The Alpakita Feeling
The Cultures of Peru
We are Peru. Our Peruvian knitters process the finest alpaca wool. In addition, everyone knows the cultural heritage of Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca. Peru is also home to mystical cultures and mysterious buildings.
On this page we would like to tell you about the places we have already visited.
Our journey through the cultures of Peru begins in the department of Ancash, where Alpakita also has its roots. Not far from the coast of the Pacific lies the “oldest solar observatory in America” and the temple complex Cerro Sechín, 1500 BC, with 400 crude and artistic reliefs on large stone slabs
Cerro Sechin
Just 5 km from the town of Casma is the archaeological site of Cerro Sechin with its warrior reliefs. The stones depict reliefs of warriors, weapons, axes and helmets. There are also figures of the defeated with their heads cut off and eyes full of fear. There are certainly many stories about this pre-Inca culture.
Getting to the excavation site by taxi is not complicated, but the landscape over the few kilometers is impressive. The agricultural areas lie like oases in the barren desert.
Somehow you feel like you are being watched by severed heads and warriors. Was this a temple where prisoners of war were sacrificed or a place of deterrence for a gold treasure? I am not an archaeologist but the mystery has not been solved to this day. The desert sand has covered the complex and no one can be questioned.
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu, one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world, lies on a 2400-meter ridge of the Andes. Travelers from all over the world are drawn to the remote Urubamba Valley to explore the mystical relic of the proud Inca Empire. The settlement of 200 houses and a religious center was built in the middle of the 15th century without metal tools, wagons or mortar.
How could a people who knew neither wheels nor iron break out blocks of such dimensions, transport them and finally join them together so perfectly? There are numerous theories. There are also a few fantastic ones, such as the idea of extraterrestrials or the use of acid that could soften stones. The Incas did not cut the boulders out of the rock, but used natural fractures and rock avalanches. The stones, which often weighed several tons, were only roughly hewn on site. All other work was carried out on site. Only smaller stones were prepared in the quarry.
The viewing point with the special panorama over Machu Picchu should be the starting point of your visit. Here you can really feel the mysterious atmosphere of the city. Take a moment to absorb the harmonious combination of nature and architecture.
The Sun Temple: the semicircular tower with a diameter of almost 11 meters is an architectural masterpiece, built from straight, finely polished stones.
The Intiwantana, which is Quechua, means the place where the sun was tied. The Intiwantane served for astronomical purposes.
Some esoteric guides tell their groups that the Holy Rock gives off tangible energy, provided you stand there for three minutes with both hands firmly touching the rock and your eyes closed.
