After a quick geocache find at a pretty lookout near our hostal, and with a new SIM card inserted in my cell phone, we head south from Lima to Pachacamac, a ceremonial and religious center which first came into use around 650 AD by the Wari culture.  Its cemetery was sacrosanct, and the buildings and structures on the site were used in many ways for many purposes throughout the years.  Between 1200 and 1450 AD the Ischma culture developed the area, fortifying the Painted Temple on the site, as well as constructing the 15 Temples with ramps and laying out the two main roads (east/west and north/south).  Later, the Inca established administrative centers, and constructed the towering Temple of the Sun, el Acllahuasi, el Palacio de Taurichumbi and the Pilgrims´Plaza, among other structures.  The site is probably best known for its oracle, consulted by thousands of pilgrims.  The god Pachacamac was feared and respected, as it was believed he could make terrible natural disasters happen with just the shake of his head.  The small museum gives an interesting overview, with a number of recovered artifacts (mostly ceramics and textiles). There is still a lot of work going on at this extensive site, and vast areas remain covered.

For pictures from Lima and its surroundings, click here.