Cusco, Peru

Kara says:
Cusco. 11,000 ft altitude is just too high. But despite the breathlessness i did manage to climb the flight of stairs to the highest irish bar on the planet - it was an essential part of my training for the Inca Trail.
Cusco was the old Inca capital but was taken over by the Spanish when Pizarro got hold of it in the 1530s. It's a beautiful setting (apart from the height) surrounded by hills, the houses on the outskirts creeping up the hills, narrow, cobbled streets and yet another lovely plaza with a smattering of churches.
On the downside tourism has completely taken over the centre of town, all the buildings around the plaza are tourist restaurants and you can't move without people trying to sell you souvenirs - i counted one day in the plaza, on average we were approached once every 30 seconds - this is why you can buy in the irish bar a t-shirt that says "No gracias". I think there may actually be more north americans here than in the US. Thankfully, up the hill from the main plaza it was quieter and cosier (see night photo of our local plaza with the lights of the suburbs creeping up the hill behind it) and smells of skiing - that wonderful combination of wood-buring fires (and pizza!) and cold air, mmmm.
Pictures of a church. Some pretty churches here. The alters are made of inticately carved wood and then covered with gold leaf or silver plate. And the statues are all dressed in real clothes - very fancy velvet and satin with lots of heavy embroidery (no doubt what keeps the nuns occupied and out of trouble).
Picture of a school boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders - I don't know if it's a military school or just the uniform but they look like little soldiers/navy officers and they carry briefcases to complete the look. Very cute.
Karl was in Cusco too but his photos didn't make the cut. More interesting than Karl in Cusco is the great new design of beermat that has room for your bottle as well as the glass.