2nd July. Leaving Cajamarca, we set course for some old crumbly ruins recommended by other travellers. Taking the 3N south, we made good time while the road was still paved and stopped for the night at a hot spring to swim, shower, and relax for the afternoon. We parked down by a basketball and soccer court, and it didn’t take long before we were surrounded by curious kids on their way home from school.

Doing their best to understand and communicate, the topic quickly turned to soccer and who the best player in the world is. Before long, the boys had Jaxon riding their bike, beyond excited by his no-hander skills.

San Marcos hot springs

The hot springs were wonderful. Although they were set up more like swimming pools, it didn’t matter – we loved the heat, and the kids burned off some energy.

As we returned to the truck at dusk, a group of young men gathered on the bleachers. Soon there were ten, and a soccer game kicked off. Short a player, they asked if Jaxon would join in. He was excited but a bit apprehensive, as they were older, stronger, and had some mad skills. But he scored one goal, which boosted his confidence.

The night wasn’t exactly quiet. Dogs barked, vehicles passed by, and around midnight someone decided to burn garbage upwind of us – ugh.

indigenous market

3rd July. The next morning, we were rolling by 8 am. Feeling adventurous, we took a different route to the ruins – a dirt road, of course. About 10 km in, we came across a large outdoor indigenous market. Saying yes to adventure, we ventured in, feeling every eye on us. We stuck out like sore thumbs.

We bought fruit and veggies, and Tim and Jaxon picked up a machete. There were dozens upon dozens of different kinds of potatoes in every shape, size, and colour. We bought a head of lettuce for 1.5 soles, a kilo of the best-tasting strawberries for 4 soles, and oranges that actually tasted like real oranges. The produce here is so fresh and full of flavour – it makes you realise how back home we get these engineered foods that only look like fruit and veg.

Back in the truck, the road wound us slowly through farming communities all day. People here live contentedly with very little. As remote as we thought we were, we still passed kids in school uniforms. It was heartening to see that education is valued here, giving the next generation opportunities to choose their path.

Marcahuamachuco Ruins

4th July. Getting here has been half the adventure.  It started out paved but soon turned back into the same gnarly dirt road.  Very narrow in places with steep drop-offs, rough rocky patches, and tight turns that keep Tim’s heart rate up.  The landscape then opened into sweeping vistas of rolling hills, farmland, and distant ridgelines under the setting highland sun.

That night, we camped near the ruins’ entrance. At 3600 metres, the air was crisp and cold, but the sky was perfectly clear, glittering with the same stars from horizon to horizon, the inhabitants looked upon thousands of years ago.   We bundled up warm in our beds promising to be up early to explore in the morning.

Emerging a little later than planned, 8am, as it was so cold, but  we were the first – and only – visitors there. We entered through the main gate, no charge, with no one in sight, feeling like explorers stepping into an abandoned citadel.

Often called the “Machu Picchu of the North,” though it pre-dates the Incas by over a thousand years. The site was built and occupied between AD 400 and 800 by the people of the same name. Its strategic location on a high ridge allowed views far into the valleys below, stretching for over 2km in length, likely chosen for defensive purposes as well as its ceremonial importance.

Many of the structures are under restoration, some completed.   The thick walls rising up to twelve metres high, but countless others lie in collapsed heaps – piles of weathered stones that were once something someone built. 

One fascinating detail is their advanced water management system. Beneath some of the flagstone courtyards, archaeologists discovered stone-lined channels and drainage systems designed to irrigate and manage runoff. This allowed them to direct water away during heavy rains and possibly to store or distribute it for domestic or agricultural use.

Walking through the ruins, I was in total awe.  Huge circular stone structures, with double thick towering walls, as well as long galleries and burial towers. Archaeologists believe this was likely a major political and religious centre.  

The site was first recorded in the 17th century by Spanish chroniclers but remained relatively unknown until the late 19th century when European explorers visited. Serious archaeological studies began in the 20th century, and only in recent decades have restoration efforts ramped up to stabilize and preserve these massive stone walls against the ravages of time and weather.

Picking up the 3N again we will then make our way towards the village of Mollepata, and the notoriously steep, mountain climbing switch back hill climbs of the 3N, that would eventually lead us back down into Tablachaca Canyon.