Last day in Peru- part 1
June 12 in Peru ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C
Today was my last day in Peru. So I made the most of it and used every moment. Not sure how many steps and hills I walked today; but I think I deserve to have a “j lo" bottom. My glutes are sore. Pretty sure I covered most of Cusco today and it was a treat.
I have captioned each picture as there is a lot to explain.
The day started with breakfast and some unusual art. First a doll at the breakfast table, followed by a tumble of activity in a shadow box. And then the chess set; which made me sad. But let’s keep going.
Off to the main cathedral. Today is the day of the saints in Peru so we were treated to a giant parade which started at 9 a.m. and is still going at 9 p.m. The costumes and coordination are beyond the pictures can show. It was amazing. Daytime and nighttime fireworks and dedicated celebrants and vendors selling rosaries, candles and incense. What a day to be here.
Now off to see the pre-Inca area of stone walls. Many of which have been built upon with colonial architectures. They are amazing. Each has stone footings up to 2 meters underground, small rocks at the base to absorb any seismic movement and multi-sided heavy rocks above. The puzzle-like system was designed to withstand both lateral and vertical earthquake movements; clearly it did. The locals call these walls the “pre-Inca" walls and those replicated by the Spanish the
“inc-ompetent” walls, which have failed during earthquakes. The more sides the rocks have, the more they can withstand.
Then to see the art in more pre-Inca walls. Pretty cool! The work is extraordinary.
Next to the first Inca temple to the Sun God. Which was later mostly destroyed to build another cathedral. You can still see the darker Inca stones at the base to mid sections. These were originally covered completely in sheets of gold. And to my luck, the annual ceremony to the Sun God was also today. Which was attended by dignitaries, the media, group of nuns, devote worshipers, and lucky people to come upon it. Again, in Peru, the Catholic faith is combined with spirituality based on the earth (Pachamama) and Sun and everything in between.
The day became hot, so the fresh orange juice was quite tempting. And the peels were impressive.
Now, to the museum under the ground of the Sun God ceremony. Stay tuned for more…Read more