Remote Sensing the Mysteries of Ollantaytambo

Look closely: many mysteries are contained in this photograph of Ollantaytambo, Peru. I took it “from the hip” during my visit to the ancient city. Only recently, while magnifying photos like this, did I discover several details that I overlooked while on site. Remote sensing at its simplest – through a telephoto lens!    

(Above) View of Ollantaytambo, looking north.

The original “wide shot” photo shows portions of Ollantaytambo’s spiritual, military, and agricultural sectors. I’ve “zoomed in” on various aspects of the image to create four, more detailed, shots. 

You Make Your Own Path

Okay, I admit it: I’ve taken a strange and winding path over the last few years, and now I’m totally obsessed with Andean history. When I started researching the Incas, my goal was to establish a foundation for writing a sequel to Chaturanga. But one thing led to another and now I’m making videos and posting about ancient architecture, mythology, metaphysics, and geocosmic alignments.

(Above) Standing next to the Machu Picchu's Sun Gate (Intipunku), overlooking the mysterious "lost city of the Incas."

What happened, you ask? Consuming books and delving back through ancient texts, I’m both shocked and fascinated by how little we truly know about our past. The linear version of history that I was taught in school – largely based upon huge assumptions, yet which I accepted without a second thought – is rapidly being disrupted by new discoveries and theories. The more I learn about ancient Peru (and its counterparts around the world), the more I appreciate that history is, indeed, a vast and mysterious frontier for the modern-day explorer.

Llaqtallaqtayoc: A Little-Known Ruins in the Sacred Valley of Peru

In southern Peru’s Sacred Valley, on a mountain west of the ancient city of Ollantaytambo, lie the ruins of several stone structures. The original name and purpose are not known, but this site may predate the Inca Empire. Its proximity to the ancient rock quarry of Cachiqata has inspired a theory that these buildings once served as an administrative office, or perhaps as a school for masons. Long before the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 1530s, Andean stoneworkers may have come here to learn the arts of toolmaking, stone-splitting and shaping, as well as methods for transporting and setting these gigantic blocks. In this video, I explore what is left of this complex and how it may have supported construction activities at Cachiqata and Ollantaytambo.

My guide explained that this site is known by two names. The first, Llaqtallaqtayoc, means “big place” or “big town.” However, judging by the small size of this ruins, that name doesn’t seem to apply, unless it’s actually a reference to nearby Ollantaytambo. Or maybe the name had been altered over many centuries. Was it originally called “Llaqta camayoc,” which is Quechua for “village administrator,” in reference to its role as the quarry’s administrative office?

The Moonstone Trek: Part 4 - Into the Sacred Valley

After crossing the Accoccassa Pass in early-afternoon, our party headed down into the Chancachuco Valley to make camp. As the condor flies, we had only advanced 5 miles today. But we’d traveled up and down thousands of feet in elevation, back and forth along countless switchbacks, all the while gasping for oxygen in the thin air. This certainly wasn’t the most difficult climb of my life, but it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, either. (Click HERE to read Part 3).

The several hours I spent crossing the Chancachuco Valley rank among my favorite during the Moonstone Trek through southern Peru. Falling back from the rest of my team, I found myself alone in a vast and breathtaking landscape of glacier-topped mountains, colorful alpine slopes, clear running streams, and the occasional herd of llama and alpaca.

The Moonstone Trek: Part 3 - Heading for the Pass

Morning broke in the small hamlet of Chillipahua to the tune of whinnying horses and canvas flapping in a gentle breeze. I stepped out of my tent into the cold air to survey my surroundings. As the shadows retreated from the rising sun, our cooks began preparing what I knew would be another amazing meal, thus giving me time to collect my gear and my thoughts for the upcoming day.

This was day two of my Moonstone Trek through southern Peru, which began near Huaracondo and would end at the mountaintop citadel of Machu Picchu. During the previous day,

The Moonstone Trek: Part 2 - Huaracondo to Chillipahua

After leaving the market town of Huaracondo (click HERE to read/watch Part 1), my van threaded its way through the winding mountain roads toward the trailhead. I was excited to get out and start my adventure through the Andes Mountains to Ollantaytambo. 

At the trailhead, I met my muleteers. These guys were amazing. They transported my supplies across the rugged land and cooked

The Moonstone Trek: Part 1 - The Road to Huaracondo

This is Part 1 of my video series: “The Moonstone Trek: My Journey from Cusco to Machu Picchu.” In 2017, I went to Peru to learn about its history and culture. As part of that visit, I undertook a trek from the ancient capital of the Incas to their famous “lost city” in the Andean cloud forest. My route followed an Inca road system once used by royal chaskis (runners) who carried information and goods across the largest pre-Columbian empire in the Americas.  For five days, I traveled by bus, train, and foot over mountains and rivers that range from 7,000 to more than 15,000 feet above sea level. Along the way, I explored archaeological sites, visited market towns and rural villages, and admired breathtaking views of glacier-capped mountains and the brilliant Milky Way. Join me on this enchanting journey down one of the lesser-known branches of the Inca Trail and discover the geography, architecture, and people of this great land.

In this episode, we explore the colorful markets of Izcuchaca and Huaracondo. Along the way, I also make a stop at the Inca ruins known as Quillarumiyoc (the Moonstone of the Andes); that visit is documented in my video here. 

Quillarumiyoc: The Moonstone of the Andes

Quillarumiyoc is a pre-Columbian archaeological site located 30 miles northwest of Cusco, Peru. It lies upon the plain of Anta, a rich agricultural area where potatoes, barley, and quinoa have been grown for centuries. Farmers inhabit the area now, but 500 years ago the Incas visited this site to worship the cosmos, and perhaps the moon goddess (Quilla) especially. Indeed, Quillarumiyoc is Quechua for “stone of the moon,” and its most distinctive feature is a crescent that is carved in the limestone rock. But in reality, very little is known about the site, including whether Quillarumiyoc was its original name, or if lunar worship truly was its main purpose. Few tourists visit the complex nowadays, but those who do are treated to a spectacular display of stone terraces, water channels, caves, and thrones set against the backdrop of rolling hills and forest.

I came here in October 2017 at the start of my week-long trek through the Andes Mountains. My group was traveling by bus to

The Coricancha: Part 4

This is the final blog post (and video) about the Coricancha, or “Great Enclosure,” located in Cusco, Peru. Here are the links to Part 1 and Parts 2 and 3.

My final hours at the Coricancha were spent investigating the many trapezoidal doorways and niches, as well as the mysterious enclosures located on the eastern and western sides of the complex. I also investigated the instructive model that site curators constructed to theorize what the entire structure may have looked like before the Spaniards attacked it with their crowbars. Next, I ventured outside to investigate the top of the distinctive, curved wall on the Coricancha’s exterior, paying particular attention to the perplexing square- and rectangle-shaped protrusions on the stones. My visit concluded with an examination of two modern paintings – of the Milky Way and invisible “ceque” lines – on display in an open-aired hallway, and which emphasize this site’s astrological and religious function.

In previous posts and videos, I spend a significant amount of time discussing the trapezoid shape used at the Coricancha and throughout pre-Spanish architecture;

The Coricancha: Parts 2 and 3

This is the second in a series of blog posts and videos about the Coricancha, or “Great Enclosure,” located in Cusco, Peru. Read the first post here.

The Coricancha is one of those historical sites that allow you to truly appreciate a bygone era – not just by looking at old ruins or perusing informational plaques, but by literally feeling the spiritual energy of the past. When I visited, I spent my first half-hour in a blissful trance, overcome with wonder that I was really there – physically standing inside the Great Enclosure of the Incas. After a year of researching Peru’s history, I had often imagined how this visit would feel, but I never expected to have such an intense emotional response. The weather was perfect that day – clear and warm – and the afternoon sky seemed to make the Inca stones glow as if with their own energy. Strolling around the interior courtyard, I felt the details from my research begin to play out as a drama behind my eyes. At every turn, I almost expected to happen upon the ghost of an Inca priest or Spanish conquistador.

The Coricancha: Part I

One of my favorite places to visit during my time in Cusco, Peru, was the ruins of the Coricancha. Five hundred years ago, this temple was the most important huaca – or sacred place – of the entire Inca empire. In this first of several blog posts and (embedded) video segments, we’ll take a look at the Coricancha’s distinctive exterior, including the exquisite masonry of the curved western-facing wall and the zig-zagging canals that it overlooks.  In following segments, I’ll lead you on a tour through the Coricancha’s courtyard, impressive halls, chambers, and trapezoidal doorways – pointing out the features I found most interesting or mysterious.

The Coricancha resides just a couple blocks south of Cusco’s Plaza de Armas and is an easy and charming walk from the main square. Most

The Lost Sun Towers of Cusco

Most visitors to Cusco, Peru, are aware that the Inca studied and worshipped the cosmos. For those who stroll about the historic Plaza de Armas, it’s practically common knowledge that, five hundred years ago, Inca priests predicted astronomical events with great precision, and that their engineers built temples and roads that aligned perfectly with these phenomena. But one feat of Inca astronomy and engineering that’s perhaps less well known is the sun towers that may have once marked such cosmic events from atop the ridges surrounding Cusco.

According to Spanish accounts from the 1500s, as many as 16 of

The Mysteries of Sacsayhuaman: Caves, Tunnels, Stairs, and Thrones

Sacsayhuaman is one of the great archaeological secrets of Peru – and of the world for that matter. The megalithic stones that form its zig-zagging walls beg the question of how, why, and by whom such a spectacular citadel was built. But for the curious visitor, the northeastern edge of the complex offers an experience that is just as unique and mysterious as the famous walls. In 2017, I had the opportunity to visit and explore Sacsayhuaman’s network of caves, tunnels, stairs, and thrones.

On that cold, rainy afternoon, I spent several hours hiking around the backside of Sacsayhuaman. To reach this lesser known part of the complex, one only needs to traverse the wide, grassy plaza, then climb the long, stone stairway to the top of the mound.