Kuelap ruins antedate the Incas and Spanish – 800AD-1540AD. They are magnificent: Covering 1 km of a 10,000’ mountaintop; enclosing some 600 buildings that housed 6,000 inhabitants. The soaring stone walls and 3 narrow passageways (one supposedly designed to be a snare for invaders) into the city made it defensible. The Incas conquered Kuelap on
ly 40 years before the Spanish in turn conquered the Incas. What took the Incas so long to conquer, the Spanish destroyed. Ironically, the Chachas allied with Spanish to overthrow the Incas, much to their subsequent regret, per our Indigenous guide. Only 30 visitors today to this terrific site!
The buildings, mostly homes, were round and had a stone-filled sink for waste water inside each house. We had a lot of fun thinking of Justin when we looked at the Cuy coop in each residence. They were long stone runs, with little doors for the cuyes to come out into the house.
The highest adventure today was driving over 120 miles on dirt roads -- up and down the high Andes with rain. There were a lot of repairs from the recent rains. The toughest spots were tight turns in mud with a steep cliff or river on the side. Death from a mistake or inattention is a possibility. The ride is exhilarating & most demanding of focus. Maybe this is one reason why there are so few v
isitors. It is really remote. The Cayenne lived! Lets see how it compares to the ride into Cuzco.
It is on to Cajamarca tomorrow along another long unpaved Andes mountain road.
Dinner at a restaurant around the block was satisfying and unusual, including cow udder, another local fruit juice and blackberry wine, as well as plentiful vegetables.
Enjoy the pictures!
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