On 2/11 we saw a hint of the Incan Empire when we went to Todo Santos, a beautiful church/convent complex. The site has been the home of three religions/people: first a Cañari (indigenous people who lived in Ecuador before the Incans) religious site as old as 800 years; then an Incan religious site with two mummies that are currently being excavated which is around 500 years old; and then a chapel that was first built by the Spanish and was the first Catholic church in Cuenca in the 1550s. We were given a tour including the sites I just told you about plus the church, gardens and bakery. Six nuns still live at Todo Santos. We passed one as she was taking her figs up into the main building.
We hit a couple of previously viewed artisan shops. I wanted to get some tin work. A little old guy cuts and beats tin into shapes from religious icons to mirror frames to Cuencan scenes. Stephanie wanted to get a special silver filagree necklace by Andrea Tello, a third generation Ecuadorian jeweler who has found international recognition. Purchases made.
Then we went back to our favorite park - Parque de la Madre. The kids ran around and we met a family from Washington D.C., who work at the US embassy. This was a mellow day but still fun.
On 2/12 we journeyed to the Temple of the Sun. The Incan Empire stretched from Argentina to Columbia. The best preserved site in Ecuador is at Ingapirca. We were accompanied by our previous tour guide from way back in December when we got to Ecuador - Priscila. This time her partner and driver was her father-in-law Rolando. They are both proud Cuencans and Ecuadorians who love to show off their homeland. Rolando has been to Ingapirca 5 times. The drive took us up over 3500 meters and down just a little bit. Rolando took us on back roads allowing us to see farms, little towns and a Carnaval Parade. The paraders were decked out in native and Incan costumes and were making music and noise. They squirted us with shaving cream, laughed, gave us a shot of the local hooch and kept in their merry way.
Shortly after that we arrived at Ingapirca. I cannot fully describe how cool this site was and the pictures do not quite show you, but I will do my best. We had a tour guide with nothing but enthusiasm for the site and its history. He brought the place to life with his stories and information.
The Incans built Ingapirca to have control over the local Cañari people. There was some cooperation because the construction has obvious Cañari influences. The Cañai worshiped the moon and were matriarchal. The Incans worshiped the sun and were patriarchal. The archaeological site has two temples. The Cañari Temple to the Moon and the Incan Temple of the Sun. The sun temple had the prototypical Incan precisely cut and carefully placed rectangular stones that didn't require mortar. Different from all other Incan sites, here they used an oval for their religious building, likely due to Cañari influences. A small building was built on top of the oval structure to let in the rising sun in on one side and the setting sun in on the other. It faced directly east and west. At the equinox, the sun shone onto a golden statue set in the wall and at the solstices, the sun shone onto a niche with an altar.
Across the complex, the Cañari temple dedicated to the moon stands - this one in a half moon shape. As more evidence of their moon worship, the Cañaris had a big (4 feet tall, three feet on the face) stone carved with 28 holes with slightly different angles. They were filled with water and used to observe the moon's reflection. One hole for each day of the lunar month. 28 times 13 months plus one day to worship the moon equals 365. Their entire agricultural calendar depended on the cycle of the moon, and still does. Seeds are planted on the fifth day after a new moon.
To the side of the site is a field of rectangular stones that people have been returning to the site from their farms and houses over the years. Maybe some day they will figure out where they go.
All of this site, with the two temples and well-organized outer buildings, is perched on the top of a hill near the top of a ridge looking out over a beautiful valley now dotted with little houses and farms. During our trip, one end of the valley was shrouded with clouds from the warmer wet air from the coast. Llamas walk around the site keeping the grass short. I can say no more about the place - it was an incredible experience.
On the way home our hosts took us to a pig place on the side of the road where the locals cook a whole pig out in the open. It was super yummy but not for the faint of heart.
2/13 our time in Cuenca is drawing near to an end. Today was mellow. We made the kids sleep in. We did homework and went to the park. We had an all-meat lunch at an Uraguayian place with Priscila and José Luis. Then we wandered into town and saw a couple of sites again. Word of advice for traveling with familie: kids do not get hanging out and people watching. We had a final Maracuya Mojito and headed home for dinner. Tomorrow we will pack, go into old town for a few more sites and get some rest for Sunday when we have a six-hour drive through the mountains. I must remember to see if we have enough Dramamine.
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