The legend of the Golden Garden is one of the most famous in Peru. Various Spanish sources unanimously assert that the garden described in the legend actually existed and rightfully earned the title of a golden wonder of the world. The garden once adorned the capital of the Inca Empire - the city of Cusco. The Incas called themselves the sons of the Sun, of which gold was considered the symbol. Everything that the inhabitants of the Empire of the Sun observed around them was reproduced in this garden of gold: patches of Peruvian fields, corn, the unripe ears of which were woven from silver wire, herds of llamas with their young, two dozen Indian shepherds, as well as stately girls picking golden fruits from golden apple trees. Golden birds sat on the branches of the golden trees. Golden snakes with eyes made of dark precious stones crawled on the ground. Golden butterflies and dragonflies fluttered over the flowers, and golden beetles scurried everywhere... Each object stood in the place that made it most similar to the depicted nature.
The Incas in my mind, shaped by a youthful fascination with adventure books, were a wise and freedom-loving people. Perhaps that is why I awaited my meeting with Cusco with special trepidation.
An hour and a half flight from Lima. A few circles over the toy-like neighborhoods, with red streams flowing down the green ridges, and a soft landing. Here it is, the sacred land of the Incas. A land of mysteries and secrets, legends and treasures.
In Cusco, we were welcomed by the cozy hotel "Sueños."
It was approaching noon, and our guide Irina—a pleasant woman, as we had noticed—gave us twenty minutes to recharge.
And here we are walking through the streets of sacred Cusco. We descended a stone staircase to the intersection of narrow streets. We walked down one of them towards the square. Massive stone foundations and walls tightly compress the cobbled street, above which brightly painted balconies hang.
- Here it is, the famous stone masonry of the Incas, - pointing to the foundations, Irina begins her story. - The street Haitun Rumiyoc is one of the most popular attractions and the most famous in Cusco. Haitun Rumiyoc demonstrates all the mastery of the Incas' building skills, who mysteriously placed stones on top of each other and secured them with astonishing precision. Real natural boulders, polished and fitted together, are laid out with jewel-like precision. One of the stone walls of the street, which is currently supporting the archbishop's palace, is known worldwide. The twelve-angled stone, impressed in the middle of the wall with a geometric pattern, astonishes with its size and perfect shapes. This wall was part of the ancient palace of Inca Roca, one of the rulers of the Inca Empire. The street leads to the picturesque neighborhood of San Blas, which represents one of the most picturesque parts of Cusco. The neighborhood is characterized by long narrow streets that zigzag past old mansions built using the famous Inca stone masonry. The church of the neighborhood, built in 1563, impresses with its engraved wooden platform and is the oldest parish church in Cusco. San Blas, from where one of the best views of Cusco opens up, has become a refuge and workshop for many artists and master builders.
