Cajamarca

I recently took my first trip here in Peru, a 6.5 hr bus ride to Cajamarca, where Peru Mission's founder Alonzo Ramirez lives. It is a very interesting town - half city, half country. You'll see campesinos or subsistence farmers sitting on the side of the road selling melons, wearing traditional clothing; meanwhile shiny new cars and American-style shopping centers cater to the wealthy foreign miners of the nearby Yanacocha gold mine.

I won't go into the mine, which is a pretty controversial topic, but one reason cajamarquinos might be sensitive on the subject of gold is that this is the city where conquistador Francisco Pizarro betrayed the Inca ruler Atahualpa for a roomful of gold. The story is that after storming the city and taking Atahualpa by surprise, Pizarro held him ransom for as much gold and silver as could fill his prison cell (see picture below). However after delivering on his promise, Atahualpa was executed anyway.

Colorful history aside, Cajamarca is a pretty town, surrounded by trees and mountains. The Ramirezes hosted me, and probably my favorite memory is going to the Baños del Inca with Alonzo's wife and daughter. These "baños" are natural hot springs, first used by the Incas, which they have now channeled toward modern private bathing rooms where you can enjoy a soak after a long dusty day. Given the rarity of hot showers in Peru, this is even more of a luxury.






Atahualpa's prison cell. The floor was destroyed some centuries ago because of later prospectors looking for gold underneath the floor.


















Some sketchy looking mineral compounds at the Baños del Inca.