The working morning was over, and it was time to continue discovering the archeological shrine that Cuzco is. So we headed to Qoricancha (Qori = Gold, or what is most valuable; Cancha = place) the Inca Temple of the Sun, where some of the finest remaining examples of the Inca stonemasons' art are kept. This was just an appetizer for what we were to see during the rest of the day.
After waiting 15 minutes under the burning Andean sun for the bus to arrive, we were off to visit the ruins of Sacsaywaman, It is an impressive Inca sanctuary built with immense monolithic walls built from stones that weigh up to 130 tons each, all of them joined so perfectly that not even a razor blade can be slid in between. Ceremonies to celebrate the Inti Raimi (Inti = The sun; Raimi = celebration), the summer solstice and divination about harvests for the next year were held in here.
The next stop was the “amphitheatre” of K’enko. When the spaniards arrived in the capital of the Tahuantisuyo, Cuzco, they began to categorize buildings according to what was known to them. K’enko, because of it’s semi-circular construction, was classified as an amphitheater. Some of the remaining capabilities can demonstrate this was an accurate observatory to “read time and sky” (K’enko’s water mirrors, still working, can show specific constellations reflected in them, during clear nights). It is presumed to have been one of the most important sanctuaries in the empire. K’enko means labirynth, and within it it holds an underground chamber, the chamber of sacrifices (for it is said that this underground chamber could have been used to embalm the official spies and to hold human and llama sacrifices). It is made entirely from one single gigantic rock, where the floor, ceiling, walls, tables, shelves and doors or are all carved.
Next stop was the fortress of Puka Pukara (Puka = red; Pukara = a watching place), the watching point for all products and persons entering or leaving Cuzco, as this beautiful construction made with gigantic red rock blocks, offered expansive views of the Andean valleys and tracks that surrounded the capital of the Empire.
And eventually, just a few hundreds of meters away, stood the impressive ruins of TamboMachay (Tambo = a place to take a break; machay = cave), which is another fine example of Inca architecture made up of platforms, niches and still functioning fountains. This was a sacred site used for worship of the water deity, and one of the shrines that marked the system of imaginary grid lines that irradiated out to sacred spots or indicated the time and place of the ceremonies.
At the end of the day, I ought to say that trecking through this wonders at a height of 3.700 meters was challenging (two couples abandoned the tour as it was too harsh for them) but well worth (in spite of my colleagues commenting that “we have seen only rocks today”).
At the end of the day, I ought to say that trecking through this wonders at a height of 3.700 meters was challenging (two couples abandoned the tour as it was too harsh for them) but well worth (in spite of my colleagues commenting that “we have seen only rocks today”).
~ December 1, 2006~
No comments:
Post a Comment