Monday, September 12, 2011

It's all a big museum


As some of you may know, I had a hard time getting my family to feel joyful about going to a museum or fort when we were on our cross Canada tour.  They did join me but they weren't necessarily happy about it.  They were impressed with our last tour at Fort Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia (it was mostly outdoors and people in period costumes would walk around and answer any questions and offer information).

Chloe at Saqsayhuamain
Selvy explaining how the royalty
would sit on this stone throne in Q'enqo for
celebrations and offerings, etc.
I now realize that the trick is to arrive in a location where everything around us has great historical significance, is outside and is inspiring in some way.  On our first weekend in Cusco we toured around some local ruins with Selvy, one of the founders of Peru's Challenge.
This stone casts a shadow of a puma
on June 21st (winter solstice, a very
important date in the Inca tradition)

Looking down at Plaza de Armas, the main square in Cusco,
from Saqsayhuamain ( pronounced somewhat like sexy woman)
This last weekend, as Chloe has already explained, we were in the Sacred Valley visiting various towns and ruins.  At each site we visit we all shake our heads in wonder as we contemplate not only how the Incas built the temples with such clean lines and close fitting stones, but also how they got those huge stones (which were often from a quarry at a different site) to the top of the mountain!!  Everything we're seeing is truly awe-inspiring.
water system at the top of
the Pisac Ruins
The shape of the "windows"
help make the ruins seismically
sound (no upgrades needed here!)















This coming Friday we will begin our hike up to Machu Pichu, along the Inca Trail.  We think we're prepared for the cold nights with our alpaca hats, socks and gloves.  We'll see how well we do physically, especially on day 2 of the trek which we've been told is the most difficult day (up to Dead Woman's Pass or Abra de HuarmihuaƱusca at 4,200m).

Wish us luck!


2 comments:

  1. What a sight, and well, site! You all look so small. It is a wonder what they could do back then.... You are doing such a great job with your pictures and descriptions. Thanks for taking us along with you!

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  2. And the pictures really don't give these sites the respect they deserve. Thanks for checking in!!

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