Architecture and Culture in Cuzco

            Built on the foundations laid by the Incas, Cuzco has a very unique architecture.  As opposed to the concrete and metal structures so common in most US cities, Cuzco is still composed of stones quarried centuries ago.  As part of its ancient construction, it is also built to a much smaller scale than most cities I have visited.  The streets and sidewalks are narrower, buildings are shorter, and shops are smaller.  In contrast, plazas with grand fountains seem to be much more prominent.

            This construction style makes sense, given the Incan origins.  Streets needed only be wide enough to walk, with a divot down the middle to drain sewage and rainwater.  The majority of the buildings were residential, for important officials to spend a few months of the year.  Thus, the city itself is large, interestingly built in the shape of a puma, yet individual shops are small.  Spanish influences are also evident in the construction of buildings such as cathedrals, made of rocks taken from former Incan buildings. 

            Given the blend of foundations, it is interesting to see how locals have adapted the city to modern life.  One notable example of this dilemma is street traffic.  Often stretches of roads are only wide enough to accommodate one vehicle at a time, causing people to back down streets or wait for oncoming traffic to pass.  Not only is this true for cars, but also for pedestrians on sidewalks, many of which are less than two feet wide.  In order to pass, someone nearly always has to step off and in to the road.  This has led to an interesting tendency to honk horns far more frequently than in the US, and great comfort with squeezing both cars and people in close proximity.  This contrasts with a strong preference for personal space that people in the US tend to hold.

            This same proximity can be seen in shops and restaurants as well.  Nearly all of the shops and restaurants here are of a much smaller size than those in the US.  Often there will only be five or six tables in a restaurant, and a group of our size may take over all of them.  The tendency towards smaller settings brings a much more personal feel to many of the places we go.  In shops, this makes it easier to start up conversations with the owners about their work, as well as completely unrelated topics.  In some restaurants, such as Granja Heidi y La Cantina, it makes it far easier to see the pride that owners take in their food.  Overall, locals appear to have embraced the smaller scale of architecture and become very comfortable with close, personal settings.  This has made it far easier to genuinely interact with people and get a sense of the local culture here in Cuzco.