Peru’s last Inca city reveals its secrets: ‘It’s genuinely a marvel’
Espíritu Pampa lay forgotten for centuries. But recent findings, a planned site museum and new fieldwork are bringing new attention to the last stronghold of the Incas
Published in The Guardian, September 28th, 2018.
ESPIRITU PAMPA — Jorge Cobos follows the remnants of an Inca road down the eastern slopes of Peru’s Andes, through cloud forest and over swaying plank bridges, edging along narrow paths beside sheer drops.
Finally, after a four-day trek, he clears a patch of undergrowth with his machete, revealing a moss-covered wall. Thick roots are entwined around fallen lintels. Elsewhere, the stonework is still daubed with orange plaster.
“Imagine – there are lots of buildings left to discover in the forest,” he said. “And beyond, in the mountains: who knows?”
