When I read we were going to Pachacamac today I had no clue what to expect. I wasn't sure how to pronounce the name let alone have any clue what the place we were going to would look like. Upon arrival we pulled into a small parking lot in front of a museum among hills of dirt and mud. In the distance I could just make out the first ruins we had gotten to seen so far in the shape of a giant pyramid. We started the tour going through the museum where we were informed of the many different native cultures that worked to build the structures and how far back each archaeological location and temple could be dated. This particular collection of temples was built over many centuries by different cultures who controlled the area including the most well known, the Inca. The area was called Pachacamac after the god of the same name. He was credited for creating the universe. Many artifacts had been found during the excavation process including over 200 pieces of pottery and textiles.
We spent the second portion of the tour exploring the ruins looking at the old temple, the newer temples from the inca, and the over institutions that were created to worship other gods. We walked through the main road that was used to connect the temple to the neighboring cities where individuals must have walked in the past. As we approached the biggest pyramid, El Tiemplo del Sol, I could see some of the original coloring, a rusted red paint that was been chipping away but was still on most of the standing walls. While we were guided around the top it was easy to recognize why so many had seen this as a place of importance. From the top of the mound I could see in every direction including out to sea which wasn't more than a couple miles away. The world looked insignificant from a top the pyramid.
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