There is always something to celebrate

There is always something to celebrate

In Cusco's  main plaza

Whilst in the hostel at Pisac we enjoy the kitchen, we made our own meals almost every day
and Madeline carried on with school

Different celebration in the town of Calca this time it was the Asunta Virgin.

On the way to Machu Picchu on a 2.5 hours hike

Machu Picchu.

Cold showers at Machu Picchu.

This amazing Inca city was never revealed to the conquering Spaniards and was forgotten until the beginning of
the 20th century when an American historian Hiram Bingham was guided to it by the locals.
Hiram and his team literally dug the city out of the jungle.

A recent theory says that the site was a royal retreat or a country palace abandoned at the time of the Spanish invasion.
But according to the site's directors it's believed that the city was a religious, political and administrative center.

Qorikancha. (Golden Courtyard)
Qoricancha was once the richest temple in the Inca Empire and probably the world. All that remains today
it's the exquisite stone work.
The complex had various temples like the temple of the Sun, temple of the moon, temple of the rainbow and
the temple of thunder  as well as housing 200 religious people that included priest, maidens and apprentices.

This are life size replicas of the golden sheets that once covered the temple of Qorikancha.

The explanation.

During Inca times Qorikancha was literally covered with gold, apparently  700 solid gold  sheets, each weighing
about 2 kg lined the temple. There were life sized replicas of corn in gold and silver, which were  ceremonially
planted in agricultural rituals. There were solid gold altars, llamas and babies as well as a replica of the sun.
Some of the most important door ways were decorated with precious stones like emeralds the sizes of golf balls.
But within months of the Spanish arrival it was all looted, melted down and sent to Spain.

Qorikancha was built in the mid 15th century.  After the conquest, Francisco Pizarro gave it to his brother Juan
but he soon died in the battle of Sacsaywaman (a nearby Incan fort) in 1536. In his will he left the temple to the
Dominicans in whose possession has remained ever since.

Today Qorikancha is a typical combination of Inca and colonial architecture.
By the way we were not allowed to sit on these walls.

Back in Pisac there was another religious celebration.

This photo cost Louise a sol.

At the Pisac markets on Sunday.
This lady just came past us.

Shopping for the week.
Nobody advertises their products as organic, its because they all are.

Looking for potatoes.

More celebrations, this time it was the Andean Corpus. 

There were about 15 small processions from all different communities.
   

Trumpet man.

At the Pisac local church.

Drummer . Look at the drum sticks .  But he play with his heart.

Building is underway at the hostel where we are, so the owners put our daily fees down.
Every little thing helps.

We packed a lunch and went to the archeological site of Pisac in the morning but the entry fee was 70 dollars
for the 3 of us so we turned around and went for a walk somewhere else down the river.

Had a picnic, a good sleep under a tree and we worked a plan on how to enter the archeological site of Pisac
without having to pay, of course.  After 9 months on the road we are on a very tight  budget baby.

Pig fight.

We were walking into a street ambush.
Here in Peru if you are face with this situation you quickly get down on your knees and pick up a rock or two
if there is no rocks available you can just pretend you picking up a rock, (dogs don't see the details, they are always
looking at your eyes) once you have pick up a rock or pretend to pick up a rock  the dogs know you got the upper hand.
I wonder if this trick would work in Australia.