Rumicucho is an Inca fortress situated on a vantage point overlooking the Guayabamba River and the northern approach to Quito. It is located within about a mile of the Mitad del Mundo (Mittle of the Earth) equator monument. If you make a trip from Quito in taxi it is easy to ask the driver to take you over to these ruins. In Quichua the name means "stone corner". Rumicucho consists of five large stone terraces ascending in a low pyramid-like shape. The terraces each have their own walls but today mostly the base of the wall is all that remains. Archaeologists believe that in addition to being a fortress this could have been a ceremonial location as well. Some believe that it was a place for observing the solstices and equinoxes and that it was a center for sun and moon worship. There is a very small admission fee when you get there. When we first started visiting the location there was no organized tourism and maintenance so we walked in free of charge. The closest geocache to the site is The Fake Equator (GC934A). I hope you get the opportunity to visit Rumicucho and see the vistas from there. Take time to visit the equator monument nearby and the two caches close by.A special thanks to iNyar for the photo.
1 comment:
That looks like a wonderful spot. And, of course, a virtual cache is always a bonus. ;)
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