Kuelap - A ruin much older then Machu Picchu

After so many days of bus ride, I finally arrived the little town in the central Andean, Chachapoyas. For many people, the main attraction of arriving here is to visit Kuelap, the pre-Inca site situated above 3000m.

The lovley charming town - Chachapoyas.



From Chachapoyas to Kuelap, there is no public transport, so the only way I could get there is to join a local tour. Luckily, it was not so expensive, with about 3 or 4 hours ride in car, including the 10soles entrance fee, the tour fee was only 60 soles(about 20usd).

The quiet pre-Inca ruin - Kuelap.

After comparing with Machu Picchu later, I found that I like Kuelap more. As it is more quiet, less tourist, more natural and most importantly, the price of visiting is more reasonable. (Please wait for my Machu Picchu entry later, all the prices related to Machu Picchu are crazy!)

Northern part of Peru is much less tourist than the southern part, one reason is its inaccessiblility. From the long bus ride I took, you can see how inconvenience is this region. The other reason that I met less tourist in this region may also because it was near the end of tourist peak season.

Because of the reasons above, I met the most wonderful ruin in Peru. By the time we arrived there, except 4 of us in the tour and the guide, and at first there was another group of 4 people. 90% of the time we spent there, we were the only people in the whole ruin (and with herds of llamas).

I found one interesting fact, whenever there is ruin(wherever in Ecuador or Peru), there will be lots of llamas!



Cute baby llama.

Inside Kuelap - everywhere is llama.

The natural forest is growing rapidly inside the ruin.



Supposed to be the kitchen of the people who lived here.

The wall of the ruin was supposed to be built following the shape of waves.

One theory said they are they eyes of snake(holy creature), another theory said they represent the three levels of human and natural - sky, human and the earth.

The modern archeologists rebuilt the roof of the ruin. But still no one knows if the roof of the ruin resembled to this or not.

The main door for the more wealthy people, not for the peasants or poor people.

The holy mixed creature(the left hand side) created by the ancient people. While the right hand side is snake.