Chachapoyas

Chachapoyas, which means “People of the Clouds”, is the name of a civilization that fought from high forest strongholds in resistance to Inca expansion and Spanish invasion. One of the last kingdoms to succumb to the Inca, its legacy includes one of South America's archaeological wonders - the defensive fortress of Kuelap. Perched on the shoulder of a 10,000-foot mountain, this 9th Century citadel comprisesan urban complex of more than 400 stone edifices - homes, palaces and temples enclosed by a 70-foot-tall stone wall.

Their architecture demonstrates decidedly non-Inca features, such as protruding geometric patterns, cornices, and friezes. Kuelap's setting is unforgettably beautiful - a tropical cloud forest festooned with orchids and steeped in mystery.

The Revash Tombs, the Karajia Sarcophagi and the extensive network of Chachapoyas paved trails also serve as a reminder of the greatness of this vanished nation. Archaeologists just now are mapping and excavating many important Chachapoyas sites. The museum in Leymebamba, which displays 200 mummies recovered from the remote Lake of the Condors, describes the extraordinary embalming methods of the Chachapoya, their lifestyle and culture. The Museum also houses a collection of knotted Quipu, the record-keeping device of the Incas.

Cajamarca is a city of colonial charm, rolling Andean countryside, and home to the important archaeological sites of Ventanillas de Otuzco and Cumbemayo. It is a place of great historical significance - in this city Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro captured, imprisoned, ransomed, and executed Inca Emperor Atahualpa, unleashing the destruction of Inca civilization. Travelers may stroll in the town square - site of the first and decisive battle between the Spanish and the Inca - and visit the ransom rooms that were filled with gold and silver by legions of loyal Inca subjects in the attempt to buy the freedom of their doomed regent.

Kuelap Fortress

The Chachapoyas Culture (known as the Cloud Forest people): Little is currently known of this culture, although it was one of the most advanced civilizations to develop in the tropical jungle region of Peru. One of the most outstanding archaeological remains of this culture, Kuelap, was discovered by a local resident in 1843.

Experts agree that the monumental aspects of Kuelap can only compare in size and grandeur to Machu Picchu in Peru, and the greater archaeological sites in the Americas. Kuelap's constructio nis presumed to have taken at least 200 years to complete and millions of cubic feet of stone. This colossal construction was not known by the spanish conquistadores;Kuelap's strategic location between the Marañon and Utcubamba Rivers, both long tributaries of the Amazon River, protected it from being devastated.The area is surrounded by profuse vegetation with huge trees, covered with bromeliads and orchids that add to its spectacular nature.
Kuelap Fortress

Kuelap lies 9,843 feet above sea level (3,000 masl), 3 miles (5 km) from the town of Tingo, and one hour by land from Chachapoyas. The climb is a 3 or 4-hour hike, or it can be done on horseback. The structure of the main building is circular and for security purposes has only one access corridor, sufficiently narrow to allow only one person at a time to enter. Inside there are several divisions, hundreds of round stone houses decorated with zigzag patterns, small up to 1,969 feet (600 m)long and 66 feet (20m) high. Towers indicate how well protected the compound was. It comprised more than 400 buildings, many of them with decorated walls and cornices or protruding friezes.