Explore Quarichenko, Sacsayhuaman, and Kenko.

Last official tour day with Freddy. First stop: Qorichncha, Temple of the Sun, in Cusco with more artifacts from Incan times and after… when the Spanish conquered the Incas and integrated (or tried to integrate) their own religious and political beliefs. Historical records of the time note that its walls were once covered with 700 sheets of gold studded with emeralds and turquoise; when the sunlight streamed through the windows, the reflection off the precious metals was blinding. Also of note were more amazing stone walls built by the Incas using advanced engineering skills to shape and fit granite blocks together without the use of mortar… to last forever, like their gods. We also saw the resting place of Pedro Pizarro, brother of Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish Conquistador who conquered the Incas in the mid 1500's.

Then it was off to the massive Sacsayhuaman fortress set on a hilltop overlooking Cusco. Its double-zigzag wall is said to symbolize a puma's teeth. At one time, there were three immense towers and a labyrinth of rooms large enough to garrison 5,000 Inca soldiers. Today, the interior buildings are gone, having been dismantled by the Spaniards for the stone. The outer walls remain with massive stones, weighing as much as 125 tons securely fitted together without the use of mortar. Nearby, we also visited the sacred ceremonial center of Kenko (Q'enko).

The next stop was at a llama wool shop with a vast array of products for sale. We learned the difference between manufactured and hand-made yarns. Some of our tour group did not leave empy-handed.

After a quick visit to the sacred ceremonial center of Kenko, we had lunch at yet another swanky restaurant called the Inca King, which offered a panoramic view of Cusco. Then it was back to the hotel to hang out and prepare our luggage for a couple of plane rides to Lima, Peru, and Quito, Ecuador, the following day.

Have to mention the 'Secret Santa' gathering our tour group had before dinner. Cindy and Rick were part of our tour group up to day 7 before leaving to catch an emergency flight back to their home town of Boston. Cindy's 91-year old father had taken a turn for the worse with his bout against cancer. The Secret Santa idea was Cindy's… a gathering in which we each bought a gift (about $10) for someone from our tour group. At the gathering, we each said something about the person we bought for and everyone had to guess who it was. Fun… and connecting. Marcy, from Colorado, had my name and bought me a coffee cup with Incan symbols on the side. Thanks, Marcy... it is now my favorite cup replacing the one I had bought years ago in the Hoh Rainforest of Washington State.

We had gotten together for our briefing on the events for the following day. Freddy had taken pictures during our days together and showed them to us on an overhead screen in the lounge of the hotel. Then we all shared our very positive comments about what we had seen and experienced. But most of all, we shared as a group our total respect and appreciation of Freddy's expertise, knowledge, and passion for his home country of Peru. Thanx, Freddy, we'll miss you and always remember you.