Honeymoon in Peru! Installment 3: Pumamarca hike

One of our main interests for our trip to Peru was to hike to some of the many archaeological ruins which are a bit off the beaten path. Our first opportunity to do this was the Pumamarca ruins, up the Patacancha River from town. This hike was mentioned briefly in our guidebook, so nothing too far in the bush. We did see one small group of Euro tourists descending as we headed up, and one dude who showed up solo. Otherwise, the whole hike it was just us, some cows, goats, goat herders, a couple chickens. We also met one caretaker who was--by hand with a scythe--cutting the grass around the ruins site, and we also chatted with him about this and other ruins in the area.

Maybe a couple km out of town we came upon a spot called the Terraces of the Moon. I assume they date to the Inca. There is a small house on the far side of the terraces and they are under ongoing cultivation.

 I believe this is agave. These things were everywhere.

 After a while, we came upon an old aqueduct and various ancient terraces and stoneworks.

Most of it appeared to be original, but there were some places where it had been repaired a bit with modern cement. The Inca irrigation ducts and terraces are still in regular use all over the places we hiked. In a book (a thing I read occasionally) I read about an archeology group which is both studying and documenting the agriculture/irrigation systems, and also helping to clear them and set them up for use by today's residents. 

Interestingly, I also read that during the height of Inca control of this area, the population was greater than it currently is, and was presumably self-sufficient (ie, no regional-level crops trading in which the commoners would engage). There's no doubt that they knew a lot about squeezing maximum nutrition out of their land.

 Billygoat the Kid.

Our first glimpse of the Pumamarca complex.

 Rosie walking.

 I noticed I was standing right next to a very spiky cactus. There weren't a lot of these, but they were about. I'm glad--lucky--I didn't sit on one.

The site is sort of spread around on this prominent flat area on a ridge above the junction of the Patacancha and one of its tributaries. I believe it was a military outpost, and also sometimes a stopping point for the Inca or other important people as they passed through the area. 

It's hard to photograph it, and the beauty of the site is more in its ambiance than in any particular architectural quality. The feeling is good and warm, of finding the place after an uncertain, wandering hike through forests and fields, and hanging out among the blank, uninterpreted ruins. Places like these are more than the sum of their parts.

 Rosie next to one of the buildings, overlooking the tributary to the Patacancha.

 Flat promontory, buildings viewed from uphill.

 Rosie convinced me to buy a sun hat.

 Cool flower on the hike back to town.

 Aqueduct catching the evening light.

More goats being driven up by a native.

 And horses.

Treating water we pulled from a stream. I hope these chemical drops will kill the goat manure germs!

 One of a handful of little homes we passed on the hike.

 Some semi-maintained agricultural terraces, again, presumably built by the Inca and still in use, though not exactly actively maintained.

 The climate is kind of like high desert, similar to northern Utah or southern Idaho.

 Telephoto shot down into the valley, showing a MAMMOTH rock. Interestingly high, wide, flat, and narrow, like a tombstone. Fascinating...no other big rocks like that sticking up in the vicinity. Did not see it up close.

 Terraces of the Moon again.

 And returning to town.

That night, we picked up our other stuff from the hostel, then went back for a second dinner at the place where the guy saved Rosie's camera. Then we caught the tourist train to Aguas Calientes. Tomorrow: Machu Picchu.