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PERU TRAVEL PLANNER
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Economy in the Inca empire
The main resources available to the Inca Empire were
agricultural land and labour, mines (producing precious and prestigious metals
such as gold, silver or copper), and fresh water, abundant everywhere except
along the desert coast. With careful manipulation of these resources, the Incas
managed to keep things moving the way they wanted. Tribute in the form of
service ( mita) played a crucial role in maintaining the empire and pressurizing
its subjects into ambitious building and irrigation projects. Some of these
projects were so grand that they would have been impossible without the
demanding whip of a totalitarian state.
Although a certain degree of local barter was allowed, the state regulated the
distribution of every important product. The astonishing Inca highways were one
key to this economic success. Some of the tracks were nearly 8km wide and at the
time of the Spanish Conquest the main Royal Highway ran some 5000km, from the
Río Ancasmayo in Colombia down the backbone of the Andes to the coast at a point
south of the present-day Santiago in Chile. The Incas never used the wheel, but
gigantic llama caravans were a common sight tramping along the roads, each
animal carrying up to 50kg of cargo.
Every corner of the Inca domain was easily accessible via branch roads, all
designed or taken over and unified with one intention - to dominate and
administer an enormous empire. Runners were posted at chasqui stations and tambo
rest-houses which punctuated the road at intervals of between 2 and 15km. Fresh
fish was relayed on foot from the coast and messages were sent with runners from
Quito to Cusco (2000km) in less than six days. The more difficult mountain
canyons were crossed on bridges suspended from cables braided out of jungle
lianas (creeping vines) and high passes were - and still are - frequently
reached by incredible stairways cut into solid rock cliffs.
The primary sector in the economy was inevitably agriculture and in this the
Incas made two major advances: large terracing projects created the opportunity
for agricultural specialists to experiment with new crops and methods of
cultivation, and the transportation system allowed a revolution in distribution.
Massive agricultural terracing projects were going on continuously in
Inca-dominated mountain regions. The best examples of these are in the Cusco
area at Tipón, Moray, Ollantaytambo, Pisac and Cusichaca. Beyond the aesthetic
beauty of Inca stone terraces, they have distinct practical advantages. Stepping
hillsides minimizes erosion from landslides, and using well-engineered stone
channels gives complete control over irrigation. Natural springs emerging on the
hillsides became the focus of an intricate network of canals and aqueducts
extending over the surrounding slopes which had themselves been converted into
elegant stone terraces. An extra incentive to the Inca mind must surely have
been their reverence of water, one of the major earthly spirits. The Inca
terraces are often so elaborately designed around springs that they seem to be
worshipping as much as utilizing water.
Today, however, it is Inca construction which forms their lasting heritage: vast
building projects masterminded by high-ranking nobles and architects, and
supervised by expert masons with an almost limitless pool of peasant labour.
Without paper, the architects resorted to imposing their imagination onto clay
or stone, making miniature models of the more important constructions - good
examples of these can be seen in Cusco museums. More importantly, Inca masonry
survives throughout Peru, most spectacularly at the fortress of Sascayhuaman
above Cusco, and on the coast in the Achirana aqueduct, which even today still
brings water down to the Ica Valley from high up in the Andes. In the mountains,
Inca stonework gave a permanence to edifices which would otherwise have needed
constant renovation. The damp climate and mould quickly destroy anything but
solid rock; Spanish and modern buildings have often collapsed around well-built
Inca walls
Inca Trail and tours
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Published articles and reviews about us

2009
Testimonials
Ajay
Parikh
Date:
Thu,16 Jul 2009
Hello all the folks at Peru Gateway Travel,
We had a fantastic time in Peru. We thank you all for making
our trip a success.
The only concern is that the accommodation in Cusco was below
average and we would not recommend the Emparada Plaza (?) to
anyone. Even though the staff was good, the room/bathroom,
breakfast was very bad.
Once again, thanks a lot for making our trip to your country a
memorable one. All the guides, especially Guillarmo in Lima
and Erica in Cusco, were excellent.
Kazuaki Kubo
Date:
Thu,16 Jul 2009
I want to thank
you and all of the staff of Peru Gateway Travel for the perfect
arrangement of my trip in June.
Everything was so fantastic and I was made to think about another
trip to Peru.
Sincerely, Denise Pratico
Date:
Mon, 6 Jul 2009
I am writing to let you know that we
enjoyed Peru very much. The city tour led by Marco was fantastic. We
will be happy to recommend your agency to other Americans
Jane
Date:
Mon, 6 Jul 2009
We have
completed our trip to Peru and are now back in New York City.
I want to thank you for all the arrangements you made. The
trip was wonderful and all our accommodations excellent. Thank
you for making our trip a success.
Best regards, Marcy
Date:
Mon, 6 Jul 2009
We arrived home at 4 o'clock in the
morning, very tired (we had a long lay-over in Amsterdam) but very
very happy. I am so pleased to tell you that our Peru vacation that
you planned for us was excellent! Everything was just as the
itinerary said it would be. We were very pleased with the hotels,
and the transfer people and guides were always there and everybody
was so nice and knowledgeable. We learned a lot about your very
exciting country and its history, particularly about the Quechua
culture. We will always remember the Inti Raymi festival in Cusco. I
am so glad we were able to see that. Of course Machu Picchu was also
a great highlight. And, Michael and I also very much liked Arequipa.
We didn't know much about that city, but we had a very great time
there on our free day and visited the cathedral, spent a lot of time
going through the Santa Catalina monastario and, of course, went to
the museum to see "Juanita". Beautiful architecture there too.
Really, every day was wonderful, and we would like to thank you so
much for all your efforts. Also please extend our thanks to Maria
Carmen who was so helpful on the phone and to Julia, who came to the
hotel our first night to explain many things to us and give us all
our tickets and vouchers. And perhaps you also had something to do
with our last night in Lima at the Libertador. We got a suite -- a
very big beautiful room! Thank you so much.
We wish you and your family all the best, and for sure we will be
recommending Peru Gateway Travel to our friends.
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