Thursday 26 August 1999 - Free day in Cusco

Peter, John & Kapil (having recovered from upset stomachs and altitude sickness) took a taxi to look at the four main sites above Cusco. Tambo Machay seems to have been a water cult, some big walks and spring running through a hidden channel in the wall into a little rock pool known at the Inca's bath.

Inca stonework at Tambo Machay:

John in one of the alcoves:

Tambo Machay:

Tambo Machay:

John and Kapil by the stone sink, the "Inca's Bath":

Peter and Kapil by the "Inca's Bath":

The second site was Puka Pukara, known as the Red Fort, but believed to have been a tambo or post house.

Puka Pukara:

Next we visited the temple and amphitheatre of Q'enqo, it is carved out of a lava flow, there is an altar in an artificial cave underneath the site, all carved in situ from the rock.

One entrance to the carved out cave under the site (with John's head sticking out):	The top of Q'enqo:
The carved stone altar in the cave:

Finally we had a look at Saqsaywaman, a major temple to the sun. It was largely destroyed by the Spanish following the rebellion of Manco Inca in 1536, and subsequently by use as a quarry for Cusco.

Stone walls at Saqsaywaman:

Foundations of one of three towers originally at the top of the site. This one has lots of water channels carved into it:

Looking down on Cusco from Saqsaywaman:

The walls of Saqsaywaman and the white Jesus statue:

Looking down at Saqsaywaman from the road back to Cusco:

In the evening we went to Rosey O'Grady's, another Irish themed bar, where we met our guides from the Inca Trail, Carlos and Eric. They took us to a night club which seemed to play bad western music mixed with salsa. Kapil and Hetal got particularly drunk.

Hetal, Andy and Kapil in the club in Cusco: