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	<title>Unpaved South America &#187; B.Y.O.T.</title>
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		<title><![CDATA[Cusco&#8217;s Boleta Turistica:  Tipón and Pikillacta]]></title>
		<link>http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/byot/cuscos-boleta-turistica-tipon-and-pikillacta/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 04 May 2010 19:19:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessie Kwak</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Some of the Cusco area's most interesting sites lie east on the road to Puno, but <strong>Tipón</strong>, an experimental agricultural site, and <strong>Pikillacta</strong>, an extensive pre-Inca settlement of the Huari culture, are probably the least-visited sites on the Boleta Turistica circuit, due to their relative inaccessibility.  They're much more difficult to get to via public transportation, but so long as you don't mind some waiting, some walking, and maybe a mad dash or two it's entirely possible to visit these sites without booking a tour.  Buses pass by frequently on their way to Urcos, and they'll drop you off at either site for just a few soles.  Be prepared to get a lot of looks from the locals.



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<p id="top" /><em>This is the second installment of our many-word treatise on the sights included in Cusco&#8217;s Boleta Turistica.  What&#8217;s the Boleta all about?  Check out <a href="http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/byot/cuscos-boleta-turistica-saqsayhuayman-tambomachay-pukapukara-and-qenqo/">Part 1</a>, where we take you on a walk to see the Inca ruins above Cusco.</em></p>
<p>Some of the Cusco area&#8217;s most interesting sites lie east on the road to Puno, but <strong>Tipón</strong>, an experimental agricultural site, and <strong>Pikillacta</strong>, an extensive pre-Inca settlement of the Huari culture, are probably the least-visited sites on the Boleta Turistica circuit, due to their relative inaccessibility.</p>
<p>They&#8217;re much more difficult to get to via public transportation, but so long as you don&#8217;t mind some waiting, some walking, and maybe a mad dash or two it&#8217;s entirely possible to visit these sites without booking a tour. </p>
<p><img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4333352438_e49423dbd6.jpg" title="Crossing the river up to Tipon" class="aligncenter" width="500" height="288" /></p>
<p>While you&#8217;re out there, check out <strong>Rumicolca</strong>, an aqueduct that blends Inca and Huari architecture, and the beautifully-painted church at <strong>Andahuaylillas</strong>.</p>
<p>For more photos, as always, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/knkexplore/sets/72157623363973806/">check out Rob&#8217;s flickr page</a>.</p>
<p><strong>The easy way</strong></p>
<p>Hire a taxi for the day.  This will probably run you between S/.50-100 ($17-35), although make sure to ask a local what the going rate ought to be before agreeing on a price.  You&#8217;ll probably be able to get recommendations through South American Explorers, travel agencies, or the iPeru office.  We had plenty of taxi drivers offer their services for tours just while we were on routine inner-city trips with them&#8211;we don&#8217;t recommend taking anyone up on an offer like that.  Although most guys are probably just looking to make a few extra bucks for a day&#8217;s commission, you can never be sure.  We don&#8217;t condone our being responsible for your rash decisions.</p>
<p><strong>The other way</strong></p>
<p>Tipón and Pikillacta are located out on the road to Puno, about 25 and 30 kilometers away from Cusco, respectively.  Buses pass by frequently on their way to Urcos, and they&#8217;ll drop you off at either site for just a few soles.  Be prepared to get a lot of looks from the locals.</p>
<p>Buses leave frequently for Urcos from a terminal on Av. Huaruropata across from the &#8220;Estadio Garcilazo de la Vega&#8221; (#4 on the <a href="http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/nutsbolts/cusco-peru-nuts-and-bolts/">Cusco Nuts and Bolts map</a>).  The bus probably won&#8217;t be too full (or, at least it wasn&#8217;t on a weekday morning in January of 2010), and you should be able to catch it at any bus stop along the Avenida de la Cultura.  Look for a card reading Urcos or Tipón in the window.</p>
<h3>Tipón</h3>
<p>Tipón was easily one of our favorite places on the Boleta.  You&#8217;ll get off in the little town of Choquepata, a muddy little town full of cuyerias and cows.  Don&#8217;t plan on eating lunch here unless you&#8217;re in the mood for cuy, roast chicken, or chicharron de cerdo (each dish S/.15 in every restaurant along the road).  You can buy bananas and bread at the little grocery store near where the taxis wait if you don&#8217;t want barbecued flesh.</p>
<p>We had read in <strong>Exploring Cusco</strong> by Peter Frost that Tipón was only 5km from the road.  We began to walk, uncertain of how else to get there, but then a collectivo taxi stopped for us and talked us into taking a ride with them.  We were hesitant at first.  It&#8217;s very far, we were told. At S/.4 apiece, though, it didn&#8217;t seem like a bad deal, and after a 20-minute ride straight uphill, we were grateful for the lift.  Along the way, the collectivo also picked up a young guide who offered us his services for S/.20. </p>
<p>Tipón in the early morning was quiet, with amazing view of the valley below (the little town looks much more interesting from above).  At the site there is a small ticket booth, where you can buy individual entries for S/.10, and a building with nice bathrooms.  </p>
<p>A group of workers were playing football in one of the terraces, with two stationed on the terrace below to retrieve the ball.  We watched them play for a while, but they split up as the first small tour group arrived.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4333601720_68b53028f9.jpg" title="Futbol on the green." class="aligncenter" width="500" height="291" /></p>
<p>Tipón is a fantastic example of the ingenuity that the Inca have in integrating water and other natural resources into their settlements.  If you want to know exactly how cool they were, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=nypeZnPjS30C&#038;pg=PA15&#038;lpg=PA15&#038;dq=tipon&#038;source=bl&#038;ots=5-TWRUSiPM&#038;sig=Dti1cr_g_eg5J4Ccla6R7YPeIwU&#038;hl=en&#038;ei=Dm7bS7TcI824rAed7aHkDw&#038;sa=X&#038;oi=book_result&#038;ct=result&#038;resnum=10&#038;ved=0CC0Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&#038;q&#038;f=false">check out <strong>Tipon:  water engineering masterpiece of the Inca empire</strong></a>, which you can read on Google books if you&#8217;re nerdy in that way like me.</p>
<p>Water is used playfully in Tipón.  It&#8217;s irrigation, it&#8217;s ceremonial, it&#8217;s a relaxing garden.  Water pours from a spring down the vertical irrigation slots in mini waterfalls&#8211;one of the few places that the Inca used this technique.  </p>
<p>Hike up to the buildings on the ridge above, which the signs call &#8220;Intiwatana.&#8221;  Peter Frost says it may be a fortress, and between the hike up to it and the view from it, I can believe that.  An aqueduct runs through Intiwatana, bringing water from the mountain spur above it down to the Tipón terraces.  You can hike along the aqueduct&#8211;apparently to another settlement a few miles away.  </p>
<p><img alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4332639991_50ac682cfd.jpg" title="Coming from the hills" class="aligncenter" width="500" height="290" /></p>
<p>To get back down, either wait for a collectivo, or start walking.  There&#8217;s a trail that cuts through the road&#8217;s switchbacks, and if you&#8217;re lucky you might be overtaken by a taxi.  (We found one that charged us S/.2 each for the way down.).</p>
<h3>Pikillacta</h3>
<p>You can catch a taxi to Pikillacta for S/.10 (they wait at the intersection that leads up to Tipón), or wave down another bus.  It&#8217;s a short ride and should only cost you a sol.  These are the only ruins on the Boleta Turistica circuit that aren&#8217;t Inca, instead from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wari_culture">Huari</a> culture whose empire spread throughout the Andes 500 years before the Inca. </p>
<p>The site is about a 1km walk from the road.  Stop in the museum to get your ticket punched, and to check out the giant armadillo fossils that were found locally.  There&#8217;s also a bit of information and some artifacts from the site.</p>
<p>After all the Inca ruins we&#8217;d seen, it was almost surprising that anyone would bother to build with such little rocks.  We stared at the Huari walls, little stones piled precariously one atop the next, weak and fragile.  Compared to Inca stonework it seemed to be child&#8217;s play.</p>
<p>The ruins are of a Huari administrative city, row after row of housing, walls crumbling into jagged peaks rising above the tall dry grass.  Unlike most Inca sites, it&#8217;s built in the valley amid barren grasslands, rather than clinging to the peaks of the mountains, the city plan a rigid grid dropped onto the hill without any thought to following the natural curves of the terrain.</p>
<h3>Additional sites</h3>
<p><strong>Rumicolca</strong></p>
<p>You&#8217;ll be able to see the Rumicolca ruins from Pikillacta, on the other side of the road and up a little farther.  You can&#8217;t miss it:  a 12-meter-high gate which served as the southern border checkpoint for first the Huari, then the Inca.  It&#8217;s an interesting blend of architectural styles.</p>
<p><strong>Andahuaylillas</strong></p>
<p>Andahuaylillas is known for its church.  Built by the Jesuits in the late sixteenth century, it&#8217;s covered with beautiful murals and embellished with gold leaf, and said to be one of the finest examples of Peruvian colonial art. </p>
<p>Don&#8217;t miss the small coca museum right next to the church, which has an interesting collection of displays about Andean religion, both historically and contemporary.</p>


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		<title><![CDATA[★ Cusco&#8217;s Boleta Turistica: Saqsayhuaymán, Tambomachay, Pukapukara, and Q&#8217;enqo]]></title>
		<link>http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/byot/cuscos-boleta-turistica-saqsayhuayman-tambomachay-pukapukara-and-qenqo/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:00:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessie Kwak</dc:creator>
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		<category><![CDATA[adventure travel]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[A hike through the lovely Cusco countryside.


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<p id="top" /><strong>It&#8217;s a conundrum.</strong>  In order to see some of Cusco&#8217;s best ruins and museums you need a ticket that covers 16 different sites.  It&#8217;s got a hefty price tag of S/.130 (about $45), but it&#8217;s a decent deal if you hit all the sites.  </p>
<p>But you have limited time and want to visit only a couple sites?  That&#8217;s really too bad.  All but a few of the lesser-known, out-of-the-way sites require the Boleta Turistica.  It&#8217;s possible to buy partial tickets for S/.70 (one covering Cusco area and one covering the Sacred Valley), but how many people visit only one set of sites?</p>
<p>Back in January we made a mad dash to see all 16 sites in the 10-day period before the ticket expired.  We were hailed out, bussed out, I spent a day in bed with food poisoning, and at the end we were very, very sick of Inca ruins and the Spanish bastards who kept knocking them down.  But, dear readers, we made it.  All for you.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/20100107_Puka_Pukara-4610-500x190.jpg" alt="Pukapukara scenery, Cusco, Peru" title="20100107_Puka_Pukara-4610" width="500" height="190" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1638" /></p>
<p>Over the next four weeks we&#8217;ll outline the 16 different sites and tell you what your options are to get to them.  You may not see them all, but hopefully we can help you decide which ones are worth seeing (*ahemskipthemuseumsahem*).  </p>
<p>And, as a special bonus feature, we&#8217;ll encourage you to visit three more sites (Cusco&#8217;s <em>good</em> museum, a salt factory and More! Inca! Rocks!) that aren&#8217;t included in the Boleta Turistica.</p>
<p><strong>The Sites of the Boleta Turistica</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Week 1:  four sites above Cusco: Saqsayhuamán, Q’enqo, Pukapukara, and Tambomachay</li>
<li>Week 2:  two sites on the road East of Cusco: Tipón and Pikillacta</li>
<li>Week 3:  four sites in the Sacred Valley: Chinchero, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Moray </li>
<li>Week 4:  six museums inside Cusco: Museo Siteo Qoricancha, Musea de Arte Contemporaneo, Museo Historico Regional, Monumento Pachacuteq, Museo de Arte Popular, and Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cusco City Tour</h3>
<p>Every tourist agency in Cusco will try to sell you a City Tour, which includes a visit to the four &#8220;Week 1&#8243; sites in the list above, as well as a stop at <a href="http://www.cusco.net/articulos/qoricancha.htm">Qoricancha</a> and the Cathedral.  That&#8217;s probably the easiest and fastest way to check these four off the list, but you don&#8217;t want to board a bus crammed with 25-30 other tourists.</p>
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<strong>What to take with you</strong></p>
<p>You don&#8217;t need much for this little outing, just the usual (water, <strong>sunscreen</strong>, <em>Exploring Cusco</em> by Peter Frost&#8230;).  And I know it looks like a beautiful day, but trust me.  Throw that extra poncho in your daypack.</p>
<p><strong>Bring small change with you for the bus, snacks, and tips.</strong>  You&#8217;ll sometimes find guides waiting to give you an impromptu tour for tips, and any of the cute and traditionally-dressed children will expect S/.1 each for photos.
</div>
<p>That&#8217;s not why you read Unpaved South America.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re planning on going out guideless to visit any of the sixteen sites (and especially if you plan to do much hiking or walking), we highly recommend that you buy <strong>Exploring Cusco</strong> by <a href="http://www.wildernesstravel.com/leaders/frost-peter">Peter Frost</a>.  Everything we learned about Cusco and the Sacred Valley came from this book.  Really.  Amazon is selling used copies for $50 (!) but save yourself some money and help local economies:  buy it in nearly any Cusco bookstore for about $10.</p>
<p>If you decide to go your own the easiest way is to take a bus or taxi to Tambomachay and make your way downhill.  You can hire a taxi for about S/.10-20 (ask a local how much the going rate is), or take a bus or combi from the Rosaspata Market (<a href="http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/nutsbolts/cusco-peru-nuts-and-bolts/"># 3 on the Cusco Nuts and Bolts map</a>).  The &#8220;Huerta&#8221; combi or the larger bus to Pisac will both drop you off at Tambomachay for S/.1, and the &#8220;Cristo Blanco&#8221; combi will take you, predictably, to the Cristo Blanco statue that overlooks Cusco.  From there it&#8217;s just a short walk to Saqsayhuamán (hereafter to be known as Saqs) or Q&#8217;enqo.</p>
<p>Tour company:  S/.30<br />
Bus and feet:  S/.1</p>
<p><img src="http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/20100107_Puka_Pukara-4606-500x345.jpg" alt="" title="20100107_Puka_Pukara-4606" width="500" height="345" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1639" /></p>
<h3>Tambomachay and Pukapukara</h3>
<p>However you get here, try to do so early (10 at the latest) so you can avoid the onslaught of tour buses.  Most of them hit Qoricancha first before heading up to the hills, so you have a bit of time before the first arrivals.</p>
<p><strong>Tambomachay&#8217;s</strong> control point is open from 6:30 to 6:30, or at least that&#8217;s what we were told in January.  Check around for up-to-date info.  It&#8217;s thought to be a ritual bathing site, a lovely example of the Inca art of &#8220;perfecting&#8221; nature by refining and channeling it, taking a natural spring and beautifying it.  (For more on Inca architecture as art, check out <a href='http://www.powells.com/partner/34992/biblio/9781585675036?p_ti' title='More info about this book at powells.com' rel='powells-9781585675036'>White Rock</a> by Hugh Thomson [link to buy book at Powell's].  It&#8217;s a funny, well-thought-out jaunt through the Inca Heartland, and you&#8217;ll find it in nearly every book exchange in Peru.).</p>
<p>We arrived early to find the gauntlet of vendors just setting up, laying out their wares on gently sloping sod plots studded with dandelions.  An old man greeted us with a Quechua-accented &#8220;Buenos tardsh,&#8221; and humored me a few questions about names of local plants.  Someone had a radio playing tinny huayno music.  Where normally Cusco&#8217;s vendor swarms are voracious, here everyone was relaxed, unconcerned with a few threadbare backpacking gringos, waiting for the arrival of the first tour buses.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/20100107_Tambomachay-4548-500x554.jpg" alt="Vendors setting up at Tambomachay, Cusco, Peru" title="20100107_Tambomachay-4548" width="500" height="554" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1641" /></p>
<p><strong>Pukapukara</strong> shares a control point with Tambomachay, so make sure to get both sites punched on your ticket.  It was thought to be a tambo, a sort of lodging place and customs checkpoint.  Like everything Inca, the ruins crown a hilltop with beautiful views of the valley below, the walls undulating with the terrain.  </p>
<p>When we arrived a nice young man named Javier was soliciting people for mini guides for a tip of S/.5-10 or so.  Javier told us that under the ground is a quartz stone which the Incas used to meditate with.  The Spaniards destroyed it and covered it over, but apparently Pukapukara is still a popular place for mystics.  He also saved us several miles of backtracking by pointing us in the right direction for our hike to Q&#8217;enqo.  Thanks, man.</p>
<h3>Walking from T&#038;P to Q</h3>
<p>Once you&#8217;ve spent some good time wandering around Tambomachay and Pukapukara, it&#8217;s time to move on to Q&#8217;enqo.  You can either wait for the &#8220;Huerta&#8221; combi to take you back down the hill (they come every 10 minutes or so), or if it&#8217;s a nice day and you fancy a walk, it&#8217;s only about 6km (3.8 miles), and you&#8217;ll get a chance to explore a handful of other random Inca rock confections.  You did bring your rain poncho, didn&#8217;t you?</p>
<p>From the entrance to Pukapukara look back down the road to Cusco.  There should be a stand of eucalyptus on the left hand side.  A path leads downhill from the road&#8211;Javier told us that it&#8217;s a path &#8220;that even the blind can follow,&#8221; though it can be a bit tricky to find at first.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s a clearer path that heads down into the river valley below Pukapukara, but don&#8217;t follow that one.  Instead, pass the eucalyptus and head along the road until you&#8217;re on the Inca path.  This is the Inca road to Antisuyo (the eastern jungle quadrant of the empire).  Farther towards the jungle, a long stretch of this road has been popularized as the Inca Trail.  You may have heard of it.</p>
<p>After a few minutes you&#8217;ll pass near a little town, Wayllarcocha, which has a few roadside restaurants for lunch.  The Inca Path keeps going and veers away from the main road, past fields and ponds, adobe walls with cactus growing out of them, cows and bright teal flies.  After a mile or so the path widens and washes out, fans like a delta.  To the left it leads up onto a granite outcropping edged by an adobe fence.  To the right, it heads down into a valley.  Go right.  The path heads east, away from the road, into a narrow valley of farmland.  </p>
<p><strong>Please don&#8217;t step in people&#8217;s crops</strong>&#8211;for some it&#8217;s their only meager livelihood.  Rule of thumb: stay on the path, and if it&#8217;s green, leave it alone.</p>
<p>Eventually you&#8217;ll come to a small gorge.  The trail will split again, and down below you should see a set of ruins that we thought at first were an old quarry.  The left trail leads through a stand of eucalyptus to a wide flat hill with a pretty view on all sides of the Cusco valley, hills and fields.  From there the trail peters out, but you can head downhill back through the eucalyptus and carefully pick your way down the hill until you&#8217;ve reached the bottom of the &#8220;quarry.&#8221;</p>
<p>Alternately, you can take the trail to the right, which clings to the wall of the gorge, and will take you to the top of the &#8220;quarry.&#8221;</p>
<p><img src="http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/20100107_Walk_Hail-4669-500x309.jpg" alt="Inca ruins near Cusco, Peru" title="20100107_Walk_Hail-4669" width="500" height="309" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1642" /></p>
<p>The &#8220;quarry&#8221; is a large granite outcropping, flat-topped with a grassy plateau.  There is terracing above and below, drainage channels running along the lower north side.  It&#8217;s been excavated, and the old Inca stones are neatly stacked as though the archaeologists meant to put them back but never got around to it (you&#8217;ll see this a lot in Peru).  The rock juts out like the prow of a ship, stair-stepped channels carved for water on either side, though it&#8217;s dry now.</p>
<p>We met a woman, Señora Hipolita, who told us the name was Qoriwaynachina, but she didn&#8217;t know anything more about it.  Turns out that Qoriwaynachina is also the name of some ruins <a href=http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0402/feature4/index.html">discovered by the fantastic Peter Frost</a> on Cerro Victoria in the Vilcabamba Range.  The name means &#8220;where wind was used to refine gold.&#8221;</p>
<p>Señora Hipolita told us to make our way down through the valley, past an Inca wall that cuts across the valley like a dam.  We&#8217;d find an Inca jail, she said, and about a kilometer beyond that, the Temple of the Moon.</p>
<p>At this point in our story, we were caught by a hailstorm and had to take shelter in the rocky hills up to the left of this dam for over an hour before making a mad dash through the unceasing rain, only to return to finish our walk another day.  That won&#8217;t happen to you.  But you brought your rain poncho anyway, right?</p>
<p>The Inca Jail is two large stones leaning against each other, forming a cave which the Incas carved out into a series of niches, one of which was filled with wilting flowers.  It didn&#8217;t seem much like a jail, but it did provide great cover in a hailstorm. </p>
<p>Just beyond the Inca Jail the valley begins to spread out.  Cross right over the hump of the hill, rather than continue down the ravine.  You&#8217;ll see the outcropping of the Templo de la Luna.  Or, continue to hug the curve of the ravine and walk along the little creek upstream, pass a carved rock outcropping with stepstones, cross the river and climb up from there.  You&#8217;ll be directly in front of the Templo de la Luna either way.</p>
<div style='float: left; width: 180px; margin: 8px; text-align: left; border: 2px solid #4C290D; padding: 5px; background: #ffffff; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; text-transform: none; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: #4C290D; line-height: 15px;'><a href='http://www.powells.com/partner/34992/biblio/9781905864157?p_wgt' style='color: #3E7795; text-decoration: none;' title='More info about this book at Powells.com' rel='powells-9781905864157'><b>Inca Trail, Cusco &#038; Machu Picchu: Includes Santa Teresa Trek, Choquequirao Trek, Vilcabamba Trail &#038; Lima City Guide</b><br /><img src='http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/imageDB.cgi?isbn=9781905864157&#038;t=60' border='0' style='border: 1px solid #4C290D; float: right; margin: 5px 0px 6px 6px;' width='60'></a>by Alexander Stewart<br clear='all'><a href='http://www.powells.com/partner/34992/?p_wgt'><img src='http://www.powells.com/images/logo_brown80.png' border='0' style='border: none; margin-top: 10px;' width='80' height='35' hspace='0' vspace='0' title='Powells.com' alt='Powells.com'></a></div>
<p>The Temple is another massive stone outcropping that has been carved.  The remains of a settlement have been roped off and are under excavation, but you can climb up the southwest side to find a cave and some fissures with carved steps.  The lowest cave contains an altar, decorated on the day we went with multi-colored confetti and coca leaves.  A shaft of sunlight bathed the altar, and the cave smelled faintly sweet, of coca or incense or chicha.  The cave is two chambers with a carved door between them, all sharp angels, 90 degree planes combining with the swooping natural stone.  Stone benches have been carved in the antechamber, the rock smooth and shiny from centuries of use.</p>
<p>Standing at the entrance to the cave, you can see two options to continue on your walk.  Either head east toward the houses (a little settlement called Villa San Blas)&#8211;from there you will be able to see Q&#8217;enqo downhill of you.  Or take the road that leads downhill to your left.  This path is marked as the Antisuyo trail, and has a nice little sign explaining the Inca royal roads, the Qapac Ñan.  If you follow that path for a little bit you&#8217;ll come upon the Temple of the Monkey, another carved outcropping with strange little carved places and narrow passageways through them, one curiously perfect raised circle carved near the top.</p>
<h3>Q&#8217;enqo</h3>
<p>Q&#8217;enqo is a welcome relief after you&#8217;ve seen to many examples of &#8220;fine Inca stonework.&#8221;  It&#8217;s a limestone outcropping shaped with haphazard carvings (if you walked from Pukapukara you&#8217;ve seen a fair amount of this already, but Q&#8217;enqo is pretty killer).  The name means &#8220;zigzag,&#8221; a reference to the carvings on the limestone monolith at the site.  It&#8217;s widely believed to be used for religious ceremonies, with a large semi-circular amphitheater, and religious carvings.</p>
<p>Just below Q&#8217;enqo is the outcropping known as Q&#8217;enqo Chico.  It is a hill surrounded by a massive stone retaining wall and a moat.  You can climb up to the top, a wide green field, a tumble of rocks aesthetically carved.  Sweeping curves and sinewy sinuous staircases and niches.  Sometimes hard to tell what&#8217;s been carved and what&#8217;s natural.  Handholds?  Or just erosion.</p>
<p>This was by far my favorite Inca site.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/20100109_Quenco-4784-297x600.jpg" alt="" title="20100109_Quenco-4784" width="297" height="600" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1643" /></p>
<h3>Cristo Blanco and Saqsayhuaymán</h3>
<p>From Q&#8217;enqo follow the road to Cusco around a few bends.  You&#8217;ll see the Cristo Blanco statue, a gift from Palestinian Refugees, ahead of you.  Pass in front of the statue and go over a small rise, where you&#8217;ll see Saqs.  It&#8217;s a &#8220;must see,&#8221; not far enough to escape the sirens of the city, the traffic of the road, and the swarms of tourists who weren&#8217;t as hardcore as you were.  </p>
<p>It&#8217;s best known for the absolutely massive stones that make up the zigzagging walls, and for being one of the few places that the Incas gave the Spaniards a run for their money.  Today the wide flat grass plaza in front of the walls is used for the Inti Raymi ceremony every June, and for Cusqueña family picnics on sunny summer days.  </p>
<p>Like many Inca sites, Saqs was used for centuries as a stone quarry for locals building their own homes.  That was its main source of worth until it was discovered that tourists would flock to it, and, like many historical places, it was found to be worth more as a tourist attraction than a source of pre-dressed stones.</p>
<p>From Saqs, follow the steep pedestrian path back down into the city, admiring the views along the way.  </p>
<p>And nurse your sore feet, because you still have 12 more sites to see!</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/nutsbolts/cusco-peru-nuts-and-bolts/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Cusco Peru: Nuts and Bolts'>Cusco Peru: Nuts and Bolts</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/blog/accessible-birding-tour-near-cusco-manu/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Accessible birding tour near Cusco, Manu'>Accessible birding tour near Cusco, Manu</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/encounters/travelojoss-steve-roll-interviews-ben-box/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Travelojos&#8217;s Steve Roll interviews Ben Box'>Travelojos&#8217;s Steve Roll interviews Ben Box</a></li>
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		<title><![CDATA[Be Your Own Tourguide:  Trujillo]]></title>
		<link>http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/byot/be-your-own-tourguide-trujillo/</link>
		<comments>http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/byot/be-your-own-tourguide-trujillo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:48:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessie Kwak</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[B.Y.O.T.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adobe ruins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adventure tourism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adventure travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[casonas antiguas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chan Chan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chimu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[colonial architecture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Huaca de la Luna]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Huaca del Sol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moche]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pottery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tour companies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel to Peru]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trujillo]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Pyramids, an ancient metropolis, and colonial architecture in Peru's 3rd largest city. 
<strong>Trujillo</strong> is a city with a long and distinguished history.  Peru's third largest metropolitan area, Trujillo was founded in 1534 when the Spaniards arrived in the area.  It was the first Peruvian city to declare independence from Spain in 1820, and became Simón Bolivar's base of operations when he and his troops entered Peru a few years later. 
Today, Trujillo is known as the City of Eternal Springtime, and every October it hosts the International Festival of Spring, complete with a grand parade.  In January, the city throws the National Marinera Contest, attracting couples from all over Peru for a week-long celebration of this traditional dance.  January 2010 marked 50 years of the contest.



Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/nutsbolts/nuts-and-bolts-trujillo-and-huanchaco/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Nuts and Bolts: Trujillo and Huanchaco'>Nuts and Bolts: Trujillo and Huanchaco</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2009/blog/buenos-aires-trujillo/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Buenos Aires, Trujillo'>Buenos Aires, Trujillo</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/photoessay/colonial-tourism-in-spanish-trujillo/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Colonial Tourism in Spanish Trujillo.'>Colonial Tourism in Spanish Trujillo.</a></li>
</ol>

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<p id="top" /><em>“Be Your Own Tourguide” articles are designed to help you avoid getting trapped on a lame tour of a fascinating site.  We&#8217;ll give you a breakdown of what the local tour companies offer, and then tell you how to get to the sites on your own.  We all have our own opinions, but everyone&#8217;s style is different.  Sometimes it can be indispensable to go with a guide, some sites are easily visited on their own.  The choice is up to you (keep repeating that to yourself as the pushy tour company reps in the main plaza hassle you).</p>
<p>Prices quoted are in Peruvian Nuevo Soles (S/.) and US Dollars ($).</em></p>
<p><img alt="Colonial wood baclcony stands out against a yellow painted wall." src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2608/3985650824_a13ec8bf3b_m.jpg" title="Trujillo." class="aligncenter" width="160" height="240" /></p>
<p><strong>Trujillo</strong> is a city with a long and distinguished history.  Peru&#8217;s third largest metropolitan area, Trujillo was founded in 1534 when the Spaniards arrived in the area.  It was the first Peruvian city to declare independence from Spain in 1820, and became Simón Bolivar&#8217;s base of operations when he and his troops entered Peru a few years later.</p>
<p>Today, Trujillo is known as the City of Eternal Springtime, and every October it hosts the International Festival of Spring, complete with a grand parade.  In January, the city throws the National Marinera Contest, attracting couples from all over Peru for a week-long celebration of this traditional dance.  January 2010 marked 50 years of the contest.</p>
<p>The city&#8217;s center is often touted as one of the most colonial in Peru, with a quite lovely Plaza de Armas, and numerous <b>Casonas Antiguas</b> (Old Homes), both restored and crumbling, that exemplify Peru&#8217;s Colonial and Republican architecture.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Trujillo&#039;s Casonas Antiguas." src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3524/3992032726_cb54b0c126.jpg" title="Trujillo&#039;s Casonas Antiguas." class="aligncenter" width="500" height="275" /><br />
<br />
But step outside the city and you&#8217;ll find traces of a far older civilization.  The area was once home to the Moche (100AD-800AD), who transformed the barren coastal desert into a paradise and built the impressive adobe pyramids <b>Huacas del Sol y de la Luna</b>, and then the Chimu (900AD-1470AD), whose sprawling adobe metropolis <b>Chan Chan</b> was once home to 700,000 inhabitants.  Both cultures are well-known for their ceramic, metallurgic and textile arts, many fine examples of which have been found in tombs up and down the coast.  For an interesting tour of their respective pottery styles, visit the <strong>Museo Cassinelli</strong> in Trujillo.</p>
<p>Most tourists stay in nearby fishing village <a href="http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/cities/this-is-huanchaco-part-1/">Huanchaco</a>, but don&#8217;t be scared by Trujillo&#8217;s traffic and bustle.  It has a number of good hotels, boutique stores, and it&#8217;s a surprisingly good place to grab a cup of coffee (try the cafes on the 700 block of Pizarro).</p>
<p>Tour companies offer trips to the highlights, the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna, Chan Chan, as well as City Tours of the Casonas Antiguas.  Most travel agencies are on the Plaza de Armas or to the north on Pizarro and Independencia.  They&#8217;re tucked into corners and between cellular shops, so look carefully for the signs.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s our take:</p>
<p><b>Huacas del Sol y de la Luna</b>:<br />
<br />
<img alt="Octupus warriors exposed in Huaca del Luna." src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3461/3992009170_e134424626_m.jpg" title="Huaca del Luna." class="alignnone" width="240" height="164" /><br />
<br />
<em>Tour Company</em>:  The standard price is S/.15 ($5.25) for a 2.5 hour excursion, though some companies will charge an extra S/.5 ($1.75) for an English-speaking guide.  This price includes guide and transportation, but not entrance to the site (S/.11 [$3.80]).  TOTAL: S/.26 ($9.05)</p>
<p><em>Note that all companies offer a full-day excursion that combines the Huacas with Chan Chan, for S/.20-30 ($7-10.50) in total.  This includes guide and transportation, but you&#8217;ll still pay S/.11 ($3.80) each for both sites.  TOTAL:  S/.42-52 ($14.60-18.10)</em></p>
<p><em>Get there on your own</em>:  Take a taxi for S/.10 ($3.50), or walk down to Ovalo Grau (about 20 minutes south of the center of town) and catch a combi for S/.0.80 ($0.28) in front of the gas station (keep asking, one of them will take you).  The entrance is S/.11 ($3.80), which includes a mandatory guide in either English or Spanish, though the guide expects a tip of about S/.5 ($1.75) per person.  TOTAL:  Taxi—S/.26 ($9.05), if you&#8217;re sharing with someone else.  Bus—S/.18 ($6.40).</p>
<p><b>Chan Chan</b>:<br />
<br />
<img alt="The walls of Chan Chan, ouside Trujillo La Libertad Peru." src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2664/3992064272_e3dec64709_m.jpg" title="The walls of Chan Chan, ouside Trujillo La Libertad Peru." class="alignnone" width="240" height="105" /><br />
<br />
<em>Tour Company</em>:  The standard price is S/.15 ($5.25) for a 3.5 hour excursion, includes guide and transportation, but not entrance (S/.11 [$3.80]).  Can be combined with a trip to the Huacas (see above).</p>
<p><em>Get there on your own</em>:  Chan Chan is pretty spread out, making it either expensive (taxi) or confusing (bus) to visit on your own.  The complex consists of four separate sites:  <b>Nik An Palace</b> or <strong>Tschudi</strong> (the main star), <b>Huaca Arco Iris</b> (also known as Huaca El Dragón—both names come from the relief adobe carvings that adorn the temple), <b>Huaca Esmerelda</b>, and the <b>Site Museum</b>.  Guides are optional, and are not included in the ticket price; hiring one costs S/.25 ($8.75) at Nik An, and S/.15 ($5.25) at the other sites.  (Note:  your entrance ticket covers all four sites, but is only good for two days.  It&#8217;s unlikely anyone will check the date, though.)</p>
<p>TAXI:  Nik An is out in the middle of nowhere.  A taxi from Trujillo will run you S/.10 ($3.50), and once you&#8217;re there, official taxis wait to ferry you to the other sites with set rates:  Museum—S/.5 ($1.75), Esmerelda—S/.7 ($2.35), and Arco Iris—S/.15 ($5.25).  Negotiate rates to visit all the sites.  An alternative would be to hire a taxi for the complete day (about S/.50 [$17.50], highly negotiable).  </p>
<p>BUS:  (All bus directions are from the city center outward, and each ride should cost you S/.1 [$0.30], except for the trip from Trujillo to Nik An, which will cost you S/.1.50 [$0.52].  Ask the wrangler to let you know where to get off—they&#8217;re usually quite good about helping.)</p>
<ul>
<li><b>Nik An</b> is, as we said, out in the middle of nowhere.  To reach it, take the orange Huanchaco bus from Av. España North and ask to be let off at Chan Chan.  From the highway there should be shuttles running to Nik An, though they break at odd hours, and we ended up walking a half-hour to get to the complex.  The <b>Site Museum</b> is on the same orange Huanchaco bus line, a little closer to town.  If you&#8217;re short on time, though, you won&#8217;t miss much by skipping it.  When coming back to town, make sure to catch the &#8220;B&#8221; Huanchaco bus if you want to go to the city center, as the others veer pretty far to the south.</li>
<li>To get to <b>Huaca Esmerelda</b>, take the orange Huanchaco bus or the green Nuevo California bus toward the outskirts of the city, near the Tottus super mall.  The bus should let you off in front of Iglesia Mansiche; walk to the right of the church and follow the road about four blocks.  The Huaca will be off to your right.</li>
<li><b>Huaca Arco Iris</b> is in a totally different direction, but is still pretty simple to get to by bus.  Catch a red-and-blue Esperanza Express on Av. España North, heading toward the Esperanza neighborhood.  You&#8217;ll take a lot of twists and turns before heading straight and true on Av. Nicolás de Pierola.  After about 10 minutes you should reach the huaca.  (Note:  If you&#8217;re following along on your LIMA 2000 brand Trujillo map, they&#8217;ve put Arco Iris in the wrong spot.  That&#8217;s actually Huaca Takaynamo (closed to the public).  Arco Iris is four blocks past it on the left-hand side.)</li>
</ul>
<p><b>City Tour</b>:<br />
<br />
<img alt="Door nocker, a brass hand holding a big ball. Nock nock." src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2712/4112470513_01af40de82_m.jpg" title="Door nocker, a brass hand holding a big ball. Nock nock." class="alignnone" width="240" height="152" /><br />
<br />
The rates of tour companies for City Tours, tours of the colonial- and republican-era Casonas Antiguas, vary wildly.  Some will charge you S/.15-20 ($5.25-7) per person, and some will put you in contact with a local guide for a lump sum of around S/.40 ($14), or more if they speak English.  You may ask at your hotel or the iPeru office on the Plaza de Armas to recommend a guide, as well.  Alternately, you can read about the houses and visit them on your own with a map from the iPeru office—most are open and free to the public.</p>
<p><b>The lowdown?</b>  If you&#8217;re short on time and want to get the full experience of these fantastic sites, a day tour would be your best, most economical bet.  Rates for private tours vary, but if you don&#8217;t like being herded around in a massive group, it&#8217;s worth spending the extra money.  Given the spread-out nature of Chan Chan complex it would be beneficial to sign up with a tour here, or at least hire a taxi.  Unless, that is, you have plenty of time and like riding city buses (which we admittedly like very much).</p>
<p><em>Related KnK Explore posts:</em></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://knkexplore.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/chan-chan/">Chan Chan</a></li>
<li><a href="http://knkexplore.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/northern-peru-things-are-very-old-here/">Huacas del Sol y de la Luna</a></li>
<li><a href="http://knkexplore.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/trujillos-casones-antiguas-antique-homes/">Trujillo&#8217;s Casones Antiguas</a></li>
<li><a href="http://knkexplore.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/huaca-arco-iris-aka-dragon-and-huaca-takaynamo/">Huaca Arco Iris</a></li>
</ul>


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<li><a href='http://www.unpavedsouthamerica.com/2010/photoessay/colonial-tourism-in-spanish-trujillo/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Colonial Tourism in Spanish Trujillo.'>Colonial Tourism in Spanish Trujillo.</a></li>
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