Oops, February is basically over and here I am only part-way through my South American adventure. I need to get better at time management… too much time taking naps and cursing this crappy weather when I should really be getting all my travel notes and photos in order. Sorry friends! Anyhoo, here’s the next installment in my travels.
My last day in Ecuador I went on a trip to check out some Incan ruins outside the town of Ingapirca. But first we made a short stop in a small town called Biblián. It’s about a 45 minute drive from Cuenca with a livestock market on the weekends that is it’s claim to fame. That, and this epic cathedral (which I actually learned is just outside of Biblián. Oh well, they still have their livestock).
Oh look, another church!
When you first arrive at the cathedral, el Santuario de la Virgen del Rocío, all you can do is look up. It’s built way up on the side of a huge hill, and to reach the cathedral and the sanctuary within you need to climb multiple winding stairs. I think there were about a hundred of them. It’s worth the climb, though. Once you finally reach the top you can see that the structure is actually built into the rock. I saw many, many, MANY churches in Ecuador, but this one by far was the most memorable.
Naturally, the view outside the sanctuary was pretty incredible.
Back on the bus it took only another hour of driving before we arrived at Ingapirca. The ruins at Ingapirca are the largest in the country. You can’t really see it from my photos, but from above, the entire structure was built to look like a puma.
The structure, built with the influence of both Incan and Cañari cultures, served as a fortress and storehouse for food and military provisions. There was also an was observatory for astronomers, and in the center of the complex (meant to be the puma’s brain) was a temple where the Incans worshipped the sun and made ritual sacrifices as was their custom. I still think it’s crazy that it looks like a puma. How the heck did they do that without airplanes to see what it would look like from the air??!
When the Spanish arrived in Ecuador it was destroyed during the conquest. They took the stones to build their own churches in — where else — Cuenca and now only the foundations and a couple hundred stones are left around the outskirts temple. Even then it’s still an amazing sight to see.
We strolled through what were once probably graineries, barracks, a convent (that when discovered was found to be full of female bones said to be used in the sacrifices.. eek), saw the remains of an intricate irrigation system, and a huge rock with holes in it that when filled with water helped the Incans tell the date by the way moonlight would hit it.
We also met a dog named Princess that followed us through the ruins pretty much until we left. Silly Princess.
And that was Ecuador! The next part of my trip took me back to Colombia, this time to Guatapé. More on that later (but not too late, I’m working on it)!
-C
