Here are some of my favorite Photos from my October 2014 trip to Machu Picchu and Cusco, Peru, in November 2014. I was flown in to speak to a conference of Latin American journalists and decided to spend two days at the end of the trip to Cusco — only a 70-minute flight from Lima.

As much as I enjoyed Lima, I loved Cusco, with its entertaining central plaza, Plaza de Armas, brimming with locals out for a stroll and framed by historic buildings and shops selling wares and souvenirs. Cusco sits at an altitude of 11,152 feet, considerably higher than Machu Picchu (7,972 feet).

One of the fascinating aspects of Cusco are the storied ruins of Koricancha, just 20 minutes from the Main Plaza. The sacred site of Koricancha or Temple of the Sun (also spelled Qurikancha, Qoricancha or Qorickancha) illustrates ancient Andean culture’s collision with Western Europe. As you walk the grounds by yourself or with a guide (the doors open at 2 pm), you see restored temple rooms and artifacts from Inca times juxtaposed against artwork from the missionaries and European culture. (Guess whose art was superior, but guess whose side won.)