Incas and Broken Llama Legs

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Today we hit up the most important Inca ruin in Ecuador, Ingapirca, located in the Canar province. No Machu Picchu, but impressive nonetheless. The area is named for the Canari peoples who used to inhabit this part of Ecuador some time ago. The Inca's eventually conquered the Canari after a long and hard fought war in the late 1400s. After conquering their foes, the Incas razed the existing Canari worship site and built their own sun temple worship site on top. Ironically today the site is run by Canari decendents, bittersweet I should think. Main thing to note at this site is the mortarless stone work of the actual sun temple itself. The Incas are well known for this type of masonry. The huge stones were cut with such precision as to fit together without gaps and require no binder. Truely impressive.

Megan and I are infatuated with llamas, weird looking things, but cute at the same time. On the outskirts of the site we happen upon a family of them and snap some pics. The baby apparently has a broken leg which dangles and flops around as he hobbles around. Poor thing. Mama is very protective and races up as we're getting snaps of her baby so we don't stick around too long.

Back in Cuenca we stroll the streets once more taking snaps of the beautiful colonial architecture, you really just can't get enough.

Tomorrow is our last day in Ecuador and as with all vacations the sadness at the realization its coming to a close begins to set in. We've only just scratched the surface of this multifaceted country...

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