Cuzco and Saqsayhuaman

Approaching Cuzco

We flew into Cuzco and managed to see small parts of the Andes through the clouds.  Rene our guide for Cuzco and the Sacred Valley met us at the airport.  Cuzco has certainly grown since Peter and I were here back in 1984.

Rene is very passionate and knowledgeable about the history, culture and way of life of the Andean people.  It is good to have him give us another perspective to all the things we are seeing.  Given that most of the books we read were written from a western perspective, we only have one view.

Cuzco's altitude is approximately 3400m so it is quite cool, with the wet weather it can get rather cold.

One way from the airport we drove past the fountain which is the boundary for 'old Cuzco' and the rest of Cuzco.  Everywhere you look, you can see the remains of Inca buildings.  Unfortunately most of them became foundations for the colonial buildings during Spanish occupation.  It is a charming city with the centre being the Plaza de Armas.

Catheral at Plaza de Armas

There are several churches just within a stone's throw of each other in the city.  The local Indians whilst heavily influenced by Christianity will also continue to worship their traditional deities and festivals. This combination makes it so much more interesting.

Many local Indians still wear their traditional costumes and many can be seen around Cuzco.  There are a lot of vendors in the city as there are many tourists.  Here is a photo of an Indian lady with her baby llama.  Their traditional outfits are so colourful.

 Many of the buildings here have nice wooden doors and beautifully carved balconies.

The narrow lane ways and cobbled stone streets add to the charm of the place.

Day 2 at Cuzco, we headed to Saqsayhuaman.  Our first stop was at Tambomachay. It is believed that the Incas have used this complex for religious ceremonies either directly dedicated to the water's worshipping or for other rituals that included the use of flowing water. The Tambomachay site is composed of a liturgical fountain and 3 terraces. The structure has 3 levels and, as it was common among Inca buildings, this one too had been built with perfectly fitting-together unequal-shaped bricks without the usage of mortar. Even after many centuries, the stones look well-polished and strongly stick to one another. At Tambomachay there are 2 fountains that constantly function, at any time of the year. The crystal-clear water is sometimes drunk by tourists who come here, but locals also use it for drinking and washing as well. Rene said that the water is high in magnesium and has healing qualities. Rene explained that this is also known as the Temple of Water.  This area is used for 'cleansing'. According to Rene, the Incas do not really have the Western structure of royalty and commoners.  They have community leaders.  Kind of analogous to aboriginal elders.  These were the people who had lots of knowledge and were considered wise.  They were highly respected and commanded a lot of authority.  They provided leadership and guidance to members of the community.

Tambomachay

The next place we visited was Qenko.  Qenko is a large limestone outcrop.  This great stone, carved with a complex pattern of steps, seats, geometric reliefs and puma designs, illustrates the way the Incas had used the natural patterns of the rocks to depict their cosmological beliefs. The name is derived from the Quechua word quenqo, meaning "labyrinth" or "zigzag", and refers to the patterns laboriously carved into the upper, edge of the stone. Here we walked through a short dark tunnel.  Rene said that walking through in the dark is about overcoming fear.  He took us to another cave where we saw a slab of stone which he said could have been used for medical purposes. We touched the slab and it was certainly cool.  Rene explained how the Incas had  used another rock covered with silver and with the light of the moon, it lit up the cave.

Qenko

Finally we arrived at Saqsayhuaman.  Sacsayhuamán is usually described as a fortress because it is practically enclosed by three slopes. However, the fact that the Incas constructed a fortress in that place is unusual, since at the moment of its construction they did not face major threats. Its shape and location would have responded to other principles, such as the harmony between architecture and landscape. According the zigzag  pattern depict lightning and the 3 tiered of terraces is about lightning, thunder and rain.  The place is about 'enlightenment'.

Saqsayhuaman