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Location: Cusco, Peru
Today was the group’s first day in Peru. Everyone arrived at the Cusco airport, and we took a bus directly to our hotel. As we drove through Cusco we noticed a celebration and parade happening – it was the festival of the sun god, Inti Raymi – a religious ceremony of the Incan empire that showcases several parades, dances, feasts, and colorful costumes. It takes place every year on June 24th to culminate the return of the sun after the close of the winter solstice.
After resting and unpacking, we went to an excellent spot for lunch. We had Peruvian style rotisserie chicken, fries, vegetable platters, and we tried a local delicacy of beef heart called Anticucho. Antonio, a student on the trip, had tried this before and encouraged the rest to try it – surprisingly delicious!
After lunch, we went on a walking city tour with our guides. We walked around the old city and explored the main cathedral, Plaza de Armas, Avenue del Sol, and Qurikancha. After that, we came back to the hotel and had a low key evening. Pizza was for dinner! We made time to adjust to the altitude and get the group to sleep early since they came in on red-eye flights.
Some pictures attached of what we saw on our city tour.