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Yesterday I had the opportunity to take a day trip to Ingapirca, the second most significant Incan ruins in South America (right behind Machu Picchu). The trip was an amazing day filled with culture, adventure, and travel. I, along with my two house sisters, traveled with a guide through the Andean mountains to arrive to the historic site. Lucky for us, the festival Inti Raymi was taking place this weekend, so we had the opportunity to enjoy that also.

Ingapirca was first inhibited by the Cañari people. The Cañari were not as developed as the Incans and they lived a modest lifestyle here. Hundreds of years later, the Incans came across this special location nestled perfectly in the mountains. The Incans came in and fought the Cañari at first. After much struggle, it was decided that the Cañari princess should marry the Incan king so that there would be peace across the land. Although life was difficult, over time the two groups were able to successfully live together.

Both the Incans and Cañari had religions based on astronomy. With the architectural designs of their temples, they were able to keep track of calendar years, in addition to the fertility calendars of the women. The Incans had a much stronger presence of religion at Ingapirca, with their temple being the center focus of the site. This weekend was Inti Raymi, or the sun festival, of the Incan religion. It celebrates the sun god Inti. There were many indigenous people at the ruins this particular weekend. There were traditional arts, crafts, and food of the Incan people, in addition to numerous traditional dances.

Our day started with a two hour van ride to the Incan ruins. Then we walked across the ancient paths and onto the temple. As we walked, our tour guide explained to us the different structures and the purpose of each one. For the time period, the Incans were very developed, with aqueducts to catch water and windows that followed the solar eclipses. We finished the day with a traditional lunch at a local restaurant and watched the sun dance performances of the Incan people. I had an excellent day of travel and enjoyed learning about the Incan culture!

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