Week 8: Incas, Incas, Incas! (posted by Wade)

 The week began in Ollantaytambo and ended in Cusco, and it was full of Incan history. Everyday we find something new about the Incan Empire, whether on a hike around Incan ruins or inside of a museum. 

While exploring Ollantaytambo -- which we are told is the best preserved Incan town in Peru -- we have become well-versed in the variety of Incan stonework, whether it is the mortar-based walls from the earlier Wari civilization, the oval or "bubbly" shaped granite monoliths, or the sharped cornered basalt stones that were reserved for holy sites. We also found what most historians believe to be the site of the Battle of Ollantaytambo (1537), in which Manco Inca's 20,000 troops defeated an attack of Spaniards led by Francisco Pizarro's younger brother, Hernando.

From Ollantaytambo, we trekked over 12 miles to the Cachicata quarry and the Inti Punku, with stunning views overlooking the Sacred Valley. The girls held up well under tough conditions with elevation of over 3,500 meters high.

The Morris girls also learned about llamas, alpacas, and Incan textiles at Andean Colors.

We wandered the vast ruins of Pisaq, about one hour and fifteen minutes away from Ollantaytambo.

And, of course, we marveled at Saqsaywaman's monoliths. We splurged for a guide to help us navigate this sacred Incan site. Francisco, our guide, was great for the most part, but he turned out to be a bit of conspiracy theorist, subscribing to Graham Hancock's theory that Saqsaywaman was constructed -- not by the Incas -- but by a lost Ice Age civilization from 12,000 years ago. He pointed out a rock wall that appeared to be shaped like an elephant, which is not indigenous to the western hemisphere. To Francisco, this is just one more piece of evidence that the people who built Saqsaywaman must have come from India or China.

For our first full day in Cusco, we took advantage of several museums. There is always more to learn about the Incas!