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View From the Puma's Head


View From the Puma's Head
Photo Information
Copyright: JC Ramos (jramos) Silver Note Writer [C: 7 W: 1 N: 78] (389)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-08-12
Categories: Daily Life
Camera: Canon PowerShot S30
Exposure: f/4, 1/500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Indigenous People of the World [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-12-24 0:17
Viewed: 731
Points: 8
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Looming over Cusco to the north are the ruins of Sacsayhuamán, a hilltop fortress with three ramparts of zigzag walls that run for nearly 300 meters on its north side. The largest stones—nearly 8.5 meters high and 361 tons, according to historian John Hemming—were placed at the apex of the walls to strengthen them. Every Inca citizen had to spend a few months of the year working on public works, and the Incas used this tremendous reserve of labor to move the stones, using log sleds and levers. But even engineers have a hard time understanding how the Incas fitted these huges stones so perfectly together.

This site is located north of the city of Cusco, at an altitude of about 3555 meters above sea level, between the districts of Cusco and San Sebastian, both of them within in the province and department of Cusco. The archaeological park covers an area of 3094 Hectares and contains more than 200 archaeological sites. Leading to Saqsaywaman there are two paved roads, one starts in the old and traditional neighbourhood of San Cristobal and is about 1.5 kilometers long and the other road begins at Avenida Collasuyo and is 4 kilometers long.

The imperial city Cusco, meaning ‘navel of the earth,’ was laid out in the form of a puma, the animal that symbolized the Inca dynasty. The belly of the puma was the main plaza, the river Tullumayo formed its spine, and the hill of Sacsayhuaman its head.
lebjohnson, Ilir has marked this note useful
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To Ilir: Writing on the mountainjramos 1 12-26 13:06
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Critiques [Translate]

This is an image so beautiful that it's difficult to believe it's real. The colors of the clothes of the women are clear and dramatic. Their position and that of the llamas leads the eye in the start of a diagonal that ends on the mountains. Very well seen and even better photographed.

I was there a couple of months ago on vacation. Beatifull country. In Sacsayhuamán (Sexy Woman) they where still working to uncover what they thought where the teeth of the puma. The foto gives a very recognizable view of Peru. Nice colors on the foreground. Maybe a bit more contrast can be added in the back.

Thanks for sharing,
Pedro

  • Great 
  • lukdm Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 381 W: 3 N: 21] (1350)
  • [2005-12-24 4:10]

great shot JC

  • Great 
  • Ilir Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 549 W: 69 N: 53] (5119)
  • [2005-12-24 19:38]
  • [+]

During communist times there were similar writings on the hills all over ex-Yugoslavia. I remember seeing them on some hills around Skopje. Ussualy they were about Tito and the Communist party of YU.

Thanx for presenting this. I hope one day I can visit my prefered continent - Latin America.

Alban

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