Getting High in Peru, Archaeological Adventuress, Year 2: Choquequirao, Day 3

Choquequirao, Peru’s “Cradle of Gold City,” is NOT the Sister City of Machu Picchu or the OTHER Machu Picchu

            Five Day Four Night Trek: this is Day 3

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

View of the Waterfall which the Inca tapped with an aquaduct

We are heading down to the terraces

We viewed the terraces on Day 2 from outside the Park

            Mark Adams, an editor for a US travel magazine decided a few years ago to follow in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham one hundred years after Hiram and entitles his book, Turn Right at Machu Picchu, Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time, 2011. Mark Adams’ book is both an informative and an interesting read, and of course, as Bingham did from Cusco, Adams determines to head for Choquequirao, and as Bingham did (and now me). Adams hires a guide, mules, and starts walking.

The 1st two tents are ours and the last 2 are of the German couple and their chef

Our three tents at the Park's campground

Our Chef's tent and Guide Edson

            This is Day 3 and we are camped at the site’s campground, Raqaypata. We slept in until 6 AM when we were woken up to Mate de Coca, a small tub of warm water to wash up, and then out to an omelet breakfast. Day 3 is the day where we will spend the entire day at the site. Edson informed us that we would be going down (at least 600m/2000 feet) to the lower terraces before heading back up to the upper terraces and then farther up to the Priests’ Houses and Plaza (900m/3000 feet) before going down to the llamas (at least 600m/2000 feet). We will have lunch at our campsite before returning to the Plaza. After our visit to the llamas, we then need to ascend once again to the Plaza. Add up the numbers and you’ll know why my thighs ached. Edson knew this, but so be it, I am here for the one and likely only time. Bingham wrote about crawling on all fours, and I thought that this is what I might be doing on our two ways back up in elevation. 

Heading down

Our destination, the Water House with its channels

Approaching the House

            Adams devotes chapters to the family history of Hiram Bingham, which provided me with another serendipitous moment since Hiram’s grandfather, Hiram I (the First) was Abner Hale in James A. Michener’s book Hawaii. Hiram I was the inflexible missionary sent to Hawaii in the 1800s. I loved that book and almost went to Hawaii to study archaeology there, in spite of Abner Hale. However, it was a road not taken (My Dad forced me to cancel my air ticket and he paid me back the cost.). Soon thereafter and in the Middle East, archaeologist Trude Dothan became my boss and friend at the excavation Tel Miqne-Ekron (Israel) for more than a dozen years. Before she became my boss, she had been interviewed extensively by James A. Michener and his staff, and Trude became the female Israeli archaeologist in Michener’s book, The Source. That book was my road taken. And now I am here at Choquequirao following in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham III.   

            While on the road to Cachora, the town too where we were to get our mules, Adams mentions about the difficulty in getting at Inca history. Other sources I’ve used mention likewise. The Incas had no written language (as far as we know today) so archaeologists try to get at their history through the artifacts, but from my experience, this is extremely difficult. Yes, it is true that some written sources come through the Spanish, Hernando Pizarro, for example, but, his is a self-serving account of trying to impress the king. (An analogy: This may be like trying to learn about Iraq and its people by reading an account of the US 2003 invasion of Iraq written by Dick Cheney or Donald Rumsfeld [my former boss at one time]. Adams also references Dick Cheney in an analogy.)

            The last Inca (King) Titu Cusi dictated his version of events some 40 years after the demise of his Uncle Atahualpa. A half-native writer then residing in Spain, Garcilaso de la Vega wrote his account 50 years after he left Peru. Felipe Huamán Poma de Ayale, whose family were nobility during the Inca Empire days wrote a 1000-page report (with 100s of drawings) to the Spanish king about the tragic results to the Inca peoples. He hoped that his report would lead the Spanish king to help his enslaved peoples. This report was lost until early in the 20^th century.  

My students (while I taught for more than 30 years) and others have always asked me what was the most exciting or important artifact I/we uncovered. I remember a find of gold jewelry (from around 1500 BC) and shouting out “gold” and everybody came running. I remember a silver jewelry cache (found by my oldest daughter who was 16 or 17 at the time), carved ivory, or other gold objects all of which are finally now on display in museums. However, the most important artifact (and also in a museum) and which I had the privilege of filming its uncovering was the cornerstone of a Philistine temple which, once translated, basically announced to us “Welcome to Ekron,” listing their kings, and their goddess. Most names had been unknown to us.  That inscription was uncovered 14 years after myself and others began excavating the site, and we did not even know if the site/city was Ekron until the inscribed stone was recovered. We now had the language that the Philistines (Remember the David and Goliath story?) were using here in the east Mediterranean. Therefore, the fact that the Inca had no written language makes it extremely unlikely that we will get to know the Inca culture well.  

Adams points out how much the Choquequirao site is similar to Machu Picchu. It is in the Sacred Valley and connects to Machu Picchu by a complex system of “Inca Trails.” In hindsight, I could have trekked to Choquequirao and then onto Machu Picchu. But, my thighs ached through Day 4, so it likely would not have been a wise choice, but I did meet two guys today who were doing that trek. Choquequirao, as Machu Picchu, was built up on a high ridge with a sacred river below almost surrounding it and surrounded by higher peaks, Apus, the mountain gods. Machu Picchu is at 2430m (8068 feet depending where you stand) and Choquequirao is at 3030m (10,060 feet) and higher depending again where you stand. Choquequirao also has upper and lower terraces with a central plaza and usnu platforms where the religious rites were conducted, and as Machu Picchu has a winter solstice line passing through, so did Choquequirao. As in ancient Egypt, the Inca king was a son of the sun god, Inti, so the solstice line would be important for the Inca (King) to reinforce to his people that the sun god was with him. 

Inside the house with the water channel

Inside the house with the channels and pool where the water gathered

Water House surrounded by the terraces

Water Channel coming down from FAR above

We descended from the campground to explore the lower terraces. The pictures show the waterfall tapped by the Inca via an aqueduct high above the Plaza, which you will see again. Here, down below, the Inca built a Water House through which the water flowed. This reminded me of Petra (Jordan) where I helped supervise the excavation of a house that also had flush toilet capabilities. The pictures (included) show the channel through the house. Edson then led us down to the Ceremonial Rock where he demonstrated a Shaman ritual using coca leaves, flowers, and in our case, water. 

Door locking mechanism as at Machu Picchu

We head for the other terraces soon

Water House Complex with a sign for the Sacred Rock

The Sacred Rock below

The Sacred Rock

Edson and Froydis gathered flowers

Coca leaves, female (left) and male (right)

Water libation

Edson and Neal

After ascending the terraces once again (Ow, my thighs), Edson led us to the Priest’s House, actually twin houses. From here, it is a short walk to the edge of the ridge where you can look down and see the Apurimac River wind around Choquequirao; however, I could not do it (Years ago, no problem. What happened since?), and I should have given my camera to one of the other two who did stand at the edge and look down. So, the priests actually had the prime real estate here, a private location overlooking the sacred river and alone with the gods.  

On our way to the other terraces and then back up 600m.

The water channel

The source of the water is this distant waterfall delivered by aqueduct

Massive and extensive terracing

One of the archaeologist's Kitchens

Additional Inca Structures

Guide Edson

Our tents have been packed on the mules

Sherd of a large flat-bottomed container

Other gathered artifacts

Red-slipped burnished jar rim

Priests' House

The Sacred River below

Two identical houses

Here is the point from which I stepped back

Sign for the Usnu and the Priests' House

Back at the Usnu and the offering from yesterday left by the film crew. The Plaza is below

At the Plaza again and looking at the doorway leading up to the Usnu.

The Plaza

The 70 lb basalt doorway locking stone I recovered

Now we took the path back up to the Usnu, the sacred platform where I again photographed yesterday’s offering placed by a film crew. When we went back down to the Plaza, I showed Edson and Froydis the “eye socket” artifact I found on Day 2 and shot them trying to lift it. Then we started our descent down to the llamas. I protested. I was sore. Both Edson and Froydis stated, “Neal, we are here because of you. This is what you wanted to see.” (Another emotional moment.)

Heading down the terraces on the other side of the ridge to the llamas.

Only a small part of the terraces have been uncovered as on the other side of the ridge

 

Edson's shot of me with the llamas

I'm heading back up. Froydis' shot of me before I crawled as H. Bingham did.

I responded, “Okay, but I did not really understand that I had to go another 600m down and then back up. You two take the pictures.” Both of them insisted that I go along, so, I began the descent. Then, when I got to the llamas, they said that I needed to go to the observation platform further below and opposite the terraces. I again protested, and Froydis stated, “I am here because of you. I was not interested in the archaeology of the site until you showed up. Let’s go.” So, we trekked to the Observation Platform, where I asked Edson to take pics of me. I was worried, as he leaned way back, that he would fall below and that we would lose our guide; I kept on telling him not to lean so far back. Shortly after, while they were reflecting on the view, I began my trek back up. I told the two that they would probably catch up to me. Periodically, I looked back to notice that they were watching me, but once out of their view, I did crawl back up, Hiram Bingham fashion (part of the way). But, finally, I made it back to the Plaza seven minutes before they arrived. They relaxed on the grass; I was unable since if I too relaxed on the grass, I would need their help in getting back up. That would be too embarrassing. 

Back up at the Plaza and before we headed to Camp #3

Leaving the terraces and back into the forest

The bug killed (?) the spider and is dragging it back home. (5cm/2in scale)

Later, I made the comment, “We’re losing the light” a photographer’s phrase I picked up in the Middle East, that the sun was leaving us. Just then, condors appeared over the site. Edson said that this was a good sign; I agreed, thinking back to my Middle East experiences. We watched them for a while and then headed back down, bypassing the campground to head for the Marampata campground located in that village just outside and below the park at 2920m/9694 feet. We had lunch there on Day 2.

I did shoot the avalanche sign with Choquequirao behind.

Heading to our Campground #3 above and below.

Our tents at Marampata

As we continued, and before we reached the Welcome Center, we heard a loud noise--another avalanche at the same spot (I do have a pic of the sign) as on our way in, but this one was a more serious avalanche. Again, we scurried across when the avalanche stopped. We passed by the “Welcoming Center,” now vacant since the park’s guards were already at Raqaypata, the park’s campground.

We made it back to Marampata, after taking a few emotional pics (for me) of Choquequirao. Our tents were up so I put my gear in mine and soon savored some Chi Cha given to me by Edson. It was produced here and some of the men and Edson were enjoying it. So, I asked Edson, “Get me some, please.” Froydis and I both agreed that it needed another day or two to ferment, but the others were appreciating multiple glasses of it.

            After another gourmet meal, we retired to our tents to await the descent in the morning and the ascent in the afternoon of Day 4.