Today I was joined by a Welsh guy and an American girl for a little hike to a bunch of Inca ruins just outside of Cusco. Everyone recommended catching a bus to the top and then hiking back down to Cusco - we did it in reverse. Since the furthest ruin is only 11 km from Cusco, and about 400m higher, the walk wasn't too exhausting.
The first ruin, Sacsayhuaman, was the biggest of the four, so we got a guide to show us around. Apparently, it was a religious site, not a fortress as the Spanish had initially believed. But then again, all the Inca towns seem to have had strong fortress-like walls so they could be used like one in case of emergency. Sacsayhuaman was then used as a quarry for the construction is Cusco's cathedral, so today only those parts of the walls remain whose stones were too big to be moved by the Spanish. This is the second biggest stone:
It was part of this zig zag wall:
Behind the wall: the temple. In front of it: a huge plaza where all ceremonies were conducted. Our guide explained that the temple was used only as storage for religious idols and stuff, and that ceremonies always took place outdoors.
On the other side of the plaza was a huge slab of volcanic stone. Apparently the Inca believed it to be sacred and thus built a wall around to protect it.
Another piece of evidence that the Inca were incredibly skilled masons: this perfect doorway.
About ten minutes from Sacsayhuaman, we found the next ruin: Q'enqo. They had a nice little labyrinth and this huge monolith standing at the end:
The two remaining sites were about an hour's walk away. Tambomachay seems to have been the Inca equivalent of a spa, and apparently the rulers' favorite resting place.
Just across the road, Puka Pukara served as a fortress protecting both the spa and, perhaps more importantly, the road that led into the Inca capital Cusco.
Back in Cusco, we found a nice Indian restaurant to warm up again - the winds at the top had definitely been chilling ;-)
The first ruin, Sacsayhuaman, was the biggest of the four, so we got a guide to show us around. Apparently, it was a religious site, not a fortress as the Spanish had initially believed. But then again, all the Inca towns seem to have had strong fortress-like walls so they could be used like one in case of emergency. Sacsayhuaman was then used as a quarry for the construction is Cusco's cathedral, so today only those parts of the walls remain whose stones were too big to be moved by the Spanish. This is the second biggest stone:
It was part of this zig zag wall:
Behind the wall: the temple. In front of it: a huge plaza where all ceremonies were conducted. Our guide explained that the temple was used only as storage for religious idols and stuff, and that ceremonies always took place outdoors.
On the other side of the plaza was a huge slab of volcanic stone. Apparently the Inca believed it to be sacred and thus built a wall around to protect it.
Another piece of evidence that the Inca were incredibly skilled masons: this perfect doorway.
About ten minutes from Sacsayhuaman, we found the next ruin: Q'enqo. They had a nice little labyrinth and this huge monolith standing at the end:
The two remaining sites were about an hour's walk away. Tambomachay seems to have been the Inca equivalent of a spa, and apparently the rulers' favorite resting place.
Just across the road, Puka Pukara served as a fortress protecting both the spa and, perhaps more importantly, the road that led into the Inca capital Cusco.
Back in Cusco, we found a nice Indian restaurant to warm up again - the winds at the top had definitely been chilling ;-)
