Our next stop was the Christiansborg Palace which also functions as the Danish Parliament. We went up the palace tower (it’s free) and enjoyed the view of the city all around. It looked fascinating, with its new buildings and the port on the one side, and all the statues and stone buildings from old times on the other.

Nyhavn
From there we walked to Nyhavn, which was the prettiest part of town. It has lovely multi-coloured buildings lining the harbour. And all of them are now restaurants, with tourists milling around whenever you go. The rain added quite a contrast to the coloured buildings at that time.

Kongens Square
Our next stop was the grand square, Kongens Nytorv. It was a charming spot, with the green square full of bright and colourful summer flowers. We took a break there with chai. We next walked on the main market street, Stroget, which had got crowded by then as it had stopped raining. The area was lined with shops, and we checked a few of the things being sold there. And suddenly we also heard Hindi being spoken as there were so many tourists around.

Little Mermaid
Our next stop was the independent nation of Christiania. It was as expected, a very different kind of a place. With a lot of graffiti and people wandering around looking lost. It was a bit of a shock for sure. We then drove around the sea to see the Little Mermaid. It looked smaller than what we expected. We spent some time walking around the parkland nearby. There was a cruise ship parked there plus some gorgeous churches and fountains.

And then we drove through the city. There were some really nice areas, with big wide roads. simple but colourful huge houses, many water bodies and so many churches. The drive through Oster Sogade was beautiful, all along the lake. Overall the city felt slower than Amsterdam even. Lots of people were cycling in the centre. People drove within speed limits even on the highway. And didn't honk at red lights. It did feel like a great city to live in, simple and quiet. I visited the place again in winter, and it didn't feel so great then. Though the next day when the weather got sunnier, it felt better as everyone was out and swimming in the cold waters.


Day 4: Visited Kronborg castle and the Danish Riviera

Kronborg castle
The next day, we explored the Danish Riviera, the east coast of the Zealand island where the Danish have their holiday homes and spend their summers along the sea. We first drove to the Kronborg Castle and started the day from there. The castle was the highpoint of Helsingor town. It is quite striking, sitting atop an elevated plateau, overlooking the sea and Sweden beyond. It's also known as the castle where Hamlet's story is set in.

The grounds and moat around the castle are huge, with many colourful old barracks all around. The castle was owned by the Danish King and he used to spend some time there regularly. Whenever he was visiting, his whole court moved with him to Kronborg. It would then be full of activities and guests. And then he would leave, when the castle would become empty.

Sweden across the seas
We walked around the castle and sat on the stones by the sea. We could see Helsingborg in Sweden from there (which we would visit the next day). And regular ferries run from there, across to Sweden. I am generally not for visiting these castles as they all look the same to me after a point. But we did go in and I was pleasantly surprised. It was quite interesting and pretty to explore.



Inside the castle
We went up its towers, checked out the kitchens, the grand hall and ball room, the paintings and tapestries on the walls, and the underground barracks where soldiers used to live. It was all very informative to walk through. That day, they also had a Hamlet themed event being held in the castle for children. So there were various actors roleplaying different characters from the play, sitting in different rooms, giving clues to little children, which added to the fun of the day.

View from the top
From the tower, the view of the town around was lovely. It was a huge town with most houses having orange roofs. And lots of greenery. After exploring the castle, we had our chai break by the green gardens overlooking the castle.

Humlebaek village
Then we drove back till Copenhagen, all along the coast. There were wildflowers everywhere along the road and some very picturesque views. The coast was lined one by one with many big and small villages, with huge holiday homes all along the water. We stopped in two towns, Espergaerde and the beach at Humlebaek. We swam for a bit though the water was still cool. There were still loads of children doing watersports along the water, not finding it cool at all. And we had another chai break there, enjoying the serenity of the view around.

Charlottenlund
Our next stop was the Charlottenlund Fort. It was a green area and fun to walk through. We walked along the fort, the sea, the beach and the old bunkers. Just enjoying the calm views. The weather also got worse soon, so we called it a day. Overall the day was fun, seeing how the Danish spend their summers. It was calm and refreshing, though I must say, nothing extraordinary.


Day 5: Drive from Copenhagen to Gothenburg (Sweden) (3.5h) with stops in Malmo and Helsingborg

Today was another long day of driving from Denmark to Gothenburg in Sweden with some scenic stops on the way. We started out from Copenhagen, and first took the Oresund bridge crossing over to Sweden. It was a long bridge (about 16 kms) renowned as an engineering feat, with a hefty toll. Then we mostly drove along the Swedish coast, through miles and miles of wheat fields.

Ribban beach
Our first stop was the Ribersborgsstranden (also called Ribban) beach in Malmo. It was a sunny day and the water was quite warm. So the beach was full of people. The water was clean and almost green. We sat there for a while for a chai break, swimming in the water and sleeping in the sun on the grass next to the beach.

Helsingborg from the park
We continued our drive along the coast, through empty lands, with only fields till wherever the eyes could see. The road quality was fine but not as great as the Netherlands (I think I have been spoiled for life given the almost perfect highways of the Netherlands). Also I noticed, most of the drivers on the highways were following the speed limit, unlike in the Netherlands. 

Walking down to Helsingborg
Our second stop on the way was the Slottshagen Park in the town of Helsingborg, a park on elevated land with a view across town, and a castle and tower nearby. We had our lunch break there, enjoying the greenery and flowers in the garden. The park was up above on the cliff, so we admired the expanse of the small town below. We walked down the grand stairs from the park to the city centre along the waterfront. It was quite an active place, with grand buildings and an active city centre. The drive after was so boring, that we only stopped at a Tesla supercharger on the way. I think this boring part of the drive made me more tired than usual. 

And then we reached Gothenburg. We were staying at the Waterfront Cabins which sounded a lot more picturesque than they were. They were modern studio apartments near the waterfront. But they were quite tough to get to as a lot of the roads in town were closed. Also the first views of the place weren't great, though it got better as we checked in and walked around the complex. But as it was only a night halt, we didn't bother much. We drove into town for a bit and it seemed pleasant, though most of it was under construction somehow. Also I was too tired that day to enjoy it too much. (to be continued)


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Saturday, September 13, 2025

Scandinavian driving trip (1) - Itinerary


Last summer, we went on a 2 week driving trip through Scandinavia. We started from Amsterdam, drove through Germany and stayed in Copenhagen in Denmark for a few days. Then we crossed the Øresund Bridge (an ocean bridge) from Denmark to get to Sweden, and drove along the Swedish coast to get to Norway. We stopped in the countryside and then reached the fjord country. We stayed a week there, in Bergen and Stavanger, and were blown away by the sheer majesty of the country, the breathtaking scenery at every turn. We hiked, kayaked, explored its towns and generally soaked in the natural beauty that is Norway, definitely one of my favourite countries. And then we drove back through a shorter route, taking a ferry from Norway to Denmark, then back to Amsterdam. It was probably one of my longest driving trips too, we drove more than 4500 km over the two weeks. And the beauty we saw surpassed any other drive ever.


Itinerary

Day 1 - Drove from Amsterdam to the village of Asendorf (Germany) (4.5h), with stops in Groningen, Bremen and Luneberg Heath; 1 night stay at Hotel Zur Heidschnucke in Asendorf, near Hamburg
Day 2 - Drove from Asendorf to Copenhagen (Denmark) (6.5h), with stops in Hamburg, Mons Klint and a ferry from Puttgarden to Rodbyhavn; 3 nights stay at an airbnb in Copenhagen
Day 3 - Explored Copenhagen
Day 4 - Visited Kronborg castle and drove through the Danish Riviera on our way back
Day 5 - Drove from Copenhagen to Gothenburg (Sweden) (3.5h), with stops at Malmo and Helsingborg; 1 night stay in Waterfront cabins in Gothenburg
Day 6 - Drove from Gothenburg to Leveld (Norway) (6.5h), with stops at Gothenburg and Oslo; 1 night stay in a wooden cabin in Leveld
Day 7 - Drove from Leveld to Bergen (4.5h), with kayaking and cruise at Nærøyfjord; 3 nights stay in luxury home in Bergen
Day 8 - Explored Bergen, climbed up Mt Fløyen
Day 9 - Drove around Hardanger fjords, with stops at Haga village, Steinsdalfossen waterfall and Norheimsund beach
Day 10 - Drove from Bergen to Stavanger (4.5h), with stop at Haugesund; 3 nights stay in beachfront holiday home in Mosteroy island, near Stavanger
Day 11 - Explored Stavanger and Mosterøy island
Day 12 - Hike up the Preikestolen (Pulpit rock)
Day 13 - Drove from Stavanger to Kolding (Denmark) (7h + 3h ferry); 1 night stay at Hotel Kolding
Day 14 - Drove back from Kolding to Amsterdam (9h)

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Friday, September 12, 2025

Bangalore and around: Chikkamagaluru, Belur and Halebidu temples


Belur temple
Last year, I visited Bangalore after many many years. I spent a few days in the city, exploring how it would be to live there. And then went out of town for two days, to the hillside town of Chikkamagaluru. We visited Mullayanagiri and Bhadra tiger reserve there, stopping at the Belur and Halebidu temples on the way back.


Drive to Chikkamagaluru

The drive from Bangalore to Chikkamagaluru takes about five hours, so we left early around 5:30 am to avoid the local Bangalore city traffic. The route till there was mostly a highway and fun to drive on. Even though there were no major towns on the way, and most of our drive was through rural areas, it did feel a lot more well-to-do than other places I have driven in India, as at least all the houses were pucca.

All along the drive, we were surrounded by greenery on both sides and it already felt refreshing. As it was spring, we saw loads of roadside trees laden with yellow and pink flowers, adding to the brightness of the drive. And I saw so many women wearing bright coloured sarees, with flowers in their hair, it was lovely to just watch all the colour around. In fact, I also bought some flowers to put in my hair, first time ever since 1987 when I had lived in Tamil Nadu!

On the way, we stopped at a local dhaba to eat dosa (I think I ate dosa daily on this trip, the benne masala dosa is so yummy)! We also had sugarcane juice at a few stops on the way, always a pleasure to have in India. Interestingly, there was a stretch of the road, where everyone was selling Adivasi hair oil, produced locally. It's made by adding local herbs to coconut oil. I bought some of it, as it looked interesting. Also buying local things on the way is such an integral part of any driving experience.


The Serai, Chikkamagaluru

We were staying at the Serai resort and once we reached it, it felt as if we had landed in heaven. The Serai was a huge property with huge bungalows spread out all around. Each of the bungalows had its own private pool. The rooms were tastefully decorated and felt luxurious, though they were very simply furnished. And the bathrooms were surrounded by so much greenery, it felt like we were almost outdoors. It felt like the place had been designed with care.

The Serai
There were a few swimming pools, and access to a few sports activities at the resort. It had a nice restaurant too. The resort was surrounded by coffee farms. I walked around a bit and saw a few monkeys and some big birds on the walk. I could even hear a lot of insect and bird sounds all around. Still, there was so much calmness and serenity at the resort, as it was set in nature. I loved it.

The first day, we had Malnad lunch with fish cooked in banana leaf - it was so yum. And it was so relaxing to be in the resort (the air just made us so lazy), that we ended up cancelling all our plans for the day and just pottered around.


Mullayanagiri

View from Mullayanagiri peak
The next day, we again woke up at 5:30 am and left early for Mullayanagiri peak, to avoid the hot afternoon sun. The drive through the hills was gorgeous. We drove though many lush green valleys, and the hills looked stunning in the morning fog. We crossed coffee plantations and some villages on the way but most of the drive was through remote stretches.

View from the peak
We had been following Google Maps but when we reached the destination, it turned out the peak wasn’t there 😃. It took us a while before we could find someone to guide us to the right spot. Once we got the right directions, we had to drive all the way back to reach the place. And by that time, it had got hot. And crowded! We still walked up to the peak in the sun. The route was made up of stairs, and lined with shops. It was a short hike though. The views from the top were stunning though, of green valleys and a lake far beyond. 

Temples with colourful 
gopurams
When we got down, I ate maggi at one of the shops (joys of travelling in India😇)  and then headed back to the Serai. On our way back, I also finally visited one of the temples I had seen so many of in Bangalore - with the colourful statues of gods on the temple gopurams. I have always found them fascinating - the colours and the statues - and was finally able to see them up close.



Bhadra tiger reserve

The same afternoon, we had booked a tiger safari at a nearby reserve, called the Bhadra tiger reserve. We drove to the reserve in the afternoon. The drive felt like it was through the Karnatakan hinterland, passing by some small home stays and coffee plantations. And there were a few lakes on the way too.

Apparently the reserve has a few tigers, so we went on the Safari to spot some. But the guide already told us to not expect to see any, as they are quite tough to spot. Still, it was nice to be out in the jungle, a different jungle this time.

We were in a jeep, driving through the forests. It was mostly a dry brown forest. The green areas were full of teak trees. And we did spot some small animals like a turtle, giant squirrels, spotted deer, barking deer, a few sambar deer, monkeys, some langurs and wild buffalo, but the tiger eluded us.


Belur and Halebidu temples

Entrance to Belur temple
While driving back from Chikkamagaluru, we stopped at Belur and Halebidu to visit the ancient temples from the 12th century, built by the Hoysalas. They were such an eye-opening experience. Made of stone in the Hoysala temple architecture style, they were magnificent. And surprisingly not that well known. Spread out in a temple complex, carved intricately in stone and just an absolute pleasure to look at and explore. I could have spent so many hours there just exploring and appreciating all the handwork around the complex.

Belur temple
We first went to the Belur temple, which was in the middle of the city. It is an active temple and was full of devotees, including women in bright silk sarees, even in the heat! The temple complex had a grand entrance, and many smaller temples inside, all carved in stone. Each of the temples had tens of pillars, all carved with figures and geometric designs. Some brown, some in black stones. And the stones inside the temples felt so cool in the heat, we did not feel hot inside at all.

Halebidu temple
Our next stop was the Halebidu temple which is located a bit outside of town, next to a lake, surrounded by trees and gardens. They were not functioning temples, so there weren't as many crowds there. The Halebidu temple is dedicated to Shiva, while the Belur is for Vishnu. The carvings were again mind-blowing, every inch of stones was intricately carved into gods, dancers, animals and mythological scenes. The shivling, the main deity in this temple had a divine quality to it somehow. It is a huge stone in black, decorated like most temple deities. I took one look at it and felt something. The temple also had a huge Nandi statue carved in stone.

Intricate carvings
Intricate carvings











 

Nandi temple
It was extremely hot when we visited these temples, but I'm glad I did. They will remain with me for a long time, such an exquisite symbol of ancient Indian art and architectural beauty. Also, both these temples were so clean, it felt heartening to see that.

On the drive back we stopped at Hoysala Village Resort near Hassan and ate Malnad food again. It was tasty, though heavy and the spice was a lot milder. The drive back was fine though as expected, we found traffic in Bangalore and then it took us a while to get home.


Bangalore

Inside Cubbon park
Before and after the visit to Chikkamagaluru, I spent a few days in Bangalore, mostly meeting friends but also exploring it a bit (for the first time actually, as I don't think people think much about exploring Bangalore when they visit, and I hadn't done much earlier either). One day we went to the central area around MG Road and visited the local parks. It was such a lovely area to drive through, with its grand old colonial buildings like the Vidhan Sabha, which charms one as you drive past them.

Colours of Cubbon park
Then we went to Cubbon park and walked in the park looking for blooming spring flowers. It's a huge park but also has roads inside it. Many of the trees were full of pink and yellow and purple flowers, some of them on the ground and the rest on the trees. And as usual, we had some sugarcane juice after to deal with the heat. Then we went to Lalbagh which had a nice variety of flowers and plants too, though it was already dry (even in February!).

And after all the walks in the sun, we stopped at a local dosa point to have the benne masala dosa which was a totally new experience for me and I loved it.

Apparently there are dozens of famous silk saree shops in Bangalore, all of which have a great collection. Though I only went to one, RMKV silks. It was already so much fun for me (and exhausting), that we never managed to check out the others. They had such an elaborate collection, with many different varieties of sarees from the South Indian states. I ended up buying multiple sarees from there, leaving behind so many more. Being able to buy sarees with such a vast variety to choose from is something I miss in the North as the saree is not as common there. This saree shopping was definitely a highlight of the Bangalore visit for me.

Flowers of Lalbagh
Overall I found old Bangalore to be a slow moving cute little town, with two storey houses, a lot of old educational and professional institutions, with lots of space and so many parks and greenery all around. Everywhere in the old town, there were trees lining the road, laden with yellow, pink and purple flowers, with the reds just about starting to bloom. The many lakes have mostly disappeared now though there were a few still surviving. Bangalore has very few high rises in the old parts though a lot more in the new areas.

Most of the roads are narrow, which is the reason for the traffic jams now. But still people drive slowly without aggression. The government is trying to improve that, so you can now find flyovers at random places, which aren't helping the traffic much yet.

Another local temple
People seem to be relaxed and unhurried. The city still feels conservative but open too. So many women wear sarees on a daily basis and I loved seeing that. Religion is also very visible here. I saw so many temples, with their colourful statues of gods. I even went into one of them - they all look so bright, yet so simple and inviting.

In the new areas, there is a chill vibe, a founders vibe too given this is a startup city. There are tons of restaurants springing up everywhere. All the breweries are fun places to hangout too. And you can see tech being used everywhere (maybe the local startups test it all locally first!). And last but not the least, the new Bangalore airport is pretty. Created with a green and natural tinge to it - my last impression of the city was also a good one .

Overall, I was impressed. Everyone who lives there likes the city, its chill vibe and some remaining old world charm. The traffic of course is a pain but I guess the rest makes up for it. And I loved the saree shopping, and the visit to Belur and Halebidu temples. So overall, an enjoyable stay in the Garden City.


Monday, July 28, 2025

Postcards from Peru: Cusco (4)


Peru: Itinerary (1)
Peru: Lima and coastal Peru (2)
Peru: Amazon (3)

Cusco… how do I even start to explain all that this city stands for? A city so deeply steeped in culture and history, and a true testament to the human spirit—the determination and ingenuity of the Incas to build a civilisation at such incredible heights, more than 3,000 metres up in the immense Andes, with their own unique way of life - their unique traditions of farming, weaving, art, worship, architecture, and so much more.

Peru had been on my list of places to visit since I was a teenager. Mostly for Machu Picchu. But as our trip got closer, I started reading about the Andean civilisations, and I think I became more excited about visiting Cusco and the Sacred Valley, than the world famous Machu Picchu.

Traditional dresses
I had started reading the book, ‘The Conquest of the Incas’ by John Hemming before the trip. Leaving the whole colonialism aspect of it aside, just reading about the majestic valleys of the Andes and the traditions of the Incas had piqued my curiosity immensely, on how the world I had read about for months would actually look like. All the names of places I had read so many times - the magnificent capital of Cusco, the mighty fortress of Sacsayhuaman, the sun temple of Qorikancha, the town of Ollantaytambo, the terraces of Pisac, the Sacred Urubamba valley, the last stronghold of the Incas in the Amazon at Vilcabamba - all these names now held a meaning for me. And I was curious to see what stories they would tell me when I meet them.

And I was not disappointed. I wasn't able to visit all these places on my trip. And most of the Incan grandeur I had read about had been destroyed 500 years ago already. But what I found was still incredible. Cusco was still alive, its Incan heritage still beating. And I enjoyed the few days I was there, trying to explore and uncover this Incan heart, long challenged by Spanish colonisers, but which is still intact.


Cusco from above
From Puerto Maldonado, we flew to the Andes, to the town of Cusco. We stayed 2 nights in Cusco initially to acclimatise to the high altitude. Then we were off on the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu for 5 days. After coming back from there, we stayed for 2 more nights in Cusco, taking a train to Puno after. In Cusco, we mostly walked around, shopped, ate, acclimatised, joined the festivities and mostly soaked in the Incan sights and atmosphere. 


Getting to Cusco

Flying over the Andes
The flight from Puerto Maldonado to Cusco was a short one, just 30 mins. It flew first over dense green forests, interrupted sometimes by wide meandering rivers and once in a while by a solitary road. And then we were flying over the Andes. As we got closer to Cusco, we saw many villages down in the valleys, spread along these valleys and also along the mountainside. And then Cusco appeared, a huge city spread out all along the Huatanay valley. And it was a beautiful sight landing there.


Cusco

Tika Wasi Casa hotel
For the first two nights, we were staying at the Tika Wasi Casa hotel which was up along the mountainside on the same hill as the Incan fort of Sacsayhuaman. The hotel was a cute little place, with a hammock in its garden (my favourite spot on this Peruvian trip), and a sweeping view of the city of Cusco. It was within the Cusco Centro Historico and within walking distance to Plaza de Armas and all the other sights to visit.

El Balcon hotel
The last two days after coming back from the Salkantay trek, we were staying at a different hotel, the El Balcon, near the Plaza. The building was in an old colonial design, with a nice green garden in between. It didnt have a view of Cusco though, as it was in the flat valley in the centre. It felt like in a residential area with lots of small gardens and squares around.

Cusco is located at a height of 3,400 metres, a height at which the human body has difficulty breathing due to a lower oxygen content. So we had kept the first 2 days for acclimatisation to the high altitude conditions, planning to just walk around and not exert much while we got used to thinner air. Still there was so much walking up and down involved, it was tiring. So we slept and rested a lot during this period while also exploring the town a bit.

We drank a lot of coca tea (every few hours). It's made by adding coca leaves to hot boiling water, and letting the flavour seep in. It is said to help with the high altitude. Locals generally chew the leaves on a daily basis, while tourists prefer to have the easier to drink tea version. It took me a while to develop a taste for it, but once I did, I was a regular. It also was very welcome given how cold the evenings got there. We also bought some coca candy for Cusco as well as the Salkantay trek later. It did help, but we still rested a lot more when walking around during the first few days. Also, it was difficult for me to fall asleep the first few days because of the thin air too.

For the next few days we explored Cusco, mostly around the historic centre, its lanes, its architecture, the food, the shopping and the overall feel. And also getting used to the mountain air. We did visit some historical sights like Cristo Blanco, the Convent of Santo Domingo and the fort of Sacsayhuaman but most of our time there was spent without a defined agenda, at the festivals around the Plaza de Armas. 


Walking around

The Centro Historico is the part of Cusco where the Incan capital used to be. When it was destroyed by the Spanish, they built a Spanish style city on top of the old capital. So even though the feel is of a Spanish town, the foundations of the city are very Incan.

Streets of Cusco
The streets of Cusco on the mountainside are quite steep, cobbled and narrow. They are all lined with one to two storeyed houses, painted in white, with orange roofs and blue wooden doors. Many of these houses have flowers in their balconies or outside their doors. And the streets have brass lamps everywhere. There is so much colour and art everywhere, it's a pleasure just to walk through them. (Of course you have to stop every few 100 metres to gasp for breath! And we took Uber quite often too, especially in the evenings when walking up the hill felt like a torture when we hadn’t acclimatised yet). One specific moment I remember is a street violinist playing at one of these streets while we were returning back at night. His music is one of the sweetest, most soothing music I remember hearing ever. 

A square in Cusco
As we were walking, we kept coming by so many grand squares, cathedrals and convents. Each of the squares would have a green space in the middle, and some grand colonial buildings around. Cathedrals and convent abound in the centre, each more impressive than the other. Many of these have been converted to museums now. I remember the Convent of St Assisi being one of the impressive ones. And Cusco looked so fascinating at night, with all the twinkling lights in the valley and along the hillsides. That view is also imprinted in my mind.

There were some streets in town where the buildings had foundations different from the colonial structures above. The base would be made of huge boulders precisely cut and fitted together without mortar, while the building on top would be built in a typical colonial style. Apparently this was the Incan style of dry-stone masonry which was used to build buildings to survive earthquakes. They were so strong, so robust that the Spanish had been unable to destroy them. So they had decided to build their churches and other buildings on top of the old Incan foundations. Many of these were exposed in the earthquakes of 1650 and 1950 when the colonial structures collapsed but the Inca foundations survived and showed up. And since then, many of these Incan walls have been left exposed so visitors can imagine what the town would have looked like centuries ago. I had read about it in my book, and walked around town looking for such structures. There were many and they were impressive, really impressive.

Streets of Cusco
Most streets looked quite similar, with old colonial houses in single lane cobbled streets. But some streets were different, especially one around the Plaza. That felt like a modern street with modern buildings, but most of Cusco felt like it belonged to a different simpler age.

Sometimes it was tough to figure out what part of Cusco was Spanish, what was Incan and what was just touristy. It just had so much to offer, it was fun to walk around. In the centre, there was so much activity at all times, either with the tourists or with the locals. We criss-crossed these streets so much, we had already started remembering them 😂.


Plaza de Armas

Our favourite of course was the main square, Plaza de Armas. It is a grand square with a park in the centre, the Cusco Cathedral and the Church of the Society of Jesus on one side, loads of cafes and shops on another and then a row of wooden buildings with colonial metal balconies overlooking the Plaza.

Plaza de Armas at night
These balconies are now lined with fine dining restaurants. So during the day we would sit at the Plaza enjoying the festivals. And the evenings we would be back there, eating at one of the restaurants with the balconies. The views outside were magnificent, with the whole of Cusco lighted up at night, and the after-festival party goers still having a great time. It was so surreal every night. The Plaza is the centre of all events in town. It is full of tourists all the time and feels so alive. And of course since we were there in May/June, it was festival time, with the Plaza being at the centre of it all. 


Corpus Christi festivals

In May and June, the festival of Corpus Christi is celebrated by Cusco for a week or so, with all the residents of the city taking part in it. And the whole town turns into a party town. Somehow even without timing it, we had turned up on the first 2 and last 2 days of this festive period! On the first day, the 15 saints and virgins from various other churches of Cusco are brought in a procession to the main Cusco Cathedral. What this involves is the residents of those parishes dressing up in traditional clothes and carrying their saints on elaborate platforms (known as andas), parading through town, all the way till the Cusco Cathedral. The processions move through town, with local bands walking in front providing music and the rest of the parade with hundreds of followers, dancing behind as the procession slowly snakes through town.

Corpus Christi festival
And whoever is not part of the procession, all assemble together in the Plaza de Armas. The whole day, they all dance, make merry and enjoy, sitting along the stairs of the cathedral when tired. It felt like the entire city was there to enjoy the festivities. After the saints are enshrined inside the Cathedral, they are said to remain there for eight days, and "debate" the city's future and the behavior of its residents.

On our first day in Cusco, we could hear music from the morning itself. And by the time we reached the Plaza, we could see multiple processions with thousands of people passing through the streets. It was amazing to be there, just sitting in the crowd and watching all the happenings going on. And the after-party did not end till very late at night - we could hear music coming from the centre till at least 2 am. And every day till the 8th day, there is some or the other festival going on. I think we ended up witnessing many of those events.

From the balconies
One of the days, we saw old men and women dressed up in traditional clothes dancing gracefully to band music late at night. One night, there was a DJ in front of the Cusco Cathedral, belting out song after song while everyone danced in the Plaza. In 5 degrees! One of the evenings, we saw groups of young boys and girls doing rehearsals late at night for the traditional dance performances the next day. And one day, we saw another group practising in one of the squares around, choreographing their dance, again in 5 degrees temperature. It felt like there was a festive environment all around, and everyone wanted to be a part of it. And every day while walking back, we would see all the people drunk and partying till late at night. It was like every day was a party day in Cusco.

Last day of the festivities
When we came back from our Salkantay trek, the festivals were still going on. And we saw the farewell processions again around the Plaza de Armas, where the saints were again taken with full pomp and show, accompanied by dancing and music, back to their own cathedrals. It was just so electric to be there at such a time.




Qorikancha and Church of Santo Domingo

After the first two days in Cusco, we were off to Machu Picchu for 5 days, hiking on the Salkantay trek. After the gruelling effort of traversing the Andes, we were back in Cusco for two days of rest and relaxation. Now that I was acclimatised, I finally did some touristy stuff around, while my friends were still doing high altitude hiking to Rainbow Mountain (I was done with hiking for a while) and learning traditional Inca weaving techniques.

One day, I explored the local markets and the temple of Qorikancha. The next day I walked up to Cristo Blanco (the White Christ), a huge statue of Christ located on top of the Pukamuqu hill overlooking the city of Cusco. It reminded me of Christ the Redeemer in Rio.

Street market
The first day, I just walked away from the historic centre, away from where all the touristy sights were. I saw parents picking up their children from a school, and vendors selling stuff like popcorn to those children. I walked through some local markets in front of a church where the locals shopped. There were 100s of different herbs and spices being sold there. And sugarcane too. I had sugarcane juice at a local stall. Then I walked to the San Pedro market, a covered local market selling a variety of local handicrafts and textiles. There is so much stuff being sold here, at every turn. And it was mostly the women doing all the selling. The walk away from the centre felt quite different, so simple, so not fancy, a bit poorer than the other parts. Also, this was the first time when I saw everyone going about their daily lives (as everything in the historic centre had felt more oriented towards tourists).

Convent of Santo Domingo
After the local walk, I went to the Qorikancha or the Convent of Santo Domingo, a Spanish monastery built on top of the original Inca sun temple. The Qorikancha was the most important temple for the Incas. It was plated with gold and housed the mummies of all the deceased Incas. Its walls were built of solid stones, again in the same Inca masonry style where perfect boulders were interlocked without using any mortar.

Inside the Convent
The Spanish found it tough to completely destroy the old sun temple, so they chose to build the church and convent on top of it. It remained so for centuries but in the earthquake of 1950, the Inca walls became exposed and can now be seen by visitors. The tour of the Qorikancha is very informative, talking about what the original temple would have looked like, based on what remains.

View from Qorikancha
One can also explore the new monastery which is still there and quite pretty. The flowers and paintings all around made it look extremely inviting. I loved this tour, including the view of the city from the temple.

Children's festival
When leaving Qoricancha, I again saw people celebrating, this time it was children! There were 100s of children all dressed up in traditional clothes, walking by their parents. They were in groups, and each group had a different attire, maybe based on the parish they were from? Apparently today was the children’s festival day. It was so cute 😄. That afternoon, the Plaza de Armas had been even more decorated. There was a statue of the Inca in the centre, and many children were dancing and showcasing their skills that day.


Cristo Blanco

Ruins of Sacsayhuaman
The second day, I hiked up the Pukamuqu mountain to get to the Christ statue, the Cristo Blanco. I walked past the Sacsayhuaman fort and finally saw the huge boulders of the fort that had been described in the book. They were huge, some of them were even taller than me. And they stood just liked they would have centuries ago. Solid and immovable.

 
Walls of Sacsayhuaman
I still wonder how a civilisation living in such inhospitable high altitude conditions with no horses or access to cement was able to transport such huge boulders from one place to another and construct a fort. Which has survived till today, even after all the Spanish invasions and destruction. Hats off! 





Cusco from high above
After the fort, I hiked up to the Cristo and was mesmerised with the view from the top. You can see the whole of Cusco from there, the valley and all the hillsides covered with houses almost all the way up. I stayed there till sunset, as parts of the city slowly started to move into the shade. It wasn't a very picturesque sunset though as the sun set at an angle, but seeing the city slowly move toward night was memorable.

While I sat there watching the sun go down, I observed many people coming and leaving the statue. There was a Quechua woman there, dressed in the traditional Andean clothing, with an alpaca baby. She was selling some stuff to tourists. And I saw her approach so many of the people there, offering what she had. She was so so so softspoken, it was like her voice had humility. She spoke some English words, and said them so sweetly and softly, I couldn't help but notice her.

And I remembered excerpts from the book I was reading which talked about how the common Quechua people had always been very simple, believing in the goodness of the world around them. They were so simple, they easily became more vulnerable to exploitation by the Spanish than some other cultures. I don't know if it's a stereotype but I felt it at that moment, how simple and soft spoken the woman was. And I felt very sad for all this country and culture had lost over the centuries. And how the simplicity of the population made them easy prey to all the atrocities that were committed on them.

Cristo Blanco
On the positive side, it was also nice to see how Christianity in Cusco had merged with everything Incan, including the festivals they celebrated and how the Christ statue was looking over this Incan town. I realised while reading up for the blog though, that the statue was a gift given by the Palestinian community in Cusco to the city in 1945, in gratitude for their acceptance and refuge during a time of conflict. Given all the conflict going on around the world, actions like this show a positive future - Muslims from Palestine gifting a statue of Christ to Cusco, which follows its own Inca religion too.

Walking down
After spending some time gazing at the beauty of this city, I started walking back into town. But I chose to take a different path than the one I had come by. I just followed Google Maps in the opposite direction, walking on the road and then taking stairs down, which looked like it would take me to the Plaza. (I could identify it from the loud music coming from that side😁). 

I just started walking down the stairs, walking past residential areas, and choosing whichever way looked like it would take me in the right direction. It was a bit scary as there were very few people around and some of the stairs were blocked. I walked past gardens and small houses and so on. It was an adventurous detour thought I am not sure if it was such a wise idea 😁.

San Blas
Though it all went well. When I reached town, I walked through the San Blas area which felt quite artistic. I stopped to check out some paintings and handicrafts being sold there. Finally, I reached the Plaza (we ended up there every evening somehow), and there were festivities going on (again!). Today all the saints were going back to their own cathedrals. I got a place to stand on a wooden platform right in front of the cathedral door. So I got a front seat view of all the saints being taken out of the cathedral and the procession taking them back to their own parish churches. And when I walked back to my hotel, I passed by many of these processions, still on their way back. And as usual, there was music and dancing all evening, everywhere.


Shopping in Cusco

Cusco is a shopping paradise. The streets were all lined with shops, with all kinds of things being sold - art, souvenirs, spices and sauces, warm clothes, sweaters, pillow cases, blankets, bedcovers - the list was endless. And it was all very reasonably priced. We spent a lot of time shopping here. Surprisingly, there wasn't a lot of bargaining going on, just a little bit.

There were lots of vendors selling handicrafts in the streets, not just the shops. Most of the women selling stuff would be wearing their traditional dress, and there was just so much colour on them - I loved them. A lot of them also had small baby alpaca with them. They charged for taking photos with them and their alpacas, which felt a bit too commercial for me.

Textiles were the biggest sellers - warm clothes made of alpaca wool being the most common product. The local weaves and designs are quite intricate, and they look gorgeous. The colours of the clothes were so bright, red being the most popular in the stuff being sold. Also the alpaca wool is really really soft. It was tough to see those things and not buy them! We all shopped so much - I bought a red poncho with Inca weaving, two red alpaca sweaters with traditional designs, two alpaca shawls (which turned out to be Made in China!), and an alpaca throw. There was a clear domination of warm alpaca products in our buying preferences 😆. I generally don’t shop. But in Peru I did, and this was after already buying flip-flops, a headband, a tshirt, a hydra bag and a backpack already.


Eating

We had dinner at the Plaza most often. Restaurants there were our favourites, as they all were on the first floor, with balconies overlooking the Plaza and cathedral. The first day we ate at Morena. The food was good. I had a bout of mountain sickness though and had to lie down on the seat for a while for the nausea to go away. The waiter put some alcohol on my hand to smell, as apparently that helps with the mountain sickness.

One day we had lunch at a local eating place, called the 3 crosses (quite cute) near our hotel, one Indian dinner at Taste of India (we were really craving spice that day), and dinners near the Plaza in Ceviche and Don Pancho. It was always great to have a view of the Plaza festivities. Dinner for me was always the same for me I think - ceviche, I loved it. The food generally was good, though for vegetarians the options were quite limited.


Weather

The weather in Cusco was interesting. It was 20+ degrees C and sunny during the day, and would drop to single-digit temperatures at night. And it was the same every day, with very little variation. We enjoyed the warmth during the days, but always had to carry our jackets along for the cold evenings. The weather was perfect for enjoying though and was welcome after the freezing days in the Amazon.


It is very difficult to capture all that we saw in Cusco. A city so old, so steeped in a mixture of the old Incan culture and newer Spanish influences. A city that has existed for more than a thousand years at such a height, stood the ravages of Spanish rule, and managed to still hold its own identity, its unique charm. It felt like we had landed in a very different Peru than the last one week.

I fell in love with the city within the first few hours, and the love lasted. It was so tough to say goodbye as I felt I had barely touched its history, its deep culture, its deep mountain ethos. It was like I had only begun to uncover a deep reservoir of culture, history and life, but left without truly doing it justice.

I loved staying in Cusco and hope to be back there some time. To explore more, but also to explore the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, the Pisac, Maras and Moray terraces, Chinchero, and so many other places, which I couldn't visit because of lack of time. I will be back, Cusco!