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John Servayge | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> HIDDEN WONDERS tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

HIDDEN WONDERS

Far away from the touristic trap, there are lots of beautiful spots all over Peru.
Discover with me :

Pachacamac - Paramonga - Waqra Pucara - Keshwa Chaca - Raqchi - Tarma - Huancavelica - Huaytará - Tambo Colorado - La Avenida misteriosa de las picaduras de viruela - Lucanas - Cahuachi - Palpa
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The suburbs of Lima are closing in Pachacamac Entrance to the oracle of Pachacamac Pachacamac temple remains The crumbling walls of Pachacamac
Restoration work at Pachacamac The terraced adobe pyramid and temple of Pachacamac Entrance to the Sun Temple of Pachacamac Entrance to the Sun Temple of Pachacamac
The Sun Temple of Pachacamac The Acclahuasi and ritual baths at Pachacamac Pachacamac : the Acclahuasi The Temple of the Virgins of the Sun
The Acclahuasi, Temple of the Virgins of the Sun The idol of Pachacamac The fortress of Paramonga Paramonga was originally built to guard the southern limit of the Chimu empire
The Fortaleza is constructed entirely from adobe John overlooking the ruins of Paramonga fortress Looking south there are vast sugar-cane fields Sugar-cane fields abound near Paramonga
From the top of Paramonga there are commanding views across the desert coast Detail of the Paramonga adobe bricks Paramonga looks like a feudal castle The Paramonga fortress sits less than 1 km from the ocean
The palace-temple of Paramonga The walls of Paramonga run around the contours of a natural hillock The picturesque Pomacanchi lake The sleepy village of Waiki, starting point for the trek to Waqra Pucara
Waiki campesinos Steep path leading out of Waiki Weird rock formations along the way to Waqra Pucara The beautiful Apurimac canyon near Waiki
Towering rocks above Waiki near Waqra Pucara Farmer huts close to Waqra Pucara The 'horned' inca fortress of Waqra Pucara Waqra Pucara
Waqra Pucara The outer walls of Waqra Pucara Entrance to Waqra Pucara fortress Inca stairway at Waqra Pucara (leading to heaven ?)
Detail of inca stonework at Waqra Pucara Double jambed doorways and niches suggest important buildings The spectacular setting of Waqra Pucara The main plaza of Waqra Pucara
Belgian explorers Fons Declerck and John Servayge accompanied by Peruvian guide Yure Chavez The central plaza of Waqra Pucara is bordered by breathtaking abysses The impressive canyon that surrounds Waqra Pucara Eroded rock formation at Waqra Pucara
Leaving Waqra Pucara via an old inca path The Apurimac canyon near Waqra Pucara The mighty Apurimac and its canyon near Waiki A steep and scary path leads down to Waiki
Typical inhabitants of Waiki Keshwa Chaca above the rio Apurimac in the dry season Keshwa Chaca, Straw bridge of the Incas Qolla grass, the building material for the Keshwa Chaca
Indian women prepare the qqoya bundles to make ropes Quechua women of the nearby communities preparing the ropes Quechua women preparing the qqoya bundles to make ropes Cables are manufactured by twining the ropes
Fresh rawhide is used to make cross-sticks that fix the main cables into place A multitude of small rope strings are laced from the handrail cables tothe outside floor, forming the sidewalls to the bridge The making of the sidewalls of the bridge The making of the sidewalls of the bridge
The Keshwa chaca hangs about 20 metres above the river The Keshwa camayocs or master bridge builders at work Four main cables, each consisting of three ropes nearly an inch thick, form the main supports of the bridge The cables hang across the gorge in a shallow parabola
The Keshwa chaca , having been rebuilt annually since Inca times, is the only true Inca suspension bridge extant today The annual renewal is a way to honor the (inca) ancestors and Earth Mother Pachamama The slack of the cables is adjusted by winding them around a double set of large stone sleepers embedded in the bridgeheads The master bridge builders work their way out from the bridgeheads to meet in the middle
The last stage is to lay the flooring, formed of mats of brush tied together After the blessing ceremony, the bridge is opened for crossing It is a thrilling experience to pose for the picture swaying high above the swift Apurimac Huinchiri girl shows off her fiesta traje at the renewed bridge
Quechua girl proudly posing at the newly rebuilt suspension bridge Distant view of the renewed Keshwa Chaca Young Indio and friend at the renewed bridge Longview of Keshwa chaca and the Rio Apurimac
Our camping place near the Keshwa chaca Fiesta to celebrate the annual renewal of the inca bridge Last glimpse of Keshwa chaca and Apurimac canyon Road leading out of the Apurimac canyon
The church tower of Raqchi View from the church tower of Raqchi Raqchi, The temple of Viracocha The temple was built to appease Viracocha after he had caused the nearby volcano Quimsi Chata to spew out fiery boulders
The temple was once one of the holiest shrines of the Inca Empire 22 circular columns made of stone blocks helped to support the largest known Inca roof The central wall is adobe above and Inca masonry below Detail of the fine Inca masonry in the central wall
Nearby the temple is a complex of barracks-like buildings, probably the residence of the nobles The site is scattered with numerous buildings and plazas The 200 cylindrical warehouses are the remaining testimony to the degree of social organisation attained by the Incas Each warehouse measures some 6 metres in diameter by 2.5 in height
The lovely old Hacienda Santa Maria in Tarma. It once belonged to a Tarama cacique but is now owned by the Santa Maria family Outstanding service from outstanding people... Enjoying breakfast amidst beautiful colonial hunting scenes... The majestic dining room of Hacienda Santa Marta
The people working at Hacienda Santa Maria are above all a warm, welcoming family Muchas gracias Delia, Sinthia, Pilar, María y Claudia. Hasta la proxima ? Shiripata, the entrance to the subterranean inca road where Manco Inca is said to have hidden part of his gold treasure Tarmatambo. The palace of the inca nobles.
The colca's or inca warehouses of Tarmatambo Tarmatambo : the San Juan Pata Chapel Yanamarca is a pre-inca walled town on top of Pumampi mountain (4000 msnm) Yanamarca means 'Pueblo Negro' or 'Black Town' referring to the black stones the town is made of
Looking down from Pumampi mountain to the Acobamba valley Typical flora on top of mount Pumampi Yanamarca : What's the name of this strange plant ??? All Yanamarca houses have windows and one to three floors
An example of Yanamarca's ancient building techniques Huancayo/Cochas Chico. On a visit to Maestro Javier Poma Garcia, one of Huancayo's master gourd carvers Huancayo. One of Perú's most traditional handicrafts is gourd carving. Here an award-winning piece of art. Huancavelica. Found in the 16th Century by the Spanish to exploit the rich deposits of mercury and silver of the region
The Plaza de Armas in Huancavelica The cathedral of Huancavelica A close look to the towers of the cathedral of Huancavelica In Huancavelica most people still wear traditional costume. This guy clearly not.
A trip to Huancavelica is not complete without a visit of the old mercury mine of Santa Barbara. Mina Santa Barbara : in Spanish Peru known as the crown's most precious jewel In colonial times mercury was the key to riches. It was vital in the refining of gold and silver. The mining village is now abandoned but still has a beautiful stone church
Entrance to the church of Santa Barbara near Huancavelica Detail of the facade of the Santa Barbara church A delicately carved stone head crowns the entrance of the Santa Barbara church Nice stone ornaments flank Santa Barbara's church entrance
A terrible accident occurred in 1786. The main mine shaft collapsed burying 200 men. The mine was never really reopened. Alpaca's grazing on the hills above Mina Santa Barbara Leaving Huancavelica via the 'road of mirrors' a real ghost town appears near Lago Choclacocha The ghost (fishing) town near Choclacocha
This was once a flourishing fishing village. When the water retreated, the place was abandoned Landscapes in all possible pastel colours along one of the highest drivable mountain roads of the world Natural art along the road between Huancavelica and Rumichaca School parade in front of the church of Huaytará
The church of Huaytará The whole side of the church of Huaytará is a perfectly preserved inca wall with niches and trapezoidal doorways In inca times the church of Huaytará used to be a palace from which the local nobility ruled the valley below The interior of the church of Huaytará has triangular niches, an exceptional feature in inca architecture
The triangular niches inside Huaytará church Christian holy figures inside the inca niches of Huaytará church Another image of a saint in the triangular inca niches of Huaytará church Mummy with deformed skull in the local museum of Huaytará
Tambo Colorado, one of the best-preserved Inca ruins in coastal Peru Tambo Colorado, originally a fortified administrative centre before being adapted and used as an Incan coastal outpost TC 's position in the Pisco river valley was perfect for controlling people/produce along the ancient road down from the Andes Tambo Colorado. Some dwellings even retain traces of coloured paints
Tambo Colorado is a classic example of a preplanned adobe complex, everything in its place and nothing out of order Tambo Colorado. On the far side is the public plaza and the garrison and messenger's quarters Tambo Colorado: the way it was in Incan times... John exploring 'la avenida misteriosa de picaduras de viruelas'
The mysterious' avenue of smallpox spots' stretches along the Andes for many kilometres The holes are manmade but their purpose is still unknown Mario Vildosola examining the 'picaduras de viruela' The line of holes runs straight through the coastal desert and up/down the Andean foothills
Laguna Huacachina Lucanas - El Chacu Lucanas - El Chacu Lucanas - El Chacu
Lucanas - El Chacu Lucanas - El Chacu Cahuachi Cahuachi
Cahuachi Cahuachi Cahuachi Cahuachi
La Estaquería La Estaquería. The wooden pillars were used to dry dead bodies La Estaquería : probably a place of mummification Palpa - El Reloj Solar (The sun dial)
Palpa - El Reloj Solar (The sun dial) La cara del inca : The inca's face
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martin 25-Jan-2007 17:16
G'day John - absolutely spectacular photography of incredible and fascinating sites around Peru - how I would have loved to accompany you, even knowing you must have experienced some fairly unpleasant happenings during the period of time spent travelling to these truely wonderous places. A tour de force! Many thanks. Martin.
Andres 08-Dec-2006 02:16
Hey, this pictures were great, what I loved is that you show places to which tourists don't normally go or don't know about. I'm one of those, actually. I'm from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and I'm going to Peru in January. As there's not much information on the internet (or anywhere, to be honest) about this places (Waiki, Waqra Pucara, etc.) I'd really appreciate it if you could contact me and give me some useful information. Thanks a lot in advance! My mail is andres10 at gmail.com and my name Andres.
Delia Velarde 23-Dec-2004 15:56
Gracias por compartir con nosotros el lugar en que vivimos y aquello que tenemos !!!
Felicidades !!
Delia Velarde
Adalberto Tiburzi13-Sep-2004 12:45
Thanks.
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