Pisac Ruins

The hotel owner in Huaraz recommended visiting Pisac over Machu Picchu; more variety, less crowded and more relaxed. 

The archeological site lies about 1,500ft above the village which itself sits at around 10,000ft. To avoid exhaustion that comes with the thin air I elected to take a taxi up to the entrance, tour the site and use the walking trail back to the village. 

The site itself is in several sections, the centerpiece being the Temple to the Sun. The video provides a snapshot of the site in chronological order from the entrance to the walk out (or in) to the village.

A couple of features caught my attention in particular; the building styles and the water and irrigation system.

There appeared to be 3 levels of build at the main sites. Lower quality build using local stone, held together with relatively thick layers of adobe cement.

Local stone, that was well nested and required little cement in the joints.

The highest quality build, essentially limited to the Temple of the Sun, used imported cut stone for which the Inca's are known; no adobe required.

Though it seems that even the Inca's had the occasional quality control issue. The work of an apprentice or just a poor bit of craftmanship? Oops!

Water management was interesting, for example, the still flowing irrigation sources that to this day keep the terraces green in places.

More impressive was the water system at the Temple of the Sun, where high society lived, deserving of running fresh water at their doorstep.

Notice how the stream of water is channeled underground, to keep it clean as it ran through the development and also to reduce evaporation.

To reappear about 30 feet away into a collection sump, to then continue the downhill journey to the nearby terraces and eventually P'Isaga.

I wondered if the efficiency of water delivery/losses in this 600 year old system would put modern water companies to shame. 

Four and a half hours well spent.

Today, Saturday, has been low energy by design. No bike, no tourism, just hanging out and resetting for the next week. Tomorrow the destination is Espinar, or if time permits Chivay, the  gateway to Colca Canyon.

T2