9 November 2012

Pachacutec, the "earth-shaker"

Parachutec is somewhat of a national hero in Peru as he's the one who transformed the Kingdom of Cusco into the Inca empire by gradually conquering nearby territories and civilisations, starting in 1438... an empire that would not even last a century when the Spaniards would put his descendent to death in 1533. The famous site of Machu Picchu was built as an estate for him; and his leadership skills and charisma easily allowed him to be truly identified as the son of the Sun.

As you can imagine, there are numerous statues of Parachutec (or Pachacuti) in Peru. This one is located right in the middle of Plaza de Armas in Cusco, on top of a fountain. It does give the shivers when, under a certain angle, the Inca seems to come to life with a radiating aura.