Happy Mother´s Day From Cajamarca

Plaza de Armas, Cajamarca

This weekend we decided to check out Cajamarca. It is about a 7 hour bus ride into the mountains northeast of Trujillo. We arrived early Saturday morning and read about the sights to see around Cajamarca, and quickly learned there is a lot of history. Our first stops were to check out the colonial church and hospitals of Belen. We hired a guide (in Spanish) and it was very helpful to learn a bit more about the history. Our last stop of the morning was the El Cuarto del Rescate (¨Ransom Room). This is where the Incan king, Atahaulpa, was held ransom for gold and silver. The Spanish conquistadors captured Atahaulpa in Cajamarca. The history of the Spanish conquest and downfall of the Incan Empire is fascinating and it began right in Cajamarca. Here is a link if you want to read more (we recommend it!).

After grabbing a snack we hopped on a micro to the Baños del Inca. This is where Atahaulpa was before being lured to meet with the Spaniards in Cajamarca. Now it is a complex of different rooms with hot water from natural springs directed into bathtubs. It was amazing. We soaked for about an hour. Next we went for an hour long walk through the countryside to the pre-Incan ruins of Ventanillas del Otuzco. These were burial sites carved into a cliff face. It was interesting and the walk there was a lot of fun. We really appreciated being able to speak Spanish because we asked for directions about 8 times. It was a great day.

Today we woke up early and booked a tour to Cumbe Mayo. This is another pre-Incan archeologic site located about 12 miles from the city of Cajamarca. It consists of an aqueduct that strectches for 9 kilometers. There is not a lack of water in Cajamarca. The aqueduct was made for ceremonial purposes. Much of the 9 kilometer aqueduct was cut into rock! Once we got back to Cajamarca we decided since we are only here once we should take advantage of it. So we went back the to the hot springs at the Inca Baths (after calling our Mom´s, of course). The rest of the day was spent walking around Cajamarca. This town is really nice. Tons of history and archeology, cheap, and barely any tourists. In a few hours we´ll be heading back to Trujillo for our last week of volunteering.

Here are some pictures from today. We hope everyone had a great Mother´s Day.

Pre-Incan petroglyphs on the aqueduct at Cumbe Mayo.

Colonial church on the Plaza de Armas.

A rainbow at sunset!

Sunset on the street.