Ingapirca

Today we went to the largest Inca ruin site in Ecuador, Ingapirca, which is about a 2.5 hr bus ride from Cuenca. The site is approx. 1000 years old, and was first settled by the Cañari people. It was then conquered by the Inca 500 years later and they rebuilt on top of the site. The only original part is the Inca Sun Temple. The rest is a replica of what it was like. There was a museum onsite which had original artifacts taken from the area.

After the tour we had almuerso and wandered around the area. Great views of the Andes. The bus was supposed to be return to pick us up at 3:45 but it didn't show up so we walked to town (only about 10 minutes) and caught a bus to another town where we transferred to another bus back to Cuenca.


Ingapirca.




Wall of the Sun Temple. The Inca cut the stones with such precision you cannot even get a knife blade between the stones.


Llamas roamed freely on the site. This one was a "spitting" llama.


The flower of this tree is used to make a powerful drug. When the Inca royalty died their servants were drugged and buried alive with them to serve them in the afterlife.


Human skeletal remains in museum.