Inca Survival in a Nutshell

If you are like 3/4 of the people on our tour, what you recall about the Incas is human sacrifice and they died from smallpox brought in by the Spanish. Both true.

But what we have been learning about and seeing over the past couple of days is how the Inca civilization survived and grew and became the dominate tribe for hundreds of years before the arrival of the Spanish. And how they accomplished all this in a very harsh climate and altitude, and without the wheel or a written language.

The terraces you may recall, where they grew crops, not only turned a steep mountain into arable land, but the stone faces of the terraces were what absorbed the sun during the day, warming the imported topsoil behind it so that crops could grow. The lower you went in the circular terrace, the more concentrated the heat, so that the air temperatures in the lowest terraces, even today, measure 20-30 degrees warmer than the top terraces.

Because of this, the Inca were able to grow a wider variety of crops, including potatoes, grains, corn, tomatoes and kumquats. They also developed methods for preserving all of these foods for years, and built great storehouses and distribution centers so their people could survive during the low crop yield years. They developed a method for freeze drying potatoes that is still in use today.

When they expanded their territory, they first negotiated with the soon-to-be-conquered tribe who were given the choice of joining the Inca, keeping all their possessions, benefitting from the Inca foodstores, etc. In return, all they had to do was send their children to Cusco to learn the Inca ways and to work their fair amount of community labor as their abilities allowed. If not, they would all be killed. Most folks went with the Inca rule. Their ability to carve these massive blocks of granite into perfectly fitted pieces means that the twraces and walls are still visible and in some places still in use today

Tom next to a table of locally grown produce.

Today we went into the town of Ollantaytambo, a very colorful little village in the Sacred Valley, which also happens to be the site of a well-preserved Inca ruins.

And yes, while I was slow, I did hike up all those steps to the top and back down again. Yay for me!


Today was our home hosted lunch, which means we ate guinea pig, a delicacy. It tastes pretty much like chicken.

Tomorrow we head off to Machu Picchu, further up the valley.