Information about the city Cusco
Cusco is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cusco Province. In 2013, the city had a population of 435,114. Located on the eastern end of the Knot of Cuzco, its elevation is around 3,400 m (11,200 ft). The site was the historic capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th until the 16th-century Spanish conquest. In 1983 Cusco was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It has become a major tourist destination, hosting nearly 2 million visitors a year. The Constitution of Peru designates it as the Historical Capital of Peru.
Cusco extends throughout the Huatanay (or Watanay) river valley. Located on the eastern end of the Knot of Cusco, its elevation is around 3,400 m (11,200 ft). To its north is the Vilcabamba mountain range with 4,000–6,000-metre-high (13,000–20,000-foot) mountains. The highest peak is Salcantay (6,271 metres or 20,574 feet) about 60 kilometres (37 miles) northwest of Cusco.[23]
Cusco has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb). It is generally dry and temperate, with two defined seasons. The dry season lasts from May to August, with abundant sunshine and occasional nighttime freezes; July is the coolest month with an average of 9.7 °C (49.5 °F). The wet season lasts from December to March, with night frost less common; November averages 13.3 °C (55.9 °F). Although frost and hail are common, the only snowfall ever recorded was in June 1911. Temperatures usually range from 0.2 to 20.9 °C (32.4 to 69.6 °F), but the all-time temperature range is between −8.9 and 30 °C (16.0 and 86.0 °F). Sunshine hours peak in July; the equivalent of January in the northern hemisphere. In contrast, February, the equivalent of August in the northern hemisphere, has the least amount of sunshine.
Tourism has been the backbone of the economy starting in the early 2000s, bringing in more than 1.2 million tourists per year. In 2002, the income Cusco received from tourism was $837 million USD. In 2009, that number increased to $2.47 billion USD.
Information about the city Lambayeque
Lambayeque is a city in the Lambayeque region of northern Peru. It is notable for its exceptional museums featuring artifacts from local prehistoric archaeological sites.
The vast plains of Túcume are part of the Lambayeque Valley, the largest valley of the north coast of Peru. The Lambayeque Valley is the site of scores of natural and man-made waterways and is also a region of about 250 decaying mud-brick pyramids.
The Brüning Museum, established in the early 20th century, contains hundreds of gold and silver pieces, as well as textiles and ceramics, from the Vicus, Moche, Chimú, Lambeyeque and Inca cultures. The Tumba Real (Royal Tombs of Sipán Museum), established in 2002, contains artefacts from the Moche tombs of the Lord of Sipan, of which fourteen have been excavated.
Recently, researchers found an ancient clay temple in an archaeological dig. Colored murals can be clearly discerned on the temple walls. Dating c. 2000 BCE, the Ventarron temple is one of the oldest found in the Americas, as reported by the Peruvian archeologist Walter Alva.
Lambayeque is also the home of King Kong milk candy, a popular dessert with filling made of fresh milk, pineapple sweets and sometimes peanut. The region is also known for alfajores.
