August 23, 2023
Inspecting the Incan stonework at the Coricancha Temple (Tyler Nachand)
Looking out at the city of Cusco from the Coricancha Temple (Tyler Nachand)
The Inca Trail Machu Picchu team at the Coricancha Temple in Cusco (Tyler Nachand)
IMG guides Tyler Nachand and Maximo Henostroza report from Cusco Peru that the entire Inca Trail / Machu Picchu team have now arrived. Several members had to change their flights due to the big storm this past week that closed the LAX airport, but its great to hear everything worked out. As we often say, just getting these trips off and running is often one of the biggest challenges. Now, everyone can relax, enjoy the Peruvian culture and do some acclimatization before they hit the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Cusco is at about 11,000 feet, so it’s important for the team to just take it slow for the first few days. During the Inca Empire, Cusco was the capital city, so the next two days are a perfect opportunity to visit some of the amazing archeological sites in the area. Today the team is exploring the City, including a visit to the famous Coricancha Temple. This was destroyed during the war with the Conquistadores in the 16th century, but has been rebuilt using the remarkable ashlar masonry techniques, with each stone custom cut to fit perfectly together. Tomorrow the team will travel to the Sacred Valley and visit Pisac and Ollantaytambo. All’s well in Peru!