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Willow Vanderbosch | profile | all galleries >> travels >> peru >> inti raimi, the festival of the incan sun god tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

inti raimi, the festival of the incan sun god

This festival is held every July in Incan ruins above Cuzco. Locals and tourists alike come out for the spectacle. Tourists can either pay big money to sit in the bleachers very close to the event or opt to sit all over the ruins surrounding the even with the locals. I was with the locals and they were very upset...apparently, that year was the first year in which they "sacrificed" a young man instead of actually killing a llama. (Although I've heard rumors that they didn't really kill the llama and the year before there was a problem because the "dead" llama decided it had had enough and got up. You never really know what to believe in the end.)
the mob i went with
the mob i went with
young indian girl
young indian girl
local kids
local kids
got something on her hand...
got something on her hand...
the cool photographer
the "cool" photographer
fat indian baby
fat indian baby
the expensive bleachers are right in the action
the expensive bleachers are right in the action
each color represents a different tribe under the incan reign
each color represents a different tribe under the incan reign
the high priests of each tribe
the high priests of each tribe
it was quite a show...the tribes kept making different pattern formations
it was quite a show...the "tribes" kept making different pattern formations
all are preparing for the king and the sacrifice
all are preparing for the king and the sacrifice
close up
close up
yet another showy march
yet another showy march
preparing the youth on the altar
preparing the youth on the altar
after killing the youth, they held his heart high to honor the sun god
after "killing" the youth, they held his heart high to honor the sun god
the king parades around his subjects before leaving
the king parades around his subjects before leaving