CUZCO

CUZCO

Cuzco, in southern Peru, is a historic city. It was the capital of the powerful Inca Empire, from the 1100s to 1500s.The town is located high up in the Andes Mountains, at an altitude of 11,500feet (3,500 meters). Many visitors feel dizzy and suffer severe headaches,nausea, and shortness of breath because of the high altitude. The symptoms usually go away after a few days.

The town is an interesting mix of Inca architecture and Spanish architecture of the colonial period-from the 1500s to 1700s. When you walk along Cuzco's narrow streets, you can see large,thick stone walls that date from the time of the Incas. Some houses and monuments  are built on top of Inca foundations. From Cuzco, many tourist visit the ancient Inca ruins at Mach Picchu. Some adventurous tourists walk up the difficult trails through the mountains to the ruins. This can take a quick train ride to the town of Aguas Calientes and then a bus up to Mach Picchu.