The Spanish town of Pisac was built on an Inca settlement in the shadow of the great stone terraces of the Inca ruins. The ruins are on a ridge overlooking the fertile Urubamba Valley. The Incas built the terraces to the top of the mountain for cultivation and erosion control. Many tombs have been found here and there is a rare Intihuatana - a sacred carving or "hitching post of the sun". The Spaniards broke off the tops of many of the carvings when they conquered the Incas in 1572. They forced the Inca people to move down from the mountain in order to control them and wipe out their native religions.

It was a pretty strenuous hike up stone steps to the top of the ruins, but well worth the climb, with stunning views of the valley and town below. The Pisac ruins are one of the best examples of Inca stonemasonry.

Lunch was at Casa Orihuela - a private hacienda which has a large collection of colonial and Inca artifacts, including ceramics, paintings, weapons, photography and ceremonial vessels. Lunch featured home-cooked fare made with fresh produce from the plantation. Barb purchased a baby alpaca sweater that was hand knit by the grandmother of the owner of the hacienda.

For more photos of the Pisac ruins, click on Pisac Photo Gallery.

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