Day 48 - First Glimpse of the Incas - El Fuerte

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We woke early for an 8am start with Michael Blendinger tours, only to find a note on the shop window telling us to return at 9:30am. I don't think 5 months in South America will encourage me to become more easy going about such things, despite Chris's best efforts!

We were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by an eccentric English speaking German, Frank, on our return (as we had expected a non-English speaking guide plus translator). With no-one else on our tour, Frank was our private guide for the day, and full credit to him. He has lived in Bolivia for 10 years (and travelled here for some 10 years before that) and was a fountain of information on flora, fauna (especially birds) and Bolivian (and wider Andean/Inca) history - cultures, indigenous groups and politics. At first his wisdom and enthusiasm only riled me, as I could only think of how poor and uninformative our Kumuka guide had been, and she had lived in South America her whole life! What a rip off. As soon as we started hiking my frustrations evaporated - gorgeous scenery, a beautiful sunny day, and we were all alone. Frank had shown us around the museum of the near Inca ruins "El Fuerte," so we could better appreciate it upon arrival. Essentially it is a huge mound of sandstone, entirely covered with carved works such as zoomorphic and anthropomorphic images, geometric patterns, niches and a channelling system. It is considered one of the most remarkable pre-Colombian ritualistic sites in the world. Unfortunately, due to its composite material, Sandstone, erosion has taken away much of the detail. Still depicted are niches resembling seats, an amphitheatre area, chambers in the walls (where it is thought mummies were "given to the gods" before burial) and a number of animal carvings representing indigenous species - jaguars, puma, snake and condor. Evidence of the ritualistic and sacrificial use of the site are channelling systems in the zigzag pattern found on snakes backs, down which blood no doubt once ran, not only from animals but also young women. At 200m by 60it is the largest carved rock of its nature in the world and served many uses in addition to the ritualistic ones - it marks the convergence of the highlands and lowlands (literally, Andes on one side and Amazon on basin on the other) so was a "melting pot" for inter-related cultures; and also a meeting point, trading centre and fortress. It was named as "El Fuerte" following its discovery and conquest by the Spaniards, but originally it bore the name of the new town in which we stayed: Samaipata, meaning "rest at the heights".

After mistaking vultures for condors in town, and gutted not to have seen condors in Torres del Paine where they are commonly spotted, we were lucky enough to see one today! Pretty far away though, so it could have equally been a vulture to my eyes. Condors are the heaviest flying bird, with a wing span of about 3 metres; what a sight. We were reassured by Frank we should see lots up close in Colca Canyon in Peru.

Back at the hotel we had one of their big breakfasts (served until 9:30pm!) and a hot chocolate and pancakes for me. Then you guessed it, the Black Sheep! Board games, beer and mulled wine!

Chris's Corner

We arrived at the bottom of the hill under "El Fuerte," the end of the easily passable road and our start point, to find a car completely stuck in a river! Apparently the driver had driven in for fun, only to discover his engine no longer worked half buried in water - shock! Frank, the character that he was, jumped straight in the river to push while another car towed from the edge.

So Frank... our personal guide, knowledgeable and eccentric, wielded his machete and carved a path up the lesser walked outskirts of the site on a spur of the hill. Great to be trekking again after a few inactive days! We stopped for lunch at a viewpoint in the sun, sheltered from the wind with a perfect panoramic view of El Fuerte and the jungle behind.

I can definitely tell you that the bird we saw was a condor, a white ruff around its neck and white wing tops were a give away, but Frank jumping up and down with excitement next to us confirmed it! Definitely infectious.

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