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               M.P., Ollanta and a Parade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            This page starts with the last couple of photos from Machu Picchu, then continues on with a cold wet morning at Ollantaytambo (Ollanta), then the return to Cuzco with some shots from their National day of Independence parade.

            The mystery in the masonry that I mentioned on the Machu Picchu page is much more apparent here at Ollanta, where mini-van sized boulders were taken from the opposite side of the valley - to accomplish this they re-routed the river, then returned to it's original spot to accommodate the moving of the boulders.  Ollanta was left unfinished and there are many carved boulders in the valley that the locals call "tired stones" because they just couldn't make it all the way, and there are several stones at the site that hadn't been placed yet. 

            Ollanta is the only site where the Incas actually defeated the Spanish in battle, using arrows and stones, and flooding the valley with the Urubamba river that they were accustomed to manipulating, so the Spaniards' horses couldn't move very well.  It was a short lived victory as the Spanish returned later with more men and took the site.

Click on the image and light a fart.

 

The main agricultural area on the southeast side.

Temple of the Sun.

This is actually the first thing Hiram Bingham saw that convinced him M.P. was something big. He initially thought it was a tomb.

Looking south from the main agricultural area.

The door.

Other side.

This setup served both agricultural and defensive purposes.

From the other side.

Ollanta, the town, is built largely on the same foundation the Incas made over 500 years ago.

More of those mini-van sized rocks that make up this wall.

Other side.

Another storage building.

It's labeled as a dangerous zone because it dropps straight down just beyond that warning sign.

On the ground below that drop off are other ruins, like the "throne" that's carved into the side of the rock.

Big ceremonial rocks at Ollantaytambo (Ollanta).

These water "veins" are allover the place and much of the irrigation systems that the Incas made there are still used today.

Trinkets.

Modern trinkets.

Back in Cuzco.

Prepping for the Independence day parade.

One of those discreet shots where I just sort of held up the camera quickly snapped a photo; it's one of my favorite.

This little kid was marching and saluting and waving the flag like he was directing the crowd. Cute.

Crowd shot.

The Che-head section; there were about a dozen of them and after they set off a couple of loud fireworks they were escorted away by the police.

The first part of the parade was a great marching band.

Closeup.

The next part of the parade was a re-writing of history - here's the Inca's being held captive and being beaten by the Spanish.

Here's the re-writing of history part, where the Inca's come back and kick some Spanish ass.

It was hillarious to watch the Incas beat on the Spanish soldiers and the crowd loved it.

More soldiers.

Another crowd shot.

When I was in marching band we had to memorize our music.

This is the Che-head crowd being kicked out.

Fire truck.

The back right quarter panel says it was donated by the State of Washington.

Cartoon cop.

Jumping through fire,

Then the dog turns around and looks, like he's just realized that the loop was actually on fire.