Before leaving the hotel we were treated to a “session” with a Shaman from Chinchera. He brought a bundle of offerings including coca leaves, which he distributed among us. After making his offerings and surrounding them with a piece of string and our coca leaves, he then wrapped up the bundle (for later burial on a mountain top) and blessed each one of us by touching it to our heads and doing a type of body scan with it!
Afterwards we drove out of town a little way to visit the Sacsayhuaman fortress, constructed of massive blocks of limestone (incan) with the largest weighing over 110lbs. Evidently, from the air, the complex resembles the head of a puma – one of the sacred animals (puma, condor, snake).
After our tour of the fortress we were entertained by a quartet of musicians who played their unique music whilst we stood in a fragrant eucalyptus grove. Preceding lunch, we had a demonstration on how to make the appetizer causa, which we later ate.