Sacred City of Quilmes

Sacred City of Quilmes

We took the bus to the nearest point on the Road to Quilmes and walked the 6km along the track that winds its way through the desert to the entrance of the sacred city. It seems strange that the conquisadors should have had any interest in this dry unfertile land let alone enough to spend 150 years before taking it.

            Only parts of the buildings and fortifications remain today. The low dry-stone walls marking where structures were rise in tiers up the slopes of the semicircular ring of hills that is the backdrop to the city.

            I took the fortification route, a path that circle around the city and along the ridges behind, which include fortified vantage points from which defenders could hurl missiles down on intruders. From above, the layout of the city looked like a strange alphabet with different shapes of oblongs connected to a few circular constructions by slender walkways. The meanings of these shapes eluded me. It was difficult on the whole to perceive what use each area might have had.

            I made my way back down the hill to meet up with Paola and to hear how her route through the centre of the city had gone.