Sep. 16, 2016.  Marriott Hotel, Cusco, Peru.

• Big day hitting the ruins around Cusco with Big Len.  Started by getting a taxi to drive us to the furthest one: Tambomachay, 8 km from Cusco.  About 300m from the main road, it has a ceremonial stone bath that still functions today, and in fact is still known as El Bano del Inca.  We got there early, and pretty much had it to ourselves.  Next, just across and down the road from Tambomachay is Pukapukara.  In some lights the rock looks pink, and hence the name, which means "Red Fort".  It was probably a hunting lodge, however.  It had several lower residential chambers, staterooms, and an upper esplanade with panoramic views.  Again, practically nobody there yet.  

• Number three, Quenco, was a bit of a disappointment.  A large limestone rock, it is riddled with niches, steps, and carvings, and hence the name "zigzag".  It was about a 4 km walk from Pukapukara, and my faithful maps.me app showed us the way on a trail.  On the way we passed a huge flat area full of school kids on some sort of Friday afternoon fun fest.  

• Last and the best by far was Sacsaywaman, or "Sexy Woman", a huge ruin whose name means "Satisfied Falcon".  It had wonderful walls, fitted with enormous blocks, the largest more than 300 tons.  The adjacent field was filled with student groups getting ready to do something together.  This fort was where Manco Inca recaptured it two years after Pizarro's entry into Cuzco, and used it as a base to lay siege to the conquistadors in Cuzco.  Manco was on the brink of defeating the Spaniards when a desperate last-ditch attack by 50 Spanish cavalry led by Juan Pizarro, Francisco's brother, succeeded in retaking Sacsaywaman and putting an end to the rebellion.  Manco Inca survived and retreated to the fortress of Ollantaytambo, but most of his forces were killed.  Thousands of dead littered the site after the Incas' defeat, attracting swarms of carrion-eating Andean condors.  The tragedy was memorialized by the inclusion of eight condors in Cusco's coat of arms.

• I had purchased a bolero turisto, which got me into all of these ruins and other stuff earlier in Cuzco, for around $50.  Otherwise, each site costs about $25.  A no-brainier.

• Walking the rest of the way into Cusco, we ate at Green's vegetarian restaurant nearby, where I ordered Alpaca meat, which tasted like steak, only drier.  Another walk around the main square, still amazingly full of all kinds of action, then early to bed, and another night of waking every few hours - is it the altitude?