PERU--Cusco

From Lima to Cusco is a short 55 minute flight
on a very small plane, with one flight a day.  You
have to be at the airport at 4:00am

 

Cusco elevation is 11,203'  It is suggested that you restrain
from physical activities for at least 6 to 8 hours.  That
you will experience a light head ache, lack of breath and
difficulty breathing but we're from Idaho so we went straight
to the ruins from the airport and we had the place to ourselves 

   

These Inca ruins are most extraordinary because of
the monumental stonework, constructed with castle like walls
For this experience we knew we needed a guide

  

After wandering around aimlessly for a while, we finally
found one.  He said he spoke English (ha, ha), but
he was funny!! and Dave was able to translated
his Spanglish for the rest of us.  He was a hoot. 
 The name of these ruins are Sacsayhuamán
pronounced pretty much like "sexy women"



He said this structure was most likely a religious temple,
although everyone believed the ruins had military significance.
The Inca emperor Pachacútec began the site's construction
in the mid-15th century,  it took nearly 100 years and  thousands
of men to complete it. These Massive stones were
brought from as far as 20 miles away.



The ruins, a  30-minute brisk walk from the center,
 cover a huge area, but are only about 1/4th of the original complex



The base stones are massive; some being 11'  tall,
and  weighing as much as  300 tons. Like all Inca constructions,
the stones fit together perfectly without aid of mortar.

The complex suffered such extensive destruction in one of the bloodiest battles between the Spaniards and native Cusqueños. More than 2 years after the Spaniards had initially marched on Cusco and took over the capital city, Juan Pizarro and his vastly outnumbered but superior armed forces stormed Sacsayhuamán in a horrific battle in 1536 that left thousands dead.



Today, what survive are the astounding outer walls,
constructed in a zigzag formation of three tiers.
(In the puma-shaped layout of the Inca capital,
Sacsayhuamán was said to form the animal's head,
and the zigzag of the defense walls forms the teeth.)




After the defeat of the Inca troops and the definitive Spanish
 occupation of Cusco, the Spaniards made off with the more
manageable sized stone blocks  to build houses
and other structures in the city below.

 



I didn't like downtown Cusco at all as the vendors "beggars"
were all over you.  But the natives I loved.  They were willing
to sell or make you anything, but were not pushy





They were even willing to teach you their skills
(if you had years to learn)




Never did I know there were so many kinds of llamas



they would eat anything you were willing to  feed them--
even your hat



The guide must have really liked us,
he stayed by our side most of the day



My  purchases were not bought in the city
but purchased from the natives



This one I wanted to buy and bring home with me.
Isn't he the cutest thing !!



I couldn't make head nor tails out of this one
so I'll leave him in Peru. 
The natives should to able to make plenty from his  wool