Q’enqo

One kilometer past Sacsayhuamán [1] is the shrine of Q’enqo (7 a.m.–6 p.m. daily), which means “zigzag” in Quechua. It is a large limestone outcrop carved with enigmatic steps leading nowhere, a sacred motif that is found on nearly every huaca, the sacred stone revered by the Incas.

On the top of the rock are faint carvings of a puma and a condor. Carved into the rock are perfect zigzag channels, which probably flowed with chicha, or llama blood, during ceremonial rituals, much like the Saywite Stone [2] between Cusco [3] and Abancay [4]. Below the rock are caves carved with niches where mummies of lesser nobility may once have been kept.

Nearby is an amphitheater with niches centered framing an upright stone, which was probably defaced long ago by Spanish extirpators of idolatry. Between Q’enqo and Sacsayhuamán [1] is a series of soccer fields, where rather pitiful horses can be rented for quick rides in the area (US$5 per half hour, price negotiable).