PERU
Cusco and surroundings
Rhythmic, but soulful Latin American music is universal in Peru. It is always of a very high quality. Bands usually have drums, Panpipes a wooden flute, and two different sizes of ukulele, but solo guitarists play everywhere. (Drawing Pen)
A hardworking Quetuan woman, wearing all the clothing she possesses, looks for a place to light her fire and sleep. (Drawing Pen)
The Conquistadores showed little respect for the Inca civilization. They built a cathedral on top of Inca temples. Earthquakes eventually destroyed the cathedral enabling the Inka temples to rise again. Those shown are for the Lightning and the Rainbow Gods. (Drawing Pen)
Sacsayhuaman, not far from Cusco, was the capital of the Inca Empire The huge stones of the main wall fit exactly together. There is no satisfactory explanation as to how Incan masons made these accurate joins, but Inca buildings could withstand the area's many earthquakes. (Drawing Pen)
This stone carving shows the Inca Trinity of symbolic spirit animals: the Condor - the sky and heaven;, the puma - life and the earth; and the snake (wrapped around the condor's neck -the underworld and the dead) (Drawing Pen)
One of the many beggars, clutching her baby, sitting in the streets of Cusco (Drawing Pen)
This salesman plays his guitar to attract customers. He has colourful blankets, baskets, wall hangings, wooden flutes, hats, coats, animal skins, and many other items on display. This is one, of dozens of interesting stalls in the market, although food stalls are plentiful. (Drawing Pen)
The marketplace also has its share of beggars. ThisQuetuan lady is wearing a typical pastel-colored bowler hat. (Drawing Pen)
We visited the market on a Sunday and the catholic church bell was summoning the traders to mass when a door opened and out came a strangely dressed procession of a shaman, his guard, and several followers. They passed through the stalls, stopping at intervals to perform a pagan blessing ceremony, The 'Old Religion' lives on! (Drawing Pen)
A thunderstorm was over Cusco as we returned from a nearby site. A local guide had filled our minds with stories of the Inca gods and it seemed that they were there with us. Thunder, lightning, rain wind, and even a stub of rainbow which raced alongside us shooting over the hillsides as we sped along the road. This sketch attempts to tell this tale. (Drawing Pen)
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