Q'enko

Q'enko, another Inca ruin above Cusco, is about 1/2 mile from Sacsayhuaman. The hike was fairly easy, fairly flat along a road that was not very busy. But, I was feeling the effects of the altitude that day and it seemed a lot farther than 1/2 mile.

In this picture you can see the carved out remains of a large ceremonial chair. Q'enko is a small ruin believed to have been the site of ceremonial rituals of fertility and solstices.

This picture shows a large table believed to have been used for sacrifices.

Q'enko is primarily a series of carved stones which were used for tables, chairs, and other ceremonial uses. They sit atop a hill underneath which are caves and tunnels---at least that's what the guide book said. Grant and walked the perimeter of the ruin and couldn't find any way to get under the ruin. There were no guides at the site---in fact we saw only two other people the whole time we were there.

The site of Q'enko was beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing. Even Grant welcomed the chance to sit and relax.

We were there on a Monday which was probably part of the reason there weren't many people. We also happened to be visiting the ruins in the off season.

This day, December 5, also happened to be my mother's birthday. She would have been 92.

This is the view Grant saw as he sat at Q'enko. You can see Cusco below. Cusco sits at an altitude of 11,000 feet. I don't know the altitude of Q'enko and Sacsayhuaman, but you can see that they are considerably higher. I would have loved to have had a GPS on this trip.

This picture also shows the remains of another structure, perhaps something for storage.

Here Grant is heading up the hill away from Q'enko. You can see the wall of Q'enko on the right and on the left is a grove of trees that I was enthralled with. I haven't been able to identify them. The bark looked like the bark of a cedar tree, the leaves were long, thin, and smooth. The "nuts" were small with a point on each end and on the ground they were opened across the middle and had a star design on the inside.

There are two more ruins above Cusco. The next one is about a mile from Q'enko and the last another 1/2 mile or so from it. When we left our hostel that morning, we had planned to visit all 4 ruins. It didn't seem like a bad hike---two miles each way. Two miles at home are nothing, but two miles at 11,000 + feet was something else. We decided to return to Cusco after visiting Q'enko. We were hungry, thirsty, and feeling the effects of the altitude. I worried that Grant would be disappointed and feel he had missed out because he was with an "old" woman, but I think he was ready to return also.