Cajamarca
conjures up images of fertile fields stretching along the roadside and climbing
up the hillsides and across the highland plains and ravines. The city of Cajamarca,
considered the Historical and Cultural Heritage of the Americas, was transformed
by the Inca empire into an important administrative, military and religious center.
On November 16, 1532, Cajamarca witnessed a key date in the history of the Americas,
when a band of Spanish soldiers led by Conqueror Francisco Pizarro took Inca ruler
Atahualpa captive. The Spanish chroniclers claimed he filled a chamber (the Ransom
Room) with gold and twice over with silver to as far as he could stretch his hand.
Today a line runs round the room showing where to what point the treasure stacked
up. The city reflects Spanish influence in its architecture, such as the Cathedral,
the churches of San Francisco, Belén and La Recoleta, and the two-storey houses
with twin-eaved roofs. To the east of the city lie the Baños del Inca, the natural
hot springs which the Inca ruler was fond of. The district also features the Ventanillas
de Otuzco, a complex of burial caves carved out in pre-Inca times. The province
of San Pablo is home to two major archaeological complexes: Cumbemayo, a set of
ceremonial altars and Inca aqueducts, and Kuntur Wasi, a ceremonial complex of
several squares and platforms held up by huge stone walls. North of the city is
Granja Porcón, a dairy farm where travelers can take part in farming chores. The
farm is famous for its herd of cows which are still called by name at milking
time. Carnival time in Cajamarca is among the most famous festivals in February
in Peru. The townspeople are an easy-going, amiable folk, and carnival time involves
entire neighborhoods and institutions until the end of the festival, when the
participants symbolically bury Ño Carnavalón, the king of the carnival. The celebrations
go on for around a month, but there are eight main days, when participants are
often doused with water.