The closest ruins to Lima are the Pachacamac ruins, 32 kilometers
away. We drove there one afternoon. High up was what was left of
the Temple to the Sun. They are always on the highest ground as
the sun cut more of a figure with the Incas than anything else. .
. We drove through the narrow streets of the town, with the stone
walls of the stores or houses rising high above us on either side
as far as cars were permitted, or could go, almost to the walls.
There was our temple in a pretty bad condition of decay. These
ruins had long been sacked. Part of the findings was in the
museum I told you about. The crumbling walls and stairways and
moats(?) were of stone carefully and symmetrically made and laid.
The main stairway would allow five or six to go abreast. It had
sharp angles every so often, and high walls, the better to
protect and defend in case of attack, probably. Higher up it had
no walls, just steps after steps and paths always leading higher.
We got to the top-acres of it. Sand and ruins.
Over toward "town," and to one side and much lower were the ruins
of the Temple to the Moon. It is being restored. . .You can see
the original round wooden poles in perfect preservation.
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