Ingapirca, Ecuador April 10, 1979

The Ingapirca ruins, the largest Incan ruins in Ecuador, are not far from Cuenca - easy to do in a day trip.  Sally, Rachel, and I were all keen to see them.  It seemed that the quickest and easiest way of getting there was to hitch, so we stood by the side of the road, with our arms out (they don’t use thumbs here like at home, just an arm lazily extended, vaguely in the direction you want to go).  We were picked up pretty quickly by a couple of guys in a pick up truck – although they were keen to have one of us ride up front with them, none of us felt like being ‘the one’, so we all jumped into the back as fast as we could, precluding any further negotiations.  The day was cloudy and cold, so Rachel and I huddled under my bright yellow plastic rain poncho while Sally snapped a photo.  


 

Road on the way to the ruins, where we stopped to pick up another traveler, Michel.



       Sally and Rachel with Michel.  The Ingapirca ruins are to the far right of the photo.

 


The ruins are amazing.  I’ve heard about the incredible artisanship of the rock work in Incan ruins, but this was my first chance to see it up close.  It’s hard to believe that they managed to cut the stone into such straight-edged blocks, and to fit them all together so tightly.  In some cases it’s true, you can’t insert a knife-blade between two adjoining rocks (I tried a couple with my Swiss army knife...).  The overall effect of walls and buildings constructed this way is so beautiful, and all the more so because of the soft earth colours – browns, golds, greys, and oranges.  






The most significant building is the Temple of the Sun, which was built around a huge rock.  Apparently it was positioned so that the sun, during the solstices, would shine directly through the center of the doorway of the small chamber at the top.  It is truly amazing that so many of these ancient cultures had so much knowledge about the cosmos.  I am truly awed and humbled by what I see, and look forward to visiting more Incan ruins – and of course the great Macchu Pijchu.... .

 

Note: For more information about Ingapirca go to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingapirca


While we were waiting to catch a ride back to Cuenca we explored a bit in the nearby town of Ingapirca.  It's in a stunning location - too bad the sun wasn't shining!



Lovely tile roof tops on buildings in the town of Ingapirca.



Not such impressive rock work, in the town of Ingapirca.

Location: Ingapirca, Ecuador

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