Headed for the centre of the Earth

Once you have reached the village of Ollantaytambo, you are on course for the centre of the empire. The archaeological capital, Cusco looks out over the Peruvian Andes at 11,000ft. Its name, which means 'centre of the Earth' in Quecha, bears testimony to its power over the Andean world. It is home to many buildings which distinguish themselves by their fine stone sculptures, their perfect layout and their trapezoidal doors-characteristic of the Inca civilisation. It is in the upper part of the town that we can admire the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, whose three enormous decks grab one's attention straight away. Constructed in the form of a zigzag over an area 650ft in length, the temple houses notably the Temple of the Sun among its circular edifices and a complex system of aqueducts. The enormous stones were sized and then wedged together with such precision that it would be impossible even to slide a needle through the gaps. It is here that the ceremony of Inti Raymi takes place, the festival of the Sun God (the most important deity) as well as harvest, which includes the sacrifice of two lamas in order to predict the future.

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