With the copious amounts of exercise we engaged in yesterday, we took it easy today and toured a different area of Cusco landing at Koricancha and Santo Domingo. Koricancha was originally built by the Inca to honor the Sun God, adorned with gold and precious stones. The conquistadors stripped the shrine of its glory and then constructed the church and convent of Santo Domingo on top of the site. Little can be seen of the original temple but there are samples of its architecture mixed with the Spanish.
Inca stonework
Inferior Spanish masonry
Exhausted from reading about so much history, we popped into a very interesting, eclectic spot for lunch, the goal being sustenance, naturally, but also wifi and the Brasil-Croatia match.
We were a little concerned about what we'd get from a culinary standpoint--the place seems very odd for Peru. However, to our great delight the food was outstanding.
Chris surmised that the couple at the next table are from Brasil so we engaged them in conversation. We were sure to show our delight when Brasil won the match (despite their bumpy start with an own goal). In Jackie's words: "Awww, they're such a cute little couple." With food, many beers, dessert, the football match and chit chatting with others, we spent three and a half hours at lunch. The quote for the day, per Annie, is "They're going to need an adding machine for our bill." Surprisingly, the bill totaled 312 sol, roughly $115 for the nine of us.
Jackie and Caroline bargaining for bracelets
Marching through the streets of Cusco
Local school
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