- 6. For those seeking adventures a bit more extreme. Don’t worry. Very close to Cusco you can live it up by going rock-climbing or off-road quad racing through some truly spectacular scenery. Perhaps you feel like soaring around like a condor while paragliding or take on some of the meanest rapids in the world of white water rafting. Whatever your challenge of choice, it will sure get your adrenalin pumping!
- 7. The food of Peru is worldwide known for its diversity and richness in flavor. Indulge yourself with some true Peruvian dishes (comida criolla) such as Aji de Gallina (spicy chicken stew), Anticuchos (marinated beef heart), Lomo Saltado (stir-fried beef) and local Andean delicacies such as roasted Cuy (guinea pig). Other favorites are Escabeche de pescado (boiled fish seasoned with onions, aji and lemon juice), Rocoto Relleno (beef and veggie filled pepper) and for a good digestion a ‘Chicha de Jora’. Highly recommended!
- 8. Join a salsa class and get acquainted with this sensual and very entertaining dance. Every Friday afternoon after lessons, AMAUTA Spanish School offers its students to participate in this free activity. And just in case you need some encouragement to get your hips moving, first taste a Pisco Sour; the traditional cocktail that has become the Cultural Patrimony of the nation of Peru.
- 9. Notorious for its exploding nightlife, Cusco’s countless drinking spots offer enough happy hours to be able to set out on all-night pub crawls. Favorite starting points of the Amauta students are the relaxed Indigo lounge with its swinging chairs and hookah bar or the ever popular Paddy’s Irish Pub, the highest on the planet at 11156 feet. Dance the night away at one of the many packed establishments downtown, which turns into a real clubbers paradise after midnight with Dj’s spinning tunes ranging from mainstream to techno to Latin.
- 10. Be a witness of one of the eclectic parades on Plaza de Armas. Every Sunday a flag-raising ceremony is performed (Peru’s national flag and Cusco’s rainbow colored flag) by different marching bands and Inca representatives. Other days you stumble upon full-on dance shows to traditional Andean pan flute (zampoña) melodies, and during Semana Santa (Easter) and Corpus Christi (in May or June) religious processions are the norm. Enjoy the demonstrations pass by looking on from one of the many park benches or sitting on the stairs under the arcos surrounding the plaza.
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