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Tipon : It is a National Archaeological Park located toward the east of Cusco; covering a territory of about 2,200 hectares (5,436 acres) in the Oropesa district, Province of Quispicanchis. In order to get to the main archaeological monument, there is a 5 km. (3 mile) dusty road from kilometer 18 (mile 11,2) of the road Cusco-Puno, towards the north and crossing the Watanay stream. A half kilometer away from the paved road is the small village of Tipón where an extraordinary colonial settlement above stands out.
Pikillaqta : It constitutes a National Archaeological Park, including many other surrounding archaeological sites. It covers an area of 3,421 hectares (8,453 acres), and is located in the Quispicanchis Province, toward the east of Cusco and about 32 kms (20 miles) away by the present-day paved road leading to Puno & Arequipa. It comprises a territory in the districts of Oropesa, Lucre & Andahuaylillas, near the Huacarpay lagoon at an altitude of about 3,200 mts. (10,500 ft). Raqchi : Continuing the route towards the east of the city, by the road towards Puno, in the km. 125 is the Raqchi village which belongs to the district of San Pedro de Cacha, Province of Canchis. Raqchi is found on the right bank of the Vilcanota River, at an altitude of 3,500 mts. (11,500 ft). Apparently its pre-Hispanic name was "Cacha" and not "Raqchi". Name which its origin & right pronunciation are unknown. The evidences indicate that Raqchi was a complex village with multiple constructions for various purposes; including farming terraces, "kanchas" (apartments), "wayranas" (buildings having only 3 walls), "qolqas" (storehouses), different shrines, religious water fountains, etc. Possibly, it was an important "tambo" in the route toward the Collasuyo. The most important building within the complex is the "Wiraqocha Temple", that according to ancient chroniclers was made by the Inka Wiraqocha in homage to the Superior Invisible God of the Andean people "Apu Kon-Tiki Wiraqochan". Pedro Cieza de Leon compiled the traditions telling that the shrine was built after the appearance in this place of a man who began performing miracles and the villagers had decided to stone him to death, but when going in search of that strange man, they found him kneeling with his arms extended skyward and immediately after that a fire rain fell down. Thus, those remorseful men left him free, that strange man was gone towards the coast and got submerged into the ocean waters disappearing forever. Thereafter, construction of a shrine in his memory was decided as well as the sculpture of a stone idol that according to some conquerors that saw it, must had been the image of some Christian apostle that came through these lands.
Tipon, Pikillaqta, Raqchi, Tours itinerary : At 09:00 hrs. we leave for Andahuaylillas (a 45-minute journey), a small village famous for its Sistina chapel. We will see the beautiful murals of traditional Cusco School art, amazing embroideries & carved altars. We continue on to Pikillacta, a well-preserved archeological site from the Wari period, a pre-Inca culture.
We return to Cusco at about 16:00 hs.
OUR SERVICES INCLUDE :
We include transport and professional tour guide (Spanish/English).
IT IS NOT INCLUDED :
Not included, the ticket fare for the archaeological sites. DEPARTURES : Every day from 9:00 untill 16:00.
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