A day of Ruins

We got an early start this morning trying to get outside of the city before the protests started again. 

Our first stop was Saqsaywaman.  This was the Temple of Thunder.  From the top of the ruins, we could see all of Cusco City (the belly-button of the Incan empire).  This was site of one of the major battles between the Incas and the Spaniards, killing hundreds.  According to Incan legend, the Condors came down and ate the corpses. 

Second stop, Tambomach'ay, the Temple of Water.  This was a burial place for the Incas.  It also had some caves in the side of a hill used to leave offerings to the Gods.  It is also known as the fountain of youth, with fountains that are fed by a natural spring and the water comes out at the exact pressure all the time.  They was a signal tower there to communicate with other Incas.

Next stop was Puka Pukara - the red fortress.  This was a lodge along the Incan trail where they would store dried potatoes and meats, which would last at least 10 years.  When the Spanish arrived, they liked the fact that the Incan people knew how to preserve and store food and turned them into slaves.  This fortress also was in constant communication with the Temple of Water.

Our last stop on the Ruins Tour was Q'enqo - the Temple of Mother Earth.  This temple has several caves and a large monolith and was used for sacrifices. 

Cusco has a statue that was given to them by the Muslims in the 1940s, and is called Cristo Blanco.  We made a brief stop there to check it out. 

After lunch, we walked around the city some more and went to the Garecilaso House.  Senor Garecilaso was one of the first Inca historians.  He wrote many different books about the Incas in tribute to his mother and the stories he was told growing up.  His most important work was "Real Commentary" (in English).  This museum was dedicated to him, as well as the Incas themselves. 

Our last stop of the day was the statue of Pachaceteq.  He was one of the most important Inca and there are 2 statues of him in this area.  We were able to walk to the top of the tower and had a great view of the city. 

We have now boarded our train and looking forward to finally getting to Machu Picchu tomorrow.