Sacsayhuaman Up Close

The base rocks at Sacsayhuaman were huge and, as you can see, precisely cut to fit together as a strong unit.  We were told that the cutting was by trial an error with the rocks being lifted in and out many times.  In some cases the grooves made by the lifting process were visible.  I thought it was simply amazing.  The grass is a huge open area where chosen representatives from many villages came once a year to hear the words of the emperor.  He appeared on a hill opposite this one, completely dressed in gold so he would be reflected upon sunrise.  It must have been quite a sight to see.

This was the first view we had of Sacsayhuaman.  It must have been quite grand when the Incas ruled but unfortunately it was largely destroyed by the Spaniards when they invaded and conquered.  Not only did they destroy this site, they used the pieces to build their own cathedral after razing the Inca cathedral.  And they used Inca labor for the building process.

Hairy Indeed

Big and smaller, lots of fleece and less fleece

I'm pretty sure these are alpacas

Llamas and Alpacas Oh My

There were several llamas and alpacas roaming about the grounds of Saksaywaman.  I couldn't really tell them apart but the wool differed in texture (as if they were going to let me close enough to check that out!), the ears were shaped somewhat differently and one had hair in the cheek area.  I liked them all and didn't really care which was which.

The Very Finest Potatoes

This lady was a human food processor.  With that little knife she was able to thinly slice fingerling potatoes into two different shapes, strings and dices.  She had a big pile  of each in front of her and demonstrated her speed.  I was amazed.  She's been doing this for 40 years.

The Staff of LIfe

Isn't that a pretty loaf of bread?  That's our local guide, Oscar, holding the loaf.  I don't know how they made the coating but it was darker in color and had a bit of crunch.  It was quite tasty.  We were also able to sample four different fresh fruits but I couldn't make note of what they were.  I just know they were all juicy and delicious.  I think I'd do okay with the Peruvian diet.

The Dairy Department

Of course the daily essential food items were available.  Shown here are cheese (aren't they pretty?!) and eggs.  There was no refrigeration but things seemed to be fine and there were no unpleasant odors.  I imagine the merchandise moved pretty quickly.