Cuzco - Saqsaywaman - Qorikancha

Today my plan is to visit Qorikancha or, the temple of the sun and the Saqsaywaman ruins.  They are both on the city tour but, since I have seen most of the city by foot, I will attempt these two on my own.  Saqsaywaman is about a mile out of town so, it could be a couple mile walk to get to it. 

Qorikancha was the most important temple in the Inca Empire, dedicated primarily to Inti, the Sun God.  As one of the most revered and respected temples of the city of Cusco, the walls and floors were once covered in sheets of solid gold, and the courtyard was filled with golden statues. Spanish reports tell of opulence that was 'fabulous beyond belief'. The majority of the gold collected to fill the ransom room for the Inca Atahualpa was collected from Coricancha.

The temple was demolished by the Spanish in the 17th century and the Church of Santo Domingo was built on the site, using the ruined foundations of the temple, and is a fine example of where Inca stonework has been incorporated into the structure of a colonial building. Major earthquakes have severely damaged the church, but the Inca stone walls, built out of huge, tightly-interlocking blocks of stone, still stand thanks to the sophisticated stone masonry.  Also at the site is an underground archaeological museum containing a number of interesting objects, including mummies, textiles and sacred idols.

Saqsaywaman was really awesome!  The correct pronunciation of it, if you were wondering, sounds like sexy woman. The stone work was simply incredible.  Huge stone walls and the stones were so well cut that after 1000 years many of the cracks between the stones are still so tight you can't get a piece of paper in.  This complex was known as the house of the sun and sits on high ground above the city.  It was built over three dynasties of Inca Kings and forms the head of the puma which Cusco was designed to look like.  No-one knows how the stones were cut or moved and so incredible well fit together.  It was one of the most important religious complexes of the royal Incan city of Cusco.

The doorway I am standing in was the doorway to the avenue of the sun.  It faces east and when the sun comes up it reflects through this doorway to the other doorway you see behind me.  This passageway was sacred and only the sun was allowed to go through here.  This massive stone complex was used as a stone quarry by the Spaniards to build the Santo Domingo church above and many other colonial buildings in Cusco.  It was being destroyed all the way up until 1945 when it was protected by the government.  There is still excavation going on at the site.

I went out to dinner tonight at a great place in Cusco called Cicciolina Bodega Tapas restaurant. It is on a second floor accessed through a courtyard. They serve Mediterranean style food and it was really excellent.  I took a small table in the bar area because they only serve the regular menu in the restaurant and I had the opportunity to watch the cooks preparing the food.  My table was in a window alcove overlooking the street. 

I first ordered a glass of Vino Alali Spanish Tempranillo and a tapas of Mushroom and Smoked trout.  The bread came out with hot fresh tomato sauce and some delicious Spanish Olives. 

The next course I selected was BBQ crispy octopus with Mediterranean salsa of rosemary roast tomatoes and garlic served with fresh salad of arugula and basil with dijon vinaigrette.  This dish was a revelation!  The octopus had a very nice texture, a little crispy on the outside, I loved every bite!  I ordered another glass of wine that would go well with my next course, an Argentinian wine called Tilogie which was a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot.  It was very nice with a lot of depth and a spicy finish on the tongue. 

I had been craving some comfort food all day so, when I saw the Osso Bucco bathing in a thick Black beer sauce accompanied by Rvioli filled with Pumpkin, Serrano Cheese, Pecans and wild mint I had to go for it!  The Osso Bucco was rich and succulent and cooked to perfection!  I was glad to have gotten some more bread because I sopped up every drip of sauce on both the octopus and osso bucco plates.  Bon Appetit!