Photos

"...I hurried to Cuzco's Plaza de Armas that morning and found a place among the hordes of Cusqueños and tourists that had swarmed the city's square in anticipation of the commencement of the Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun). The theatrical ceremony began with a spectacularly well-choreographed entrance by groups of costumed villagers, representing the warriors, maidens, nobility and priests of the Inca. Their elaborate dances, performed in a frenetic flurry of orange, red, and gold, hypnotized onlookers while rhythmic music reverberated from the walls of churches and colonial buildings.

With the arrival of the "Incan Emperor," the troop fell into a hush. Clad in richly-colored cloth and a golden helm, he ascended a central platform and addressed his audience with a booming voice and sweeping gestures. His address was gripping, captivating spectators and commanding silence and reverence until his words and gesticulation ceased. Then, stepping from his stage, he paced in the direction of Sacsayhuamán, the walled Incan complex two kilometers from Cuzco where the main religious ceremony would occur. Drums thundered and stirred the feet of the other performers, who filed out of the plaza in a long procession of color and movement. Totting weapons, religious instruments, food offerings, and the mummies of their ancestors, the "Incans" marched through the streets of Cuzco as cameras flashed and onlookers rushed to keep up.

Onward to Sacsayhuamán..."