During our first full day we visited four places with odd-sounding names — Tambomachay, Pukapukara, Q’enko, and Saqsayhuaman – which after the visits became identified with different Incan purposes, designs, construction styles, and histories. After a late lunch we then returned to our hotel for a concert by a duo of musicians using ancient and modern Andean instruments. By late afternoon we were off in the bus again, but this time to a small, rural communities outside Cusco – Lucre – where we will spend two nights with Peruvian Mennonite families.
A big breakfast before a big day of visiting 4 sets of Incan ruins.In the background, the city of Cusco.Tambomachay was a water temple.The guide explains how the Incans aligned many of their constructions with sunrises of the solstices.Another group picture, this time with less sun in our eyes.At Pukapukara, an Incan fort built alongside an Incan highway.Across the road is Q’enqo, believed to have been an astronomical observatory.The top of the rock formation was carved with animal shapes, steps and channels.At one point the guide suggested precisely-cut Incan rocks may have been made by extraterrestrials, an answer that amused the students, but will NOT be accepted on the exam.In this cool cave the Incans mummified the deceased on this stone slab.This small climb is notorious, on our first full day at 11,000 feet, for making everyone gasp for air.This was an Incan reservoir for the city of Cusco …… and the water flowed out through this cave.These smoothed rocks, believed to have been an ancient earthquake fault, make great slides today.Saqsayhuaman, the largest, most impressive ruins at Cusco.The 3 walls of massive stones were used by the Incas in a major battle with the conquistadors.The largest rocks, like the tall one at far left, weigh over 100 tons.The guide explains the difficulty of getting a massive rock to fit exactly. Once lifted into place, it’s obviously not easy to take back down to fine-tune the shape.The wall’s zig-zag formation made the wall more anti-seismic.Only the foundations remain of several buildings and a circular tower; the Spanish carried the stones to Cusco to build cathedrals.Willy’s wife Candy joined us for the week of touring Incan ruins.The walls were twice as high before smaller boulders on top were taken by the Spanish for buildings in Cusco.After a busy day of ruins we had a concert from two Andean musicians.
