We met the media team at the airport the next morning and flew over to Cusco, our base for the next 12 days. That day would be an acclimation day -- Cusco sits at nearly 11,000 feet. The hotel wasn't fancy, but it had what we needed: security and an elevator because we had a lot of expensive and heavy equipment, a superlative location right off the main plaza, and included breakfast that started each day at 5a which is key when you leave at 6a for a location.
The team spent some time acclimating and scoping out the area, including the light at different times of the day. It was winter, so short days combined with the altitude made a difference. We had timed the trip to coincide with the big Festival of the Sun, and we also needed to do interviews and other fieldwork. First up was prepping for the festival and taking advantage of the short time we had with one of our key consultants. We got lucky the first full day and were able to join the dress rehearsal for the festival and interview several of the main actors. The next day, we had permission to visit Sacsayhuaman, the northern Temple of the Sun in the city, at sunrise.
Known for its spectacular masonry, Sacsayhuaman is three levels of zigzag walls, constructed of precisely carved stones that have remained standing for more than 500 years, despite earthquakes, storms, and, astoundingly, no mortar. It is an unforgettable and powerful place.
At altitude in the Andes, the sun comes up quickly. It's dark and photography is really hard and then, boom-- it's light. It was remarkable. This is part of a quarry for work that was ongoing at the time the Inka Empire fell.
Here is the construction of the ushnu (platform) for the festival ceremony, and all the bleachers. Little did I know but this was all I'd see of the festival here this year. (I was felled by a stomach bug that morning. I made setup in the plaza, and not long after the festival started, I had to leave. Sad. And I was really bothered about abandoning my duties.)
Beautiful stonework! No iron tools. I can't imagine.
We did some interview filming up top where the tower and sacred buildings were located. Our consultants are mapping these remains and reconstructing the buildings. It's going to be incredible!
I love it there.
For some scale.... Some of these giant boulders -- clearly they went into place first -- weigh more than 100 tons.
And the zigzags....
We then went back after the festival, to do interviews with the other consultant as well as some panoramic photography and 3D scanning. Notice the difference in the light this morning. Beautiful.
This day we crossed the field and climbed up the other side. The walls are equally dramatic, but in a different way.
And on our way back our crossing was interrupted by a herd of alpaca. Alpaca are cousins to llamas, and well known for their high-quality wool. Alpaca garments are a very popular souvenir -- and very nice to have!
We had several big field trips planned to cover specific content needs of the project. Long days, close quarters, and never completely sure of who we were meeting or what we were doing, we wrangled multiple schedule changes every day, right to the end. We had a few days of interviews where we rented a quiet hotel room, and that gave me a chance to do some of the buying I'd been tasked with. And time to fight off my stomach bug --thankfully I was the only one who got really sick, but it kicked me around for a week. I do find pharmacists in Latin America incredibly helpful people. We didn't get to watch as much World Cup as we wanted, but we tried. And while I still didn't get the chance to just wander this beautiful city, visit museums, and soak it up, because there was never free time, I feel like I got to figure it out a little this time, and find my way around a bit. Next up: Pisac.
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