Sunday, April 14, 2013

La Sagrada Ciudad de Caral

On Saturday the 6th the IFSA gang headed north of Lima to visit Caral, the oldest civilization in the Americas.  Caral was inhabited between 2600 BCE and 2000 BCE; the site includes an area of roughly 60 hectares and probably was home to more than 3,000 inhabitants.  Archaeologists have found evidence of the a knotted textile piece known as the quipu at Caral; a device used for account keeping that is usually associated with the Inca.  There is no evidence of fortifications or weapons in the city; although, a variety of musical instruments, principally flutes, have been excavated. After the sweltering tour, we had an immensely satisfying lunch in a hotel restaurant in the small city of Huacho.  I took advantage of the pool to rinse the dust of the ancient city away.   


Now this is the desert


Angelica and I...best friends forever 


The whole gang in front of the Main Pyramid 
(Its 60 feet tall and roughly the size of four football fields)


Program Director Lali and a massive stone obelisk, potentially a sundial


 Epic walking shot


Our tour guide


Aerial photo of the entire city



The site 


And the Israelites have found the promised land...


Random Llama at our lunch spot


Chilling in the pool after lunch

On our way back to Miraflores we spotted a clown in El Centro: el payaso ladrón?  Once back in Parque Kennedy we all needed a dose of familiarity; I rallied some of the group for a trip to McDonalds for ice cream and french fries.  Perhaps the best and worst thing about American mass culture is that you can find it anywhere you travel.

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