A wonderful trip

I want you to tell you about an interesting experience I had last saterday. I was invited by professor Ruben Stehberg to visit three big inca sites in the surroundings of Santiago. The trip was organized by the International University SEK and Ruben went there with their students of archaeology. 

The first site we visited was Chada´s ruins, located 40 km south of Santiago, in the ancient road to the south that crossed through the Chada´s pass. The settlement is located in a small hill and corresponds to an Inca W´aka, that means a sacred place. There are two perimetral walls around an hole, that was an ushnu, a place that connected the three worlds: the upper world, the underground and the place we live.

We continue another 30 km south until we rich a La Compañía hill. There we visited the southernmost inca settlement, a big fortress, with long rocky walls. The landscape there was incredible, with the Andean mountain and the central part of the Cachapoal valley.

Finally, we started the return to the city, and near San Bernardo, we visited another inca fortress: the pucara of Chena. I enjoyed very much the trip and I learned a lot about the inca conquest of central Chile.

INDIANA JONES

My favorite movie is Indiana Jones. I love it. I saw it, for first time, when I was 12 years old. It was the best movie I saw in my all life.

Indiana Jones was produced by S. Spielberg and G. Lucas, two excellent movie directors. There are four movies and all then are amazing; Indiana Jones and raiders of the lost ark, Indiana Jones and the temple of doom,  Indiana Jones and the last crusade and Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull.

All the movies are marvelous, but my favorite is the Indiana Jones and the last crusade because it shows Indiana Jones life, from his childhood to professor and archaeologist. 

The movie shows all the adventures he lived with his father during their survey of the Saint Grial. Most of the history was filmed in Petra, a Nabatean old city settled in the Jordania´s desert.

This movie make me dream with the archaeology, with the archaeologist and his fascinate world. Until now I feel thou sent emotions when I see this film.

This infant dreams had influent me all my life and my most important decisions.

My favorite Archaeologist

Ruben Stehberg L. studied Archaeology, in the University of Chile; Engineer, in the University of Santiago and he is also PhD in Natural Sciences in the University of  La Plata, Argentina. He works at the National Museum of Natural History (Chile), as  manager curator  of the  archaeological lab.

He develops three investigation areas; The inca expansion to the central area of Chile; the ethnohistory of the Aconcagua valley and, the historical antarctic archaeology.

Ruben Stehberg had discovered many  segments of inca roads  between the Huasco river in the north to the Cachapoal river in the south. Also he found the southern most inca fortress near Rancagua, known as Cerro Grande de la Compañia fortress. Finally,  was the first arqueologist that made archaeological excavations in the Antarctic.

I admire him because, I think his research is very important for the chilean archaeology. I have many others reasons for admire him: he was the first archaeologist I met in my life; he invited me to my first expedition and my first excavation, and he  inspired me the interest for studying  the inca archaeology.

THE AYMARA CELEBRATION OF WINTER SOLSTICE IN CHENA PUCARA

There are around 15.000 aymaras people living in the metropolitan area of Santiago. Most of them come from the northern altiplano, after the big cooper mines took their water.  The Andean people celebrate each year the summer and winter solstice. The aymaras of Santiago celebrate both ceremonies in the Pucara de Chena site, after the Chilean goberment declared the site us a ceremonial park for the indigenous people.

The Andean new year, 21 of June 2012, all people, aymaras, quechuas and others are invited with their families to celebrate another solstice, with Andean music, rituals and mead, from 10 to 17 hours. 

There will be free buses starting from Baquedano square at 10, 11 and 12 hours.

The ceremonial park of Chena is located 20 km south of Santiago, front of San Bernardo city. If you go through the Panamericana highway you will see a signal in the 20 km.

                                                

                                                    Tray to go. You will have a nice moment.