NUMBER 12 JvJv/ I AMERICAN EXPLORER AMERICAN tX.1 LOKtR September 1985 —Number 12

EDITOR Don Montague EDITOR & LAYOUT Linda Rojas PHOTOGRAPHIC EDITOR Bob Ashe FINANCIAL MANAGER William Tuthill ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Eleanor Griffis de Zuniga Virginia Smith Kathy McFarland Judy Green Fiona Mullen Mary Lou Gore CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Dan Buck Sally Mathiasen Anne Meadows Robert Randall ART Tory Cusack Hartman Susan Montague Debra Taylor MAGAZINE PRODUCTION Aquiles Tomecich Bill Power LEGAL DEPT. J. Michael Dowling

CLUB MANAGER Ethel Greene Anne Bolín

ADVISORY BOARD

Joanne Omang, Dan Doherty, Jane Thomas, Ron Yates, David Smith, Homer Rosa, Paolo Greer, Bill Nye, Barbara Green, Tim Cahill. Deborah Begel, Marianne Sjoberg, Alberto Perazzo, William Leonard, Marcella Rosa, , Judith Ennew, David Telfer, Doreen Gillespie, Don Griffis, Gerald Star buck, Bob Nevans, Cesar Rojas, Jaime Browder, Gary Oliver, Noel Dunn, Marianne Dunn, Barry Wallace, Hilary Bradt. Connor Nixon, Mary Nixon, Jim Bartle, Wayne Kilburn, Nancy Neu, Nathan Thompson, Nichole Maxwell. Peter Getzels, Urs Bigger, Doris Peterhans, Peter Frey, Max Gunter. Tom Jackson, Augusto Felipe Wiese, John Hemming, Teddy Ronalds, Guillermo Wiese. Lisa Mosczynski, Bernard Doyle, Ivan Augs- burger, Jerzy Majcherczyk, Patrick Porter, Norma Cannalte, Eleanor Lowe. Sally Foyle, Richard Womack, Heidi Van Genderen, Scott Van Genderen. L. Wayne Moss. Jr. When Neighbors COVER

Quarrel (Part II) < Head of Andean Condor from "Nouveau receuil de planches Kevin Healey p. 16 coloriees d'Oiseaux" by C.J. Temminck and Baron M. Laugier, 1820-39. A fairly accurate rendition, though the beak is less sinuous than illustrated.

The South American Explorer is the quarterly journal of the South American Explorers Club, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation, located at 1510 York Street, Denver, CO 80206; Tel: (303) 320-0388. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. All statements in contributed articles and advertisements are those of the author and advertiser and do not necessarily represent the views of the South American Explorers Club or its journal, the South American Explorer. Copyright ©1985 by the South American Explorers Club. Correspondence to the South American Explorers Club, registered in . , can be sent to either the U.S. (see above) or Lima, Peru: Casilla 3714. Lima 100, Peru (Street Address: Avenida Rep. de Portugal 146. Brena, Lima, Peru. Tel: 314480. Vílcabamba Revisited

By Gregory Deyermenjian

have always had a fascination and researched The Conquest of the This was, and still is, an I for little-known and long Incas, have shown, one must con­ extremely rugged country of forgotten places. Such a place is clude that the Incan last Refuge' forested hills, deep gorges, snowy Vilcabamba, often referred to as of Vilcabamba lies elsewhere. 1 peaks and swamps. Flat land is the ' or 'Last Refuge' Actually, 'Vilcabamba' refers rare — narrow trails twist and of the Incas. not only to the legendary city turn along the hillsides overlook­ When Hiram Bingham discovered (and to the town of 'Vilcabamba ing the rivers. Well above 2,000 in 1911 many believed the New,' founded by Spaniards in meters in altitude, the air seems this magnificent and mysterious the late 16th century), but to an 'thin' to outsiders, the nights ruin to be Vilcabamba where the entire region of Peru northwest of uncomfortably cold. last remnant of the Incan Empire Cuzco and beyond Machu Picchu. As the history of this region found refuge from the Spaniards. Geographical features make Vilca­ gradually came to light, so did This belief, still common, is bamba a sort of 'inland island' the ruins of the city of Vilcabam­ propagated by Peruvian travel pos­ cut off from the rest of the ba. New information available this ters which proclaim: 'At this country: bordered by the Urubamba century adds the following chapter mountain top citadel, the very River on the east, the high peaks to the history of the conquest. last Inca raised his eyes to the of the Cordillera Vilcabamba on sun and disappeared forever.' the southeast, the Apurimac River ABOVE: The Yurac Rumi ('white However, as Gene Savoy's exciting to the south and west, and to the 1 rock ) near Víteos was sacred to Antisuvo: The Search for the Lost north by the Cosireni and Alto Urubamba Rivers where dense forest the Inca. PHOTO by Edward Ranney Cities of the Amazon and John from Monuments of the Incas, by Hemming's definitively detailed falls away to the Amazon Basin. John Hemming and Edward Ranney. aving captured and executed the rebellious Inca took on the Some form of settlement, per­ H the Inca Atahualpa, the intensity of a 'quest,' the greedy haps even a commercial center for Spanish conquistadores under Fran­ Spaniards paused to plunder, and jungle produce, may have already cisco Pizarro entered the sacred Manco disappeared into deep existed here. Manco now trans­ city of Cuzco in late 1533 and forests.* formed it totally. At 1,340m (far installed the native prince Manco Manco regrouped when the in­ below that of any other Incan as Inca. It took two years for vaders left and set out city), he built his capital city, Manco to rebel against the again to find a secure stronghold replete with palaces, temples, Spaniards. In the 'Great Rebel­ in Chachapoyas, over 150 km to the stone dwellings, streets, canals, lion' of 1536 his forces laid northwest. Remote Chachapoyas bridges, fountains and squares. siege to Cuzco and even threatened possessed a well-fortified site Spanish-style roofing tiles atop Pizarro's distant new city of known as Cue lap. But Manco soon some of its buildings show that Lima. Manco set up headquarters changed his mind. Heading back this was an Incan city partly during the first year of his re­ towards Vilcabamba, he took the built after contact with the bellion at Calca, in the Yucay time to instigate rebellion, European invader. Valley north of Cuzco. He then attack various Spaniards and In April 1539 a Spanish force moved to the massive fortifica­ revenge himself upon tribes which under reached Vit­ tions of just north­ had collaborated with the Euro­ cos, but the harsh topography west of this valley. Manco soon peans. These acts, together with realized, however, that proximity forced them to abandon their renewed uprisings in the Lake horses as they marched west over to Cuzco made Ollantaytambo vul­ Titicaca area in 1539, signalled nerable to the Spanish cavalry. the pass of Colpacasa and on down the beginning of Manco's 'Second through the Concevidayoc Valley. In mid-1537 he sought out a less Rebellion.' accessible refuge. After an On a hillside traverse at a place unsuccessful attempt to reach a Spaniards in Peru had long been called Chuquillusca, some 22 km fortress known as Urocoto, thought embroiled in their own civil wars, southeast of the city of Vilcabam­ to lie far to the southeast in the but by 1539 their military ba, they waiked into a trap: forests east of Lake Titicaca, he successes had put an end to native native warriors on the hills above led his forces in retreat over the hopes of pushing the Christians to rolled great boulders down upon Incan road which ran from Ollan­ the sea. Manco returned to Vilca­ them, inflicting heavy casualties. taytambo to the northwest, through bamba, determined to find a more Only by climbing higher were the the Panticolla Pass, and emerged secure refuge there. To this end Spanish able to out-flank their at the Urubamba near the present- he moved his headquarters to the attackers, capture Chuquillusca day town of Chaullay. The bridge far side of the watershed which and defeat Manco. Manco barely of Chuquichaca here formed the separates the Vitcos Valley to the escaped with his life by swimming principle entrance into the Vilca­ east from the Pampaconas Valley to across the Concevidayoc and hiding bamba region. Manco's force the west. Crossing the nearly in the deep forests. The Span­ crossed the bridge and followed 3,500m-high pass of Colpacasa, he iards captured Manco's wife and the road westward along the Vitcos continued down the valley of the various Incan nobles. They then (now known as the Vilcabamba) Pampaconas-Concevidayoc River and pressed on to the city of Vilca­ River, stopping at the fortified beyond into the deep forests to bamba, which they probably town of Vitcos. Vitcos occupied a the west-north-west. Here, in an occupied briefly. area now known as Espiritu Pampa, ridge at 2,850 meters overlooking The Spaniards' invasion cost Manco established his 'Last the valley of the Vitcos River and them dearly, but civil strife Refuge,' his city of Vilcabamba. the town of Pucyura — the very continued. When the Spaniards center of the 'inland island' of historical Vilcabamba. RUINS engulfed by the roots of a giant tree.

Manco considered this place secure and inaccessible. But when native forces neglected to fully destory the bridge of Chuquichaca, the Rodrigo Orgonez pursued the Inca all the way to Vitcos. Although the pursuit of

* While Manco Led the Life of a fugitive, his half-brother PauLLu was hai Led as the new Inca by the Spaniards in Cuzco. Throughout Manco's present and future privations and struggles against Spanish power, PeulLu wouLd steadfastly support the cause of his half-brother's enemy, even Leading the Spaniards' native auxiliaries into battle ageinst his Incan brethren. O 6 miles «mi» Map by ti» Authar THE VILCABAMBA REGION left Vilcabamba, Manco Inca re­ in the main square of Vitcos while ba problem.' With the royalist turned to his city and set about he was playing a game of quoits ascendancy, however, this changed. organizing his state. Now and (similar to 'horseshoes'). They A tamed Inca now became an obses­ then he conducted raids across the stabbed him. Manco died three sion of the Spanish. The knew border into Spanish-occupied Peru. days later. His embalmed body was that as long as there was an Once he even set out for refuge in taken to the city of Vilcabamba to independent native ruler with his to the far north but pulled sit with the mummies of other own relatively inaccessible back when he found the route over­ Incas. autonomous state, they would never run with armed Spaniards and None of Manco's murderers be able to consolidate their hostile tribes. escaped alive from Vilcabamba. power. The Spaniards once again In 1542, supporters of Pizarro But Manco had been an uncommonly hoped to lure the Inca out of defeated Diego de Almagro. Seven able and respected leader. He Vilcabamba. Sayri-Tupac was of­ members of the Almagrist faction combined noble birth and admini­ fered estates in the Cuzco area took refuge at Vitcos with Manco, strative ability with innovation, and puppet rulership. Negotia­ who was partial to Almagro. Manco skill and courage in military tions continued sporadically, in­ welcomed this opportunity to have matters. His death was a serious terrupted only in 1555 when some Spanish soldiers instruct his blow to the rebel state. rebellious settlers joined the warriors in the use of European Under Manco's son, Sayri-Tupac, Indian holdouts in their enclave weapons. For a while, in 1544, he a period of isolationism set in. and instigated raids into Spanish- even considered emerging from Raids against Spaniards ceased and occupied Peru. Vilcabamba if he could receive the newly-learned fighting methods Two years later, Sayri-Tupac certain concessions from the new were forgotten. Spanish influence did emerge. He accepted an estate viceroy. It never happened. was rejected in favor of tradi­ in the of the Yucay Manco's Almagrist guest plotted tional Incan ways. just north of Cuzco. But the a surprise attack. Hoping to gain Until 1548 the Spaniards were 'royal fringe' — an important pardons from royal authorities, too busy warring amongst them­ symbol of Inca power — remained they suddenly fell upon the Inca selves to attend to the 'Vilcabam­ in Vilcabamba with militant com- manders. With Sayri-Tupac's de­ another important religious site, Osambre) in the southwest corner parture, his older half-brother, the shrine of Chuquipalta situated of Vilcabamba. Another force Titu-Cusi, became official ruler just south of Vitcos on top of a occupied the bridge. Arbieto's of the Vilcabamba state. With huge carved white rock Cyurac- main invasion force pursued the Sayri-Tupac's death in 1560, Titu- rumi' in Quechua). Leading some fleeing natives toward the city of Cusi became Inca. young Christian natives there, the Vilcabamba. Here now was a native ruler who friars burned and exorcised the Crossing Colpacasa Pass the had witnessed his father's murder site. Although a heinous crime by Spaniards occupied the town of by Spaniards 16 years earlier. Incan standards, deserving the Pampaconas at 3,000m. Here the With his formal investiture, raids death penalty, Titu-Cusi merely harsh terrain, the altitude and an upon Spanish settlements and cara­ expelled Garcia while allowing the outbreak of measles forced them to vans increased for a while. But more popular Ortiz to stay at rest for 13 days before pushing Titu-Cusi did not wish to provoke Huarancalla. down the rugged valley of the a large-scale invasion of Vilca­ A cagey Titu-Cusi kept the Pampaconas-turned-Concevidayoc bamba, well aware that his small Spanish authorities pacified by River. state numbering but a few thousand appearing to pay homage. At the Unbeknownst to the Spaniards, subjects would suffer greatly from same time he barred Spanish Indians waited with large boulders any major attack. For their part, traders and made sure that no news at Huayna Pucará, a fort blocking the Spaniards wished to avoid yet of mineral wealth within Vilcabam­ their westward way. Learning this another costly expedition into the ba reached the outside. from a traitorous Incan captain, jungle, having failed in two pre­ the Spaniards climbed up the steep vious forays. Negotiations fol­ and thickly vegetated slopes and lowed. Titu-Cusi held out hope n May 1571, while visiting outflanked the native defenders. that he might at some point emerge the site of his father's The next day the Spanish force peacefully or accept Christian deatI h at Vitcos, Titu-Cusi fell headed northwest, past the unde­ missionaries. Negotiations led to ill following a night of fencing fended 'old fort' of Machu Pucará concessions. By 1569 both Titu and heavy drinking. He died the and on to Marcanay, where they Cusi and his son accepted baptism. next morning. Incan captains found abandoned food. On June Two priests, Friars Marcos Garcia blamed Father Ortiz for his death. 24th, forced to leave their horses and Diego Ortiz, were granted The priest was forced to say a behind because of the thickness of permission to preach within Vilca­ Mass, and when this failed to the forest, the Spaniards finally bamba Province. Garcia even built bring the Inca back to life, he entered the city of Vilcabamba on one church in Pucyura and Ortiz was tortured and killed. foot. They found it burned and another at Huarancalla. The state of Vilcabamba once abandoned — the new Inca, Tupac- Nominally a Christian, Titu- again closed its borders and with­ Amaru, gone. Cusi remained head of the Incan drew in sullen isolation. Its One of of Arbieto's captains, religion. A principle site of inhabitants destroyed churches and Martin Garcia de Loyola, ranged this religion, the city of Vilca­ other reminders of Christian in­ far to the north in hot pursuit, bamba contained sacred stones and fluence. Spanish envoys across using information from captive temples, including what Christian the Apurimac and Urubamba Rivers Indians, the Spaniards took down chroniclers like to refer to as knew nothing of the death of Titu- the Urubamba in rafts. Deep in the TJniversity of Idolatries.' Cusi. The new Viceroy, Francisco the jungle they finally came upon Spanish friars implored the Inca de Toledo, was becoming impatient. Tupac Amaru himself. for permission to visit his city He insisted the Inca emerge and Retracing their way back of Vilcabamba, and in early 1570, contemplated military action to through the city of Vilcabamba, at the height of the rainy season, bring this about. In March 1572 the Pampacnoas and the Vitcos he allowed them to accompany him native commanders killed a promi­ Valley, the main body of Spaniards on a wet and muddy journey. The nent Spanish envoy bearing a let­ paused at the bridge at Chuqui- friars, however, found themselves ter from the Viceroy. This was chaca. Here, in honor of their the last straw. On April 14 frustrated at being restricted to triumph, they founded the town of 1572, Viceroy Toledo declared war. the outskirts of the city. Addi­ San Francisco de la Victoria de tionally, they had to endure what A Spanish force took the bridge Vilcabamba. Near Marcanay, they Spanish chroniclers termed as­ at Chuquichaca. The main attack dug up the remains of Padre Ortiz saults on their chastity by native force of 250 Spaniards and 1500 and reburied them under the altar women, urged on by native priests native auxiliaries commanded by of the new town's church. (This wishing to discredit the Chris­ Martin Hurtado de Arbieto entered town was relocated in 1586 to a tians. The friars soon walked Inca territory. At Coyac—chaca, a place southeast of Colpacasa Pass. back to Pucyura, but not until native force ambushed the Span­ It is now known as 'Vilcabamba Titu-Cusi had narrated his iards who, with superior arms, Nuevo.') 'Relación' to them. This docu­ especially arquebuses, beat off On September 21st, the last ment, containing much historical the attack. To cut off the Inca's 'Vilcabamba King,' Tupac Amaru, information about Vilcabamba and escape routes, Arbieto sent one was led into Cuzco by a chain of its inhabitants, survives today. detachment of armed Spaniards gold around his neck. Three days In righteous wrath, the friars across the Apurimac by way of the later, on September 24th, he was now turned their attention to Incan bridge at Cusambi (now executed in the main square of Cuzco. His death, the occupation forest. to Lucma, the district capital, a of the Vilcabamba province, and Not until the expeditions of town of well-made stucco and adobe the dispersal and humbling of the 1964 and 1965 did Gene Savoy houses which dates back to the remaining Incan nobility, put an definitively identify the Espiritu 16 th century. end to any hopes of a resurgent Pampa ruins as Vilcabamba, the We continued over a narrow and Vilcabamba state. Inca's last refuge. And in 1966, dusty trail up to the white-swashed The Spaniards now set about Mark Howell and Tony Morrison stucco town of Pucyura at 2,650 m. exploiting Vilcabamba Province, found evidence of a fire at Here the Inca once billeted his treating its inhabitants as slaves Espiritu Pampa, thus confirming troops. It. is the last government for the production of sugar, reports in historical records of checkpoint, and we presented our the burning of the city. and silver. The new governor had papers from the Instituto Nacional the bridge of Chuquichaca patrol­ de Cultura granting us permission led to prevent anyone escaping. ast year I traveled to Peru to enter the Vilcabamba region, But by the mid-17th century the L eager to visit and photograph then continued southward through this forgotten region —: a pleasantly wooded terrain where area had become unprofitable. The especially the lost city of wispy eucalyptus trees lined the population, decimated by war and Vilcabamba. My party entered at road. By late morning we arrived abuse, drifted away. Soon only Chaullay, at a point where once at the small town of Huancacalla two villages remained, one at stood the bridge of Chuquichaca. and set up camp in a small field. Lucma just north of the site of We bumped by truck down a That afternoon an Indian boy Vitcos and another at Vilcabamba recently-cut dirt road which leads guided us across the Vilcabamba Nueva The province fell into a west and runs approximately River over a bridge of rough logs, state of sleepy and isolated parallel to the eastward-flowing sticks, dirt and living vegeta­ neglect. The city of Vilcabamba, river once called the Vitcos, but tion. On the other side we its location never recorded, now known as the Vilcabamba. We climbed through high grass and became legend. spashed through small streams thick bushes. More than 200 years passed. flowing across the road. Mist swirled around us as we Out of Hiram Bingham's journeys in Darkness fell hours before we slogged up to an area of scrub 1911, during which he discovered arrived in the pouring rain at the grass where we found a large Machu Picchu, Vitcos and the white road's end. Here, at 500 m, was boulder. A scooped-out seat rock at Chuquipalta, sprung the the small town of Yupanca — 20 to appeared to be carved into it, belief that Machu Picchu was the 30 stick dwellings with thatch and giving it a 'throne-like' appear­ city of Vilcabamba. Bingham corrugated tin roofs. We accepted ance. Smooth-sided granite blocks crossed Colpacasa Pass and plunged a gracious offer to spend the lay scattered beyond. Crude, into the unmapped Espiritu Pampa night on a packed dirt floor crumbling stone walls encircled area where he actually succeeded sheltered from the rain. the site, and in the very midst of in finding some Incan sites. But The next morning we hired mules it all stood a huge boulder as the vast majority of the ruins and a driver and headed south, large as a house. Moss covered a remained hidden, covered by dense following the course of the river portion of its surface but the •* 'A* *£» THE RUINS of Vi Lca- bamba Viejo, the "Last Refuge," overgrown by forest. PACK mu Les rest near homes aLong the traiI to Haunca- calle.

rest — perfectly smooth, dark and over the tumbled edifices below. and a Santa Rosa de Lima doll. We shiny-wet — had various carved A maze of ruined walls and rested here. seats, steps and niches. On one structures opened out onto a broad As we descended, the climate of its broad sides we observed field, possibly where Manco Inca changed and a refreshing warm geometrical designs and 'pegs' in was murdered by his Spanish guests breeze welcomed us. We wound down bas-relief and steep, narrow steps as he played that fateful game of through fog, shrubs and low trees. apparently going nowhere. quoits. It is easy to conjure up Through the mud we occasionally Doubtless, this was Yurac-Rumi a vision of the insidious deed glimpsed remnants of Incan highway ('white rock'), the heart of the amidst these melancholy surround­ stonework. Hills, rocks, vegeta­ sacred Incan shrine of Chuquipal­ ings. And there, far down the tion, above and below, sparkled in ta, desecrated by Ortiz and Garcia western ridge of this site, we the crystal ine air. in 1570. It is now known as Nusta could see the town of Pucyura Our slow but steady decline España. Records indicate that where yet another Inca, Titu Cusi, through the increasingly sub­ Chuquipalta lay above a spring died in 1571 after a night of tropical area took us across the overlooking a pool. Incan priests drinking. Chalcha River and along the many discerned apparitions in the murky We left the next morning, rapids of the Pampaconas. High water. We found no pool but could climbing steadily to the west — a hills covered with lush vegetation hear water bubble noisily through strenuous effort. As we emerged rose steeply on either side. the smooth and angular grooves onto a sort of plateau, the town Prior to Bingham's 1911-12 expedi­ carved into granite. The mists of Vilcabamba Nuevo lay before us, tions over Colpacasa Pass, none of swirled around us — an eerie and looking like an enchanted village. this area appeared on maps. imposing site. Low clouds and mists hovered just Towards evening we climbed a Climbing northwest we came to a above the thatch roofs of its slight rise above the left bank of broad expanse known as Rosas Pata. darkly weathered stone homes. An the Pampaconas River and came to a Before us, partly swathed in eerie, early afternoon darkness gently rolling field of scrub cloud, lay the ruined Inca for­ contrasted with the bright glare grass. We kicked aside the cow tress town of Vitcos. reflecting off snow-covered peaks. dung and made camp. The stonework here is rougher We walked past the bell tower of a We were told that this place, ruined church, encountering no one than that found at Cuzco, but consisting of a single thatched save for three silent young boys. impressive nonethless. Gigantic hut, was known both as Hututo and slabs of granite formed lintels Leaving Vilcabamba the New Pampaconas. But the Pampaconas over large well-fitted blocks. behind, we crossed the Colpacasa where the Spanish envoy met Doorways exuded an aura of pon- Pass. The cold rain froze our Titucusi in 1565 and where the derousness and power. Walls in hands and faces while underneath invading Spanish forces converged various stages of ruin rambled for our rain gear we sweated from in 1572 had been described as a hundreds of meters in different exertion. Atop the pass stood a good-sized town. It appears that directions, some undulating along small shrine — an adobe hut we must have passed to the north the tops of massive earthworks housing paper flowers, an altar of Pampaconas, closer to the 9 ASSORTED carved stone bui Lding materials at ruins of ViIca- bamba.

river, and that we now found boulder-strewn flood plain. A thatched hut that exists there. ourselves to the northwest — small river flowed through the It rained on our first day at probably in Hututo. middle of this sea of boulders and Espíritu Pampa. At mid-morning Above us to the north a joined the Pampaconas. Our guide our guide, together with some brilliant sunset cast a magical called it the Rio Soot soots ingka- local Indians, left to cut a path yellow glow over the lush hills. na. It formed a lazy lagoon to the ruins. In the early after­ Though the evening grew uncom­ before flowing off as the Concevi- noon we set off for the ruined fortably cold, some Indians from dayoc. It was here, in late city. We headed south through the surrounding area appeared at afternoon, that we set up camp. thick forest, past patches of our campsite with a battery- The next day, we left the plain cleared forest and immense stumps. powered record player and enter­ below, traveling northward, At one point our guide scrambled tained us with Quechua music and ascending and descending the high away to return with a campesino, a dancing. jungle trails on our way through sort of 'guardian of the ruins.' the rugged area of Chuquillusca A mass of thick vegetation he next morning we set off and Huayna Pucará. We passed covered everything. We might have T west-north-west, traveling through an area where Machu Pucará walked through the Inca city with­ through dense forest over a narrow must have been in the 16th out seeing it, but the guardian trail which snaked along the sides century. At length we came upon a repeatedly directed our attention of the hills. Occasionally, rem­ dwelling, identified both as San to stone walls, rectangular rooms nants of Incan trail provided Martin and Concevidayoc. Within with doorways topped by mammoth stone steps through this swampy, this area of inner Vilcabamba, lintels, streets and pathways. highland jungle. At times the more and more signs of recent The stonework appeared somewhat river receded far below us, ob­ human habitation appeared — burnt cruder than at Vitcos and con­ scured by trees. Several times we grass and forest, wooden fences, siderably more so than at Cuzco. pressed against the hill to let banana plants, citrus trees and Vilcabamba was obviously hastily campesinos pass us on the narrow coffee bushes. We were now within constructed as a refuge. All the trail. Leading mules laden with 'striking distance' of Espíritu structures lacked roofs — the bags of coffee beans, they greeted Pampa. thatch having long ago rotted or us with "Buenos dias, Viracocha.' In near-darkness and rain our burned away. Roots of gigantic (The Incan creator-god, known as party inched laboriously along trees enveloped some of the walls. Viracocha, is described as light until at last we stumbled, Above, the jungle canopy blocked complexioned, thus the term's use together with our animals, down out the sun. The city seemed to in greeting gringos.) one final steep slope of loose wet spread out endlessly. Crossing a particularly narrow rocks and mud. Chilled and numb I was unable to distinguish any and shaky stick-and-dirt bridge with exhaustion, we had reached of the levels of the city over a tributary of the Pampa­ Espíritu Pampa where we sprawled described by Savoy. Some slabs of conas, we emerged on a dry, on the porch of the single rock of various sizes and shapes, 10 THE RUINS of Víteos at Rosas Pata.

leaning against one inside wall, sider, so we loaded our backpacks were perhaps the tniilding acces­ and set out. Soon even the usual­ sories' Savoy mentioned. Some ly 'superhuman' Peruvians in our thick walls had rectangular party seemed exhausted and were niches, while others contained slipping on the path. those mysterious man-sized niches Over the next few days we that one also sees at , continued in a northeasterly the palace of Inca Manco Capac in direction, following the Cosireni Cuzco, and Machu Picchu. Pushing River and crossing its tributary, further into this jungle metropo­ the San Miguel. After passing lis we came across large boulders through the largely Indian town of placed square in the middle of Chuangiri we made our way through what was once a street. Our guide numerous small hamlets until we told us these comprised the 'tomb finally struggled into the dusty of Manco Inca.' Strange feelings settlement of Monterrico, a of awe for that dark and moldering frontier town-connected by a dirt site followed us back that night road to Quillabamba, the capital to Espiritu Pampa. of the province. A dusty That night when we returned thoroughfare ran through town, from the ruins, our mule driver lined by cafes, houses and shops announced he had had enough. He with flat roofs of corrugated tin. would go no further. He con­ Inside, dim electric light bulbs hung suspended over pounded dirt ABOVE: Gregory sidered the bridges up north too Deysrmenjian at rickety for his mules. We could floors. Vi Lcabamba. only persuade him to go as far as In Monterrico we boarded a The author is the first bridge. Just as the large truck loaded with bales of presently Inca Tupac Amaru fled to his coffee, beans, bananas and animal planning an refuge of Vilcabamba, so we too expedition to hides, and began the long, bumpy "Psi titi," a found it necessary to beat a hasty ride to Quillabamba. From there mysterious retieat. Without mules, it we took the train to Cuzca city thought promised to be rough going. We On this return trip to Cuzco, to be the set off early the next morning, the 'navel' of the , I ultimate Inca eager to make as much time as savored the contentment that comes retreat. possible. The first bridge was with fulfilling a dream. That dangerous indeed, but not much fascination of mine for little- more so than the others. Still, known and long-forgotten places — the mule driver refused to recon- well, I had been to Vilcabamba! I