From Deepest Darkest Peru #10 Slings and fortresses

[Cain]

From Deepest Darkest Peru #10 Slings and fortresses

I woke up with the bits of my face and hands that I could feel in incredible pain.  Fortunately, those bits weren't many.  This was bad, it was really hurting.  I hoped I hadn't got frostbite or something.  I'd hate to be in a Peruvian hospital with that nastiness.

Then all my cold related worries faded away as the Kalashnikov rifle was pointed directly at my face, from about 3 feet away. That woke me up very fast indeed.  We were so fucked.  Bandits were going to rob us of everything we had, in the middle of nowhere too.  There was no chance of finding a bank to withdraw the emergency fund way out here.  We would simply be left to freeze to death...

Then the gunman moved into view.  He was wearing blue...in fact, it was the uniform of the Peruvian Tourist Police.  That was even worse.  They'd probably roll us for cash then arrest us for sleeping out here.  Wouldn't they?  My numbed mind was hazy, but the police were as corrupt as any South American country could be expected to be and probably even had some public vagrancy laws.

Moving my head so I could see to the left of me, I could see several more, some also armed with AK-47's.  I could also see Phil, smoking and alternately drinking a steaming cup of coffee, the bastard.  He noticed and came over to me, to gloat no doubt.  
,ÄúMorning Marc,Äù he said amiably before taking another gulp of the steaming liquid.
,ÄúWhere the hell did you get that from?  And are the police waiting for us to all wake up before they arrest us or what?,Äù
,ÄúThere's a lady at the edge of the plaza, showed up about 10 minutes ago.  Only a sol too, pretty decent stuff.  As for the police, they showed up at about 4am, an hour after you fell asleep.  None of them speak English, but I get the impression they are protecting us.  This is the Inca Trail after all, many people are willing to shaft a few gringos for some easy cash.,Äù

Oh.  Well, that seemed good.  Except the bit that meant I'd only got between two or three hours sleep.  I told Phil to grab me a coffee and I'd pay him as soon as I'd thawed out.  It really did help, just holding it and smelling the aroma was enough to warm me up and dull the pain in my head.  After I'd warmed up enough, I shed the sleeping bag I was in and found the nearest policeman and thanked them profusely for looking out for us.

The others took their sweet time, but were all up in about an hour.  Baz took an expedition to find a hostel while the rest of us either had another coffee or went on a shopping expedition.  Matt came back with the best poncho I had ever seen, a ankle length hand-knitted, alpaca wool garment that had cost him less then anything in Cuzco had been.  Deciding this opportunity could not be missed, I demanded he show me the way to the seller.  10 minute later I had a quality garment for $13 that would have cost ten times as much back in the UK.  Not to mention it was very warm, quite stylish and completed the whole gringo look.

Getting back, Baz had finally found us a place.  It was more expensive then I had expected, but this was the Inca Trail, after all.  I dumped the bags and decided to catch a few hours that I had missed from the last night.  Coffee could only do so much...

I awoke when a slingshot whizzed over my head into the wall.  ,ÄúBloody hell!,Äù I shouted before throwing myself at the nearest person, then trying to garrote the Other James with his wool slingshot.  It seems they had been shopping while I had slept.  I didn't approve of the slingshot as a weapon.  In my hands it was fine, just everyone else's that worried me.  To say they had not mastered the art of aiming such weapons would be an understatement.

After the meager lunch our funds afforded us, I decided to scale the massive fortress that overshadowed the town.  It was hard to miss really, as it took up most of the valley.  As we got closer, the true scale hit me.  What looked like ordinary steps from a distance actually would have come up to my waist when I was next to them.  And there were a lot of steps.

As I climbed up through the well preserved ruins, I came to realize how the Conquistadors lost here.  What had happened was Francesco Pizzaro,Äôs bother and elite his Conquistador cavalry were thoroughly routed at this town, the largest Inca victory in their conquest.  When you were in the fortress, it wasn't hard to see why.  It was an attackers worst nightmare.  

First of all, they would have had to come over the flats of the Sacred Valley, where their approach would have been seen for miles, giving plenty of time to prepare the defenses.  Then, where the valley was at its least widest, the fort was placed.  The massive stones had been used carefully to create death alleys and plentiful corners, turns and twists that would not only force the cavalry to dismount, but make every 10 metres a possible ambush.  It would have been a nightmare, turning every corner and waiting for the hail of stones and arrows that would be unleashed.  Not to mention the built in alcoves etc that just made the attacker's life that much more difficult.

The top of the valley was reached, then I made my descent back to the town again. Apparently, I was now in charge of our transport and had to organize for us to get out of here once we we're finished at Manchu Picchu.  I guess all those other times I had organized transport, translated for the idiot who was apparently in charge and paid for it didn't count or something.  Grabbing Becky, who seemed to be the only other person nearby who hadn't gone for a game of poker, I went off in search of a decent bus firm.  It was found very quickly, I might add.  For the grand sum of $15 we got an air conditioned private bus all the way back to Cuzco.  That was roughly what we had paid to get here from Quillibamba, which hadn't even been private.  Must have been my good looks, or poncho or something.

Dinner was at one of the two restaurants the town boasted.  Well, I say boasted, its more truthful to say they were hidden like some deformed family stepchild.  If it hadn't been for the Lonely Planet guide we would have never even found the places. Being in a foreign country and succumbing to the surrounding British vibes of my group, I immediately went for the meal with chips, an omelette of some type.  Tim mentioned there would be another poker game at the hostel tonight, should I be interested.  I was, but then Becky started on her second bottle of wine.  It was terrible, I wanted to pull myself away, but all she wanted to do was tell me and Neil (who was equally bemused and worried) about her ex.  After half an hour of this, when everyone had left, we managed to persuade her to sleep it off and I finally managed to make it to my damn poker game.

I was dealt in and started off well.  Since Dan was playing, I was guaranteed a few sols at least.  He could barely control his temper, let alone his facial expressions.  Tim was a monster at the game, as I had expected though.  After losing a few hands to him, I decided to make good with what I had left of my winnings and get to bed.  After all, I'd need my sleep for Manchu Picchu tomorrow.

[Cain]

Oh, here is a pic I found of a section of the fort.

[East Coast Hustle]

damn. I would NOT have wanted to be part of the army that had to try to take that fort.

[B_M_W]

Ah, yes, Incan Architecture....how lovely. To be the one inside the fotifiture, on the defensive, as spanish conquistadores trip and fall on their weary way up the slopes, all the while being whittled away by projectiles. Ahhh....so wonderful.

Unfortunatly, it was bacteria that won out in the end, like always.

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

I read the first paragraph and it was fucking swote, then I went back to writing my horrible shitty paper... I'm going to have to read all of these when I get some free time..

[Cain]

Ah, yes, Incan Architecture....how lovely. To be the one inside the fotifiture, on the defensive, as spanish conquistadores trip and fall on their weary way up the slopes, all the while being whittled away by projectiles. Ahhh....so wonderful.

Unfortunatly, it was bacteria that won out in the end, like always.

True, but that plays down that the Conquistadors were also professional, modern soldiers and the Incas....well, they weren't basically.  The Spanish had steel, practice and experience of fighting in a way which most of the Inca had never known.  Disease was far more important during the occupation, not really in the fighting.  I mean, they let their own capital be captured, they were never going to win military genius of the year after besieging their own capital for 6 months.

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

If they incans were organized I predict they would have pwned the spanish. The atl-atl could pierce the spaniard's armor and it could get more rounds off than their powder guns. I think...

[Cain]

That was the Aztecs.  The Incas were the ones that were smaller on human sacrafice, but had more gold and a lack of spear throwers.  Apart from this fortress I mentioned, they were always going to be pwned unless they could loot enough equipment from the Spanish to outfit an army...

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

I knew it was one of those not-white races...

[Cain]

Dont you have a guestbook where opinions like that are welcome to be posted?

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

No, but I should. We could alway use Old.Bluewhateverhisnamewas's guest book. That guy spent all night removing shit the trolls from FC put on his guest book, racist tardo.

[Cain]

My heart bleeds for him.  Not.

But yeah, the Inca weren't too up on their big weapons, from what I recall.  I'll have to check, but it was mostly bows, spears, rocks and knives, AFAIK.

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

So atl-atl = Aztek?

[Cain]

Yeah. I used Google to make sure.

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

Ah, the mighty and magnificent google...