Thursday, May 21, 2015

 
Cusco, Peru – On Top of the World (or so it felt!)
Cusco, Peru, is considered the Center of the World, from an archeological perspective, chiefly because it was the heart of the Inca civilization, and there are several different ruins around the area, including our destination, Machu Picchu.  I’ve chosen to process my images from this ancient and interesting city as photo sketches just to focus on the character of the city.
Downtown Cusco Sketch
Here’s a sketch of the city streets just outside the hotel we stayed at.  If the street looks narrow, it’s because they are VERY narrow!  As I said above, this is a very old city, and was actually in the heart of the Inca Empire.  Interestingly, there really isn’t any Inca type ruins in the city itself.  When the Incas were conquered by the Spanish, the Spanish tore down the Inca buildings and built their own buildings on top of those ruins.  This was common practice, so it wasn’t as if the Spanish did something unusual for the day.
Inner Courtyard Sketch
This sketch is of one of the courtyards in our hotel.  Our hotel was a very, very old building, and there were a number of courtyards in the hotel, so guests could enjoy the outside without sitting in the midst of the city.
Church at Plaza de Armas – Color Pencil Sketch
When we returned to Cusco after our visit to Machu Picchu, Jeff & I took a walk to the town center, the Plaza de Armas.  Cusco is very high up in the Andes – elevation of 11,200 feet! – so Jeff & I took it easy as we walked to the plaza.  This church was one of 2 that dominated the square.
Arches at the Plaza de Armas – Impasto Sketch
As Jeff & I sat in the plaza, we enjoyed all the different architecture that was around us.  One of the details that I really liked were the archways that served to identify the entry into various businesses.
Relaxing on the Plaza – Stylized Sketch
There were lots of folks, just like us, relaxing on the Plaza!  We enjoyed watching the people at least as much as checking out the architecture!
Enjoy!


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