Some Incan ruins

Huge stones, cut and sanded to fit each other, no mortar needed.

It's rather amazing what the Incans (they spell it Inkans) were able to do - in many ways their culture, especially their architecture, was very advanced.  They had the full sun calendar before Galileo presented it and got in trouble with the church.  They figured out planetary elliptical orbits before other folks and they had useful ideas on how to make earthquake tolerant buildings before much of the world.  Cool stuff.   This is little stuff, although the stuff of their daily lives --  MachuPicchu is still to come.  A few photos from the parts of the "sacred valley" (read Inkan civilization) just outside  the town of Cusco -- the word transates to "naval of the world", aka center of the [Inkan] universe:  

They worked with huge stones, lovely incredibly stable, earthquake resistant results.

Under one of their famous lintels in this, their sacred place.

View of Cusco from their sacred view on high.

Where virgins and llamas were sacrificed and bodies mummified, in the fertility temple. 

Amazing puzzle work they did.

Looking over into grounds only the royalty were allowed to walk.

Site of one of the many, many temples.

The city of Cusco in the distance.  It's grown a bit since Inkan times.

This was sacred water, where the Inkan princesses bathed.  The water prevents wrinkles.  I'm resistant to this magic.

A Peruvian family hanging out near the ruins, with their llamas and a lamb.

Other families at play near the ruins -- this time with futball/soccer.  Lots of families were doing this.  I have loved watching the fullness of family play -- all ages, sexes, abilities at play together, with great fun.