Cajamarca ruins

Archeological Site Perù, Perù

In the Andes, the Cajamarca culture (200AD-800AD) built networks of stone roads throughout the mountains, as well as the extensive system of aqueducts known as Cumbe Mayo (“Thin Rivers” in Quechua). The porous volcanic rock of the mountains stored water in the rainy season and distributed it in the dry season, so water flowed year-round in the channels that were cut nearly 8 kilometers down to the valley. They vary in width and take advantage of 90-degree zigzags to control the force of the current and prevent erosion. Surrounding Cumbe Mayo is the stone forest “Los Frailones,” so named because the stones — some over 20 meters tall — have been eroded and fractured by wind and rain to take on forms resembling hooded monks (frailes). To get here, take a day tour from Cajamarca, or go on an overnight hike and camp under the stars where the ancient Cajamarca people worshipped the water that gave them life.