This summer, I will be joining a non-profit organization called United Planet as a volunteer for four weeks in Cusco, Peru. Once there, I will be working at the Aldea Infantil Juan Pablo II, a small orphanage in Cusco. Some of the things I'll be doing will include helping kids with their homework, helping children learn English, organizing activities for the kids, and assisting the orphanage staff in any way I can.
Why Peru? Currently, I teach fifth grade at Mathews Elementary School in Austin, Texas. Mathews serves as the home school for children of international graduate students who att... full info
TambomachayThis ruin, also known as the Inca's Bath, was a site for ritual bathing.
Tambomachay Waterfall 1The waterfalls in this and the following picture were built over 500 years ago and still function.
Tambomachay Waterfall 2Considering the volume and pressure of the water, many people believe that the source of the water is from a spring on the mountain opposite this site and that the water travels through an underground conduit.
Adobe HomeThis adobe home is covered with a traditional thatch roof. This is the sort of material that would have once covered all the Incan buildings in Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and at Machu Picchu.
Roof OrnamentYou can see these ornaments on roof-tops in and around Cusco. I was told that this ornament, with its cross and doves, is a Christian symbol. Nevertheless, this "Christian" symbol also includes the name of "Inti," the Incan sun god. I think that's called "covering your bets."
Natural Stone Carving at QenqoQenqo was once a waca, or shrine, that was carved out of the existing rock rather than built out of quarried stone. The Incans regarded mountains and stones with great reverence, or even as objects of worship. Each mountain had its own apu, or god. According to legend, the great Inca Pachacuteq successfully fought off an invasion of the Chanca tribe of the north when the stones of Cusco rose up to fight beside his warriors. After the victory, Pachacuteq oversaw the rebuilding of Cusco and initiated the building of Sacsayhuaman, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Machu Picchu.
Natural Stone Carving at QenqoAccording to one tourist guide, this stone shows the profile of an Incan face looking to the right. Others think it may have been a sitting puma or a phallic symbol.
Sofya
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awesome
It sounds like you are having a blast over there, Wackowitz. Looking nice and refreshed in those pictures. Good for you!!! Love, Sofya