Grace and Allen's Machu Picchu Honeymoon » Day 2 Pictures (City Tour & Sacsayhuaman)

June 2, 2007 - After a filling included breakfast at the hotel, we left for a four or so hour city tour where we visited the Plaza de Armas, a couple of its surrounding churches and cathedrals, the Inca temple Koricancha, and the Santo Domingo Church. At the Koricancha Temple, Odon explained to us the many misconceptions Spaniards had of the temple. They were "always looking for the easy answer," as Odon would put it. Afterwards, we drove away from the city to visit Sacsayhuaman. Though tour guide books often list the site as a fortress ruin, according to our likeable and knowledgeable Odon, based on the cut of the granites and the quality of the constructions, the was probably more likely a sacred site - perhaps a temple - than a fort. After Sacsayhuaman, we went to a local Alpaca factory where we got a short lecture on how to tell the different qualities of Alpaca products. there was even a catchy quote: "some may say this is baby Alpaca when it is really maybe Alpaca"). We also got some opportunities to buy products made at the factory. After the tour, a bunch of us, on recommendation of Odon, had Japanese Peruvian food at a local restaurant near the city's main square. For the rest of the afternoon, Grace would then turn in for a nice long nap. I took a short 20 minute nap instead. After the short nap, I took a walk around town, including dropping by the Regional museum. It was an interesting walk, but toward dusk, as I was still wondering around (in a section of town seemingly without tourists), I'd also realize that my wallet was gone.... It would not be until the next day before I finally really admitted to losing my wallet after Grace "proved her point" by putting a spare battery into my same velcroed and zipped pocket (in which I had carried my wallet) without me flinching or noticing. I wasn't much in a mood to eat that night. So Grace ordered a sandwich form room service - a sandwich which I shared.

Koricancha Temple - nice smooth interlocking stonework with stable, trapezoidal doorways,...	Note the alignment of windows	A long thin slab of rock to make this patch fit!	Close up view of the patch
Examples of interlocking stone work to make solid, mortarless, earthquake proof structures	More examples of interlocking stone designs	Close up view of example of interlocking stone designs	Colonial plaster on Inca stones. But with time, the plaster would come off while the original...
Model of sections of walls of original temple	Koricancha Temple and adjacent Santo Domingo Church built partly on grounds of original temple	Koricancha Temple - middle courtyard - Spaniards were originally Spaniards were welcomed here in...	Plaza de Arm as #1
Plaza de Arm as #2	A parade on the way to Sacsayhuaman	Parade #2	Parade #3
Sacsayhuaman #1	Sacsayhuaman #2	Sacsayhuaman #3	Odon giving another of his informative talks
Sacsayhuaman #4	Sacsayhuaman #5	Sacsayhuaman #6	Sacsayhuaman #7
Sacsayhuaman #8	Sacsayhuaman #9	Sacsayhuaman #10	Sacsayhuaman #11
Sacsayhuaman #12	Sacsayhuaman #13 - 128 ton rock - biggest single granite found in Inca structures	Sacsayhuaman #14	Viva El Peru sign in the background of Sacsayhuaman
Pukapukara #1	Open area where priests used to bring out mummies for display and ceremonies	Entrance to the area where mummies are ceremonially prepared	Square crevice for display or storage of ceremonial wares, perhaps
Altar where mummies were prepared	Altar View #2	View of Cusco in background #1	View of Cusco in background #2
Neighbor drying clothes	Menu at Japanese Peruvian restaurant	Allen's food	Grace's food
Plaza de Arm as Day View #1	Plaza de Arm as Day View #2	Local market	Andean version of Mother Mary
Plaza San Francisco	San Pedro Church?	Local Festivities before the church in anticipation of visiting nearby sacred glaciers	Local Festivities #2
Local Festivities #3	Local Festivities #4	Local dentist offering lots of services	Street night view
Plaza de Armas Night View #1	Plaza de Arm as Night View #2	Grace "the Ghost" enjoying her Ice Cream	Weaver in the hotel atrium/courtyard enjoying music in background
Room service!	Music in the hotel atrium/courtyard (flv file)	Music in the hotel atrium/courtyard (MOV file)

63 Images | Email Allen | Made with JAlbum & Chameleon | Help