Routes of the Inca
A wonderful median-running bike path brought me from the suburbs of Cusco, Peru, to it's historic center. At which point cobblestones and stairs leave all modes of transportation in a bit of a jumble. It's a lovely place to spend a week walking.
How to build a bike path in front of a mall.
Whether the buildings are walled by Inca stone or seem like more of a Spanish imposition, the narrow street width remains. I remarked that Cusco was the "most European" city I've visited on my tour, but this just means I use "European" as a shorthand for narrow streets. I should just say that. After all, from Valparaíso to Bogotá, I've been collecting examples of wonderful South American narrow streets.
This area is also home to the most famous attraction of my entire Andes journey: Machu Picchu. This other Inca walking city can be reached via various routes. My mom and I made an approach from the Sacred Valley, from Cusco to Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, by minivan, train, bus, and foot. Vacationers from all over the world have come here, and their trip is required by geography to include an experience of useful public transit and walkable town planning. Will they take it home with them?
