JUJUY: Las Cuevas de Wayra and the Pucará

MONDAY 01/03/11

The next day, I joined Claudio and a brother and sister from our hostel, Mariana and Andres and their friend, Ana Laura, to hike up to some caves with a local guide, Carlitos.  It was a pretty easy hike with stops along the way for Carlitos to explain the region and cultural traditions of the native people.  The Quebrada de Humahuaca is extremely dry and very temperate, but there are areas just outside of it that have water sources and are completely green.  The rocks are of different colors due to the oxidation during the different periods of transition from ocean to dry land.  There weren’t too many animals due to the 1,000s of years of man inhabiting the region.  The indigenous population was extremely intelligent and civilized and was later taken over by the Incas.

hike to the Caves of Wayra (wayra = "wind" in Quechua)

petrified seaweed

people up in the cave

The Caves of Wayra were used for purification ceremonies – wayra means wind in the Incan language, Quechua.

hike back to the pueblo

In the afternoon, we explored the Pucará, ruins of a pre-Incan civilization.

apacheta - an offering to the Pacha Mama

los cardones / the cactuses

 

dying cardón

I was going to head to the next town up, Humahuaca, but a proposed asado in Carlito’s house and a peña to follow kept me in Tilcara.  After buying all the food and beverages for the asado, we joked that Carlito’s house was the top one on the mountain…but we weren’t too far off.  It was a good thing we “trained” earlier in the day.  The views were amazing, though.  And as was tradition, each neighborhood came down the mountain every night from Christmas to the night of the Reyes Magos (Wise Men) (January 6) to pay honor to the pesebre (nativity scene) at the town church.

sunset

the neighborhoods gathering to go to the pesebre

All around, you could hear the sound of drums as the local residents descended upon the town and continued back home at the end.  It was absolutely magical!  Then, the guitar was pulled out, the steak was on the grill and the stars were blanketing the sky.  A perfect last night in Tilcara!

the view from above

asado!!

guitarreada!