Our Day Trip to Ingapirca

Pam and I had a wonderful day trip today to Ingapirca which is the largest pre-Columbian architectural complex in Ecudaor. We hired Miguel, a driver , to take us there. Took 2 1/2 hours to get there from Cuenca using both the Pan American highway and many other, sometimes partially paved and bumpy roads. But the scenery was gorgeous with the verdant Andes in the background, breathtaking valleys, and gradually building mist and dropping temperatures as we climbed higher and higher into the mountains.

                                                                                               




We passed many indigenous people as we drove through numerous small villages sometimes dodging cows, pigs, and sheep, as well as pot-holes  in the road. Good thing Miguel was an experienced driver and had a 4-wheel drive vehicle. His English was excellent and he was very willing to share perceptions about Ecuador and comparisons between his home country and the United States where his family currently resides (in New York City).

Finally we arrived at Ingapirca which means "the wall of the Inca". The Incas arrived here around 1470. Before then, the indigenous Canari people had inhabited the area. It is believed that both the Canari and the Incas used Ingapirca as a religious site. According to guide books, it was common for the Incas to build religious palaces over the ruins of a conquered culture

When the Incas conquered the area, they ordered all Canari men to move to Cusco. In the meantime, Inca men took up residence with Canari women, to subtly impose Inca beliefs on the local culture.

Ingapirca is a mix of Canari and Inca Influences.

The highlight of the site is El Adoratoria/Castillo, an elliptical structure believed to be a temple in the sun:

The scenery is stunning around this site with llama and sheep grazing on the hills. A deep feeling of serenity overtakes many who see it:

We even learned how the Incas kept a calendar by using holes in rocks and filtering rays of sunlight: Amazing:

Back in the car and heading home, we reflected on the amazing architects and builders the Incas were. It is still unclear to me exactly what happened to the Incas. Maybe we'll learn more as we visit more places.