Peru: Thursday May 7th

Today we all went on our tour of the city. We were picked up at Davy College and took a ride in a rickety old van and picked up our tour guide Manuel on our way. Manuel is this tiny Indian Peruvian who really knows his Inca history. Our first stop was at Cuarto del Rescate, the preserved house that originally held the Inca Emperor prisoner by the Spanish. The Spanish said they would release him if he filled the house with gold. So the Inca was very tall and stood tall with his hand raised high to mark the spot of the level the gold would be filled. Even after the gold was presented to the Spanish, they still killed the Inca Emperor.

The house that held the Inca Emperor prisoner

The small plate marks the height at which the gold was stacked

We then walked through a few ornate churches.

Next we visited the Museums of Belen which used to house the separate hospitals for men and women. Now it is filled with Peruvian artifacts and paintings.

The hospital bed for women

A baby mummy preserved in a jar.

Manuel our tour guide explaining some artifacts

A painting displayed in the museum

Our last stop was to Santa Apolonia up on the mountain. Here the Inca emperors sat watching for invaders from their thrones facing different directions. Also, here lies a church at the top of a long curved stone staircase. The view of the city from up here was amazing!

The church at the top of the steps

The view of the city from the top of Santa Apolonia

The students sitting on the thrones