CHRISTMAS IN CUSCO (Part Two)
After lunch we head toward some ruins. Cusco is situated on the southeast corner of Peru's Sacred Valley, home to many ancient Inca sites. In all we visit four--this is my kind of Christmas. First up is Puca Pucara, situated on a small rocky hill just 8km from Cusco, which it looks down upon. Just up from here is a short hike to Tambo Machay, a temple dedicated to the worship of water. The site includes two clear water springs that flow through a conduit of carved stones all year round.Following is Qenko, which includes an amphitheater and hall of sacrifices. Zigzagging channels, which Qenko is named for, are carved into the rocks here and were most probably used for draining llama blood in ceremonial rituals. This site leads into Saqsaywaman, known as the "House of the Sun" in the Inca era. Today only about 20% of the original structure remains as the Spaniards used the site as a quarry after their conquest.
The day ends with a few more assorted shots around Cusco, which I get in among numerous offers to clean my shoes and sell me original watercolors.
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