Peru II - continuation of the 

Rainforest, Cuzco & the Sacred Valley, and Lake Titicaca pictures

with Andes Adventures (www.andesadventures.com)

June 22 to July 3, 2005

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outside view of our hotel in Yucay

the Sonesta Posada del Inca

inside views of the hotel--it consists of several separate buildings and beautiful gardens

It is located in an ancient monastery and maintains the colonial style of the XVIII century.

farmers working in the fields

mud bricks are in the background

Here two women are using a big loom and they throw the ball of yarn back and forth to each other. The woman on the left is the master weaver who controls the pattern.

We visited a weaving site in Chinchero for a demonstration. About 6 women were weaving, and several children of varying ages were learning various skills. They demonstrated making and dyeing yarn, weavers and their looms, some of their patterns, and, of course, offered their completed products for sale to us.

These women are each using individual looms--two small ones and one bigger one. Each weaver ties one end of her backstrap loom around her waist and loops the other end around a nail pounded in the ground for the small loom and a stick for the bigger loom.

Here a drop spindle is being expertly used by two women.

crushing cochineal bugs to dye the yarn

demonstration of the various colors that are possible with natural dyes

now look what happens when salt is added to the cochineal dyes

When the watia has reached the correct temperature it is glowing red inside and there are visible signs of the dirt having been burned. Once the watia reaches cooking temperature potatoes are added to the oven. Once the watia has reached cooking temperature and potatoes have been added through the door in the side, a hole is made in the top. Meat can also be placed in the oven if desired. After all of the food has been added to the watia it is packed down until it collapses. Dirt is then poured on top to seal in the heat. After about a half an hour, its time to dig out the oven and eat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_oven

the potatoes are being dug up & two are visible at the bottom of the 2nd picture

The potato is a perennial plant of the nightshade family grown for its starchy tuber and is a relative of tobacco and the tomato. Potatoes form the world's most important non-cereal crop, and are grown world-wide. Growers cultivate thousands of different varieties of potato.

they had also cooked a guinea pig and served it to us with the potatoes

a Chinchero home

Ollantaytambo

The town is divided into two parts by Patacancha--a tributary of the Urubamba river. The eastern side comprises the modern town (15 blocks of houses)--Qosqo Ayllu. The temples, terraces, and the fortress form the western part which is called Aracams Ayllu.

Ollantaytambo was a religious, political and military complex as well as a resting-place for the Inca rulers and their nobility, and the name means "the resting place for Ollanta"--a chieftain who helped Pacachutec conquer the kingdoms on the northern Peruvian coast. The buildings show four different styles of construction: the first with the use of clay mortar and small stones, the second with huge monumental monoliths, the third consisted of covering the walls with stucco, and the fourth used rectangular, well polished ashlar stones. This leads to the conclusion that they must correspond to different periods and development stages and that the construction of the complex was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of the Spanish conquerors.

you can see the city & the ruins are adjacent to each other

a street in Ollantaytambo with a gutter running down the center of it

(note the Incan stone work)

a private home that Fredy made arrangements for us to visit

the floor is dirt, the walls are stone, and the house is just one room and a loft

they raised guinea pigs for food and had some in the pens in the corner and others running loose in the house

this shrine area shows that there is still a basic belief in some aspects of the ancient Incan religion such as ancestor worship--ancestors were venerated as protective spirits, and the bodies and tombs of the dead were treated as sacred objects (note the skulls)

their stove & oven

This statue represents the three levels of existence in the world of the Inca. The first step, symbolized by the snake, represents the underworld or death. The second step represents the present, human life, and is symbolized by the jaguar. The highest step represents the celestial/spiritual plane of the gods, and is symbolized by the condor.

Fredy is demonstrating a foot plow.

the courtyard outside the home--there are several homes surrounding the courtyard

(note the cross on top of the house)

Incan walls in Ollantaytambo

the market

next we walked through some of the ruins - these men are doing some repairs & right now they are making mud bricks

there are 17 terraces and according to the conquest chroniclers they were decorated with multicolor flowers & objects made of gold and silver when the Spaniards arrived

On the steep flanks of Pinculluna, the sacred hill that rises above the Inca town, are the ruins of several granaries, which glow in the afternoon sun. These buildings were constructed by the Inca to store corn as food for winters and as offerings to Viracocha.

a closeup view of some of the granaries

another view of Pinculluna showing what is believed to be the profile of Viracocha, the Inca sun god, carved into the stone. When the sun strikes this profile of Viracocha during the winter solstice, the mineral content of the mountain reflects and refracts the rays. The Inca believed that this was a sign verifying the deity of Viracocha. The solstices were sacred days for the Inca since so much of their culture was based on planting seasons.

This is the wall that formed part of the Temple of the Sun, and it is surrounded by huge blocks of polished rocks that lie abandoned in the area. The Incas transported these huge boulders and others from the quarry across the river to their present site at the top of the hill. Note that these boulders were too large for even Inca stonemasons to fit together closely, and they used smaller stones as fillers, but the fit is still very incredible.

at the top of the 17 terraces this long wall with ten niches and a gateway must have been an inner part of a temple that led to the main temple & it is known as the "Ten Niches Temple"

notice how well the builders handle odd shaped stones - and even though they use no mortar their buildings withstand earthquakes

looking down at the valley from the ruins

looking at the city of Ollantaytambo (Qosqo Ayllu) and the sacred mountain Pinculluna from the ruins

Ollantaytambo today--the section adjacent to the ruins with the pink roofs is the market area

we met our porters for the Inca Trail for the first time in Ollantaytambo & our personal gear that they will carry is piled on the ground to be loaded on to their truck (of course they will also be carrying the tents, the food, and all the cooking & camp gear)

(there were 30 porters but only a few of them are in this picture)

my Inti Raymi festival,  Inca trail, and Machu Picchu  pictures are in a separate album & a link to view these pictures is given her and at the bottom of these pictures.

Peru III

If you enter the church through the main grate, to the left you will see the baptistery, and around its entrance is written: "I baptise him in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holly Spirit, Amen." The most interesting fact is that the writing is in five languages: Latin, Spanish, Quechua, Pukina (now a dead language) and Aymara.

The high altar is baroque, carved in cedar wood and decorated with gold flakes. The statue of the Virgin of the Rosary is in the middle of the altar, and its tabernacle is covered with silver plates. Going down, it also has an area of mirrors to reflect the light of the candles as well as the light entering through the grate in order to improve the inner illumination.

with the picture enlarged you can see the detail of the high altar better

The Archaeological Complex of Raqchi

We actually stopped only to see the Temple of Wiracocha, but I found it interesting and thought you might also when I discovered that there was an entire complex there. The most noteworthy structures are:

The Temple of Wiracocha

The Residential Sector

The Qolqas (granaries & storehouses)

The Artificial Lake or Reservoir

The Inca Baths

The Great Rampart Wall

The Terraces

The Usno

A map of the complex is shown below, and it included a post office or message center as Raqchi was an important station on the Inca Road. A map of this road is also shown below.

The incas build a network of roads linking up the entire Tawantinsuyo. These radiated from Cuzco which was the center and starting point of every road to all 4 Suyos of the empire--reaching south to Tucuman in present day Argentina and north as far as Pasto in present day Colombia. The Inca road that passed through Raqchi was 6 meters wide, paved with flagstones, braced with retaining walls, and incorporated a series of quite advanced and sophisticated landscaping features as well as a very efficient system of drainage. Down its length, Chasquis (the messenger runners) would run bearing messages, devotees of the Andean Gods would journey on their pilgrimages, and Inca armies would march bound for faraway conquests. But the greatest of all travelers upon this road in distance and in centuries has been, literally, the passage of history itself. 

Archaeological Complex

the Inca Road

Wiracocha, the great teacher and healer who transmitted his divine will and thought to humans, is said to have rose from Lake Titicaca and was carried by its foam to its shores. From there, he traveled to the Sacred City of Cusco, a name meaning "the earth's navel" in Quechua. Cusco was the energetic capitol of "Tayhuantinsuyo", the four regions as the Inca empire was called. The Wiracocha Temple in Ra'achi is said to have been constructed by the Canas. These people were a very violent tribe that is said to have risen up against Wiracocha as he walked north from the lake. He was so outraged that he raised his hand to the heavens bringing a huge firestorm (volcano eruption) upon the people. The Canas fell to their knees beseeching him for forgiveness and pledging their infinite devotion.

The central wall was built of dressed and coursed stonework and a layer or coating of red clay decorated with cruciform and stepped motifs representing the 3 "worlds" of the Andean cosmology can be partially perceived--the "underworld" represented by snakes symbolizing nature; the "middle world" of "here and now" represented by the puma symbolizing strength, caution and prudence; and finally "the world above" represented by the condor symbolizing intelligence and wisdom. 

The walls are made of stone below & adobe above and once supported the largest known roof in the Inca Empire.

Large circular qolqas were used to store large quantities of agricultural produce. These state-run storehouses were all fully stocked at the time of the Spanish conquest.

Here you can see part of the rampart wall which once surrounded the entire complex. It was 7 kilometers long, 2 meters thick, and 4 meters high.

Street of the Sun

There were 3 open corridors running in an east-west orientation, and this center one was very important as from it you could observe the December 21 solstice - the sun rose exactly aligned with this central walkway and traveled along the length of it throughout the entire day finally setting at the exact opposite (western) end of it.

a native walking by carrying a child

we stopped at a market and in addition to merchandise for sale they also had animals on display - this is a young vicuna

one of the vendors

this girl was walking along the road & I took her picture from the bus

we stopped at the pass at La Raya at 14,240 feet for pictures

another picture taken at La Raya

Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, extends over a total surface area of 3,235 sq miles, is 112 miles long and 43 miles across at its widest point. Around the lake can be found pre-AD 1,000 remains from the Pucara and Tiahuanaco cultures. The lake forms a natural border between Peru and Bolivia and in this part of Peru the native people are predominantly Aymara and not Quechua speakers.

Puno

Sonesta Posada del Inca Hotel in Puno

Lake Titicaca is the home of the Uros people who have for centuries built their homes and boats out on the lake using Totora reeds. These floating reed islands are maintained by adding fresh reeds to the surface as the ones on the bottom decompose. The reeds are harvested and used for many things including houses, reed boats and sails in daily use on the lake. The waters of Lake Titicaca are cold. Local residents bundle up against the cold and wear the traditional wool hats for warmth and protection from the sun.

Lake Titicaca is the remnant of an ancient inland sea and the blue waters make a beautiful contrast to the parched altiplano. Modern residents fish the lake using nets, much as their ancestors did, and the lake is still sacred to the Aymara people who live there.

Floating Islands of the Uros - Many of the inhabitants of the islands still practice the old traditions of fishing, trapping birds & living on the lake plants. The totora reeds which grow abundantly in the shallows of the Lake are used for their boats, houses & to build the very islands on which they live. The result is a springy surface which requires care when walking. This way of life began over 500 years ago when the Uros built the islands in an effort to isolate themselves from the Collas & the Incas.

Today, about 400 Uros families live on approximately 30 of these floating islands. The women sell pottery and lovely embroidered wall hangings.

First our guide talked to us and explained about the islands, the reeds, and the Uros. Here he holds one of the Totora reeds which the Uros use to build their homes, boats, baskets and even the island - they also peel the root and eat the tender part

 each family had their own individual display of items they wanted to sell

the inside of one of the homes

an oven

examples of some of their food

this small hut is used as a kitchen but when possible they cook outside

food & one of their stoves

The young people were leaving the community when they grew up so they have allowed solar panels to be added to bring technology to the community so they can keep more of the young people.

fish are laying on reeds to dry

a small single-person reed boat

the captain of our boat

a double hulled reed boat

after landing on the 2nd island we had a little time to walk around & shop or just take picture - this was a smaller island & I noticed that the prices were lower

view of Lake Titicaca

Taquile Island is a native community of approximately 350 families, that still live with the traditions of the 14th century. Three rules of the Inca Empire still apply: Ama suwa, Ama quella, Ama llulla (do not steal, do not be lazy and do not lie).

When we arrived we climbed up a long, steep cobblestone path that was just built last year. It is an alternate route up to the village to the 530 stone steps that we climbed down when we returned to the boat.

though it is very hilly they still farm & the raised section in the center is adobe bricks

the society is socialistic and the women have to be quiet and walk behind the men - also the color of the hat men wear indicates whether they are single or married

natives just standing or walking around the square

you could go inside and shop in a huge market or you could buy from the little vendors in the square

looking down at the harbor & out at the lake

after some free time in the plaza and eating a very nice lunch we started down the 530 steps by going through this gate

many steps later we could see the boats down below and we came to another gate with a young boy sitting on top who was knitting - see below for a closeup

a herd of sheep are being driven up the path by the little shepardress in the adjacent picture

as we got close to Puno the pilot had to have a very good idea where he was going as the reeds grew everywhere except for small paths like this one

The necropolis, which is one of the largest in the Americas, and one of the most impressive in the world, lies on a peninsula, bordered by the beautiful lake of Umayo about 15 miles from Puno. These quadrangular 12 meter high circular structures challenge the laws of equilibrium as they are narrower at the base than the top! The stone architecture is complex and different in many ways from Inca stonework.

overall view of the Towers of Sillustani from a distance

Torre of Lagartija (of the lizard)

Torre of Serpiente (of the snake)

this is the door that was used to place the mummies inside the tower

Incomplete chullpa - note the handles have not been smoothed off.

this is a chulllpa from a much earlier period

Lake Umayo

they are trying to repair this chulllpa

looking back up at the area as we were leaving

Cesar also took me into this private home to let me see how a local farmer in this area lived - note there is a cross above one of the buildings and two bulls above the gate

this is her cooking area

these are examples of the food they grow

this young man is grinding corn to make corn meal

here he is demonstrating the ancient step plow

after using the step plow he is using hand tools to break up the large clumps of dirt

this is home for some of the guinea pigs that they raise for food

here the boy is showing us some of his finished weaving pieces and a piece that he is currently working on

to view the pictures I took of the Inti Raymi Festival, the Inca Trail, & Machu Picchu

click here

Peru III 

or to return to the first half of these pictures of the Rainforest and Cuzco & the Sacred Valley click here

Peru I

for pictures of other vacations return to the Vacation Photos page