Nov. 7 Sacsayhuaman

This is thought to be another temple to lightening but the Spanish thought it was a fort. Manco Inca first directed his rebellion from this sight. It took a while but with guns and horses the Spanish were able to overwhelm the Incas and the fled from here to Ullantaytambo.

The stone walls with their huge stones are zigzagged in lightening pattern
There is some thought that the walls are pre-Inca.

The top of the temple overlooks Cusco.

There were women posing with their llamas and allpacas

Nov. 7 Cusco Temple of the Sun

We spent the day seeing sites in and near Cusco. We started with the Temple of the Sun. This was the most important Inca building in the empire. The stonework is outstanding and it was totally covered in gold and silver plating. There were gold representations of the gods and animals. There was an entire garden with all gold and silver figures: llama, alpaca, trees, flowers etc. There were precious gems imbedded in the walls.

The Spanish took all the gold and gems and tried to tear down the temple but the stonework made it too difficult. So they built on top and frescoed the stone walls with religious paintings.''
1. Replica of what gold plating looked like with relief figures stamped
2. The cathedral complex
3. Our lady of the Rosary - their version of the Virgin Mary
4. One of the temples - there were temples dedicated to each diety. Each temple different according to the diety: earth, water, moon, stars, lightening, sun
5. Check out the symetry of the windows through many rooms
6. Saint Dominicus Cathedral
7. Entry to temple of the sun - double jam door and exquisite stonework

Hike to the Sungate

The sungate sits at the top of the ridge. It is so named because at the summer solstice the sun shines through the gate and into the Sun temple. It is the main entrance to Machu Pichu (before the park road was made) and is where the Hikers on the Inca trail enter the city. We hiked up to the sungate which is 1.5 mi. and 1,000 feet up. The trail is paved with rocks (not flat) and many steps. These are very steep steps which are not good for short legs - but most of the Incas were (and still are) short people.
We started the hike in complete socked in clouds. It was thrilling when it cleared and we could see the majic place of
1. Barrie on the trail to the sun gate
2. Stop on the trail at a resting place and guard place
3. The guard house, the top of Machupichu and beginning of the Sungate trail
4. Climbers almost to the top of apichu
5. Barrie at the entrance to Inca Bridge trail
6. Rock and alter on the trail
7. At the top we have a bit of lifting and can see Machupichu and the switchback roads the busses take
8. Barrie overlooking Machupichu from the Sungate
9. Everyone reaches the sungate
10. Cloud break
11. The first 7 reach the Sungate
12. View along the trail
13. The next 4 on the trail, almost to the top. 2 people turned around halfway
14. MJ going down the trail
15. View of Machupichu
16. & 17. in the clouds
18. MJ resting at the top of the Sungate
19. MJ at beginning of the trail
20. Machupichu
21. The wishing cairns we made on a ceremonial rock. We wished for Obama and for our children's good health and fortune!

Guided walk of Machupichu

Our guide Alvaro is 3/4 Inca and 1/4 Spanish. He states that his mother is "pure" Inca. We are lucky to see these sites with him as he is very knowledgeable in the ways of the Inca or Quechua people. He himself practices some of the spiritual rituals and explains the old and new beliefs as we explore the Inca sites.

Machupichu is a magical place. I sits at altitude 8,000ft and is the "eyebrow" of the jungle. It is a cloudforest, very moist and some of the tropical vegetation starts here. There are over 1,000 varieties of orchids (unfortunately they begin blooming in Dec.) It sits in the middle of 4 mountains. Machupichu to the North, Waynapichu in the South, another in the West and East. It is on a plateau exactly in the middle. It is thought now that it was a ceremonial city a mecca. There are many astronomy features that are only now being discovered. About 30% of the city is still covered. If they did not maintain the place now, in about 8 months it would be completely covered again by vegetation.

Alvaro took us threw the site and explained all the places, ceremonial sites, temple and living spaces. We then had dinner at a local restaurant. We had trout which was perfect. The next morning we got up and hiked to the Sun gate. I will separate it in another post.
1. Rooms overlooking canyon
2. Alvaro makes offering of coca leaves at the head of the condor (shaped rock)
3. Looking at buildings above us
4. Placing coca leaves at an alter
5. Main Plaza with Waynapichu in the backround. Also you can see peaks for thatched roofs of residences. about 800 people lived here
6. Doorway important due to very high level rock technique
7. Walking along lower terraces
8. Dishes that are thought to be mirror bowls. They reflected the sky/constellations. This room did not have a roof it was an observatory
9. The condor rock from other side
10. Terraces. Llamas live in the park and keep the grass mowed
11. Atop the terraces
12. Double doorjam - symbol of a very significant place probably a temple and only chosen people passed through
13. Climbing to the high site that overlooks the plaza. Could have been for sacrifices, giving speeches (acoustics are amazing. We have a prior opera singer in our group who broke into an aria)
13. Other end of plaza