Pumamarca Ruins

And so we set off to Pumamarca, walking up a gently sloping river valley. We passed many stone terraces, generally of inferior construction to those we saw yesterday in Ollantaytambo, but just as big. Each terrace was taller than me (click below and blow up the photo to see just how small I am).

They don't appear to be cultivating anything on these terraces.

Part of our hike took us alongside a stone irrigation channel that had been maintained for centuries. Even so, the land on either side consisted of overgrown grasses and bushes.

I thought the terraces might make good grazing spots, but we saw no cows or sheep happily munching away. The stone steps that led from one terrace to the next were nothing more than large stone rungs sticking out from the terrace walls. Climbing these large steps was exhilarating. They were still functional after who knows how many centuries of disuse.