If you look carefully you can see that the walls form the jagged outline of the teeth of the Puma.
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| Peru 2 - Inkan Ruins - Pisac & Sacshuaman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Casapagina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| After hooking up again in Arequipa Darryl and I went to Cuzco, the former capital of the Inkan empire. Founded by the original Inka, Manco Kapac around he was searching for the Navel of the Eath and knew he had found it when his sword sunk into the soft ground of the sacred valley. There he founded Cuzco and began to populate the Sacred Valley. 9 generations later, the greatest Inka, Pachehutec began the expansion of the Inkan empire with the destruction of the Chalka tribe, who had attempted an invasion of the valley and were subsequently decimated by Pachuhetec�s forces. Beginning in 1233 ad the Ninth Inka then undertook the reconstruction of Cusco and other Sacred Valley cities. Due to their belief in the connectivity of all things to PachaMama (Mother Earth) he built his cities, and even sentry fortresses, in the shapes of the sacred animals; Cuzco - The Puma, Pisac - The Condor, Ollayatatambo - The Lama. All are visible with a little imagination (and perhaps some coca tea or something a little stronger. We toured a couple of the lesser, but still extremely impressive ruins of Pisac and Sacshuaman before starting the Inka Trail to Macchu Pichhu. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The self take at the start of Pisac, apparently we were unprepared for the rain, Darryl bought this fine poncho for a dollar from the guide and I borrowed this fine matching hood from someone on the tour. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Pisac is sometimes referred to as Piquena Macchu Picchu. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The sun came out and we found we were really high on the top of Pisac... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ...It made for a very long and interesting climb down through the terraces to the town below. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| It was then on to Sacshuaman (Pronounces Sexy Woman), These ruins formed the central defences for Cuzco and were built on the hill overlooking Cuzco forming the Puma�s teeth (or neck hair depending on who you ask). The Inkan style of rock placement is more than impressive, they did not use any mortar or clay, only fitted stones. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Equally impressive is this Llama�s Flair...You know who else had Flair? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| There is a slide int he middle of the ruins, so we slid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The bastard Spanish conquistadors demolished much of Sacshuaman�s walls to build their Cathedrals in Cusco (around 1533AD), only 20% of the walls reman. If you look carefully you can see that the walls form the jagged outline of the teeth of the Puma. |
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| Continue to Macchu Picchu... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back to the Casapagina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||