Maruton's travel diary: Machu Picchu Travel #15 - The seventh day (5.3) #1, Flight from Cusco to Lima.

Schedule

○Flight
　　11:15 Cusco → 12:45 Lima
　　* this flight was Star Peru

○Hotel
　　Hotel Miraflores Lodge

This day I went back to Lima from Cusco.
I had taken night bus when I came to Cusco from Nazca, but I took airplane to Lima.

Hotel

I woke up past 7:00 in the morning. breakfast was also delicious.

The departure of my airplane was past 11 o'clock. hotel staff said to me "it's all right if you will come back until 9:30", so I went around Cusco city.

Though I had less than two hours, I decided to go to the historic site of Sacsayhuaman by taxi.

Sacsaywaman

Sacsaywaman which was an important base of Inca Empire, was the fortress that had not only military features but also religious function. it is said that the Emperor of Inca established camp in this site when Spanish people invaded at 1536. it is also said that this was constructed for more than 50 years in Inca era according to the record. but according to the technical research, this was actually constructed around 1100 a.d. by Circe people who had lived at Cusco before Inca people came to this site.

This fortress was destroyed after the Spaniards have been invaded, and only part of the underlying is remain now.

This is also one of "City of Cusco" which was certified as the world heritage site of UNESCO.

(I) Ticket please.
(Ticket office) We have one day tourist ticket. with this ticket you can admit not only Sacsaywaman but also other three historic sites. it is 70 sol.
(I) 70 sol? (= more than 2000 yen) please wait . . .

70 sol is expensive.
I went many churches and museums in Cusco the day before yesterday, but each admission was 5-10 sol.
I checked my guidebook. it was written that Sacsayhuaman admission accepted on tour tickets and also written that one day tourist ticket is 70 sol. . . .

It was such the site as I will never come again. usually I would pay but I was worried about the rest of the money because I could not have withdrawn the money using credit card previous day.

(I) I want only Saqsaywaman. but 70 sol is too expensive!
(Ticket office) You have to buy 1 day ticket.

I tried to ask a little more, but in vain.
It was pity that I gave up this site.

On my way back, a little distance form ticket office, there was the taxi which I had used to come here. the driver was wiping the car with a cloth.

(I) Hi, please return to Cusco.
(Taxi driver) It's quite early, isn't it?
(I) Tourist ticket was too expensive, so I couldn't buy it.
(Taxi driver) Well, I'll drive around Sacsayhuaman by taxi.
(I) Thank you for your kindness.

There was a small hill standing a statue of Christ.

Cusco

I came back to Cusco around 9 o'clock.

I used ATM.
In Cusco, I could read Japanese message.

It was written "お取引先の銀行から返答がありません" that means no response from your bank.
Finally I understood the reason not to withdraw by credit card.
This day was 3. may. which was national holiday in Japan.　so all Japanese bank was closed. . . .
That was the reason why I could not have withdrawn at Machu Picchu the previous day.

I was relieved that my credit card was not suspended.
I had some dollar which I prepared for the hotel of Cusco - this day and Lima - the next day. if I could pay for them by credit card, I had had enough money.

I had more one thing do to in Cusco.
As I could not have found the pattern of snake and puma around 12 angles stone two days ago, I came there again.
But I could not find by my own, and I ask a peddler about them.