Off to Quinua after Wari.

Before we departed Wari we could even see our next destination in the distance, the white obelisk.




Quinua is about 37 km from the city of Ayacucho and a slightly higher altitude than Wari at 3,300 metres above sea level. It is noted for two very different things, its distinctive pottery and as the site of the 1824 Battle of Ayacucho.

Following Peru's civil war between the Peruvian state and the Shining Path guerrilla movement, the town capitalized on its historic location, collecting a share of Ayacucho's tourism market. The main attractions drawing more than ten thousand tourists each year are the battlefield and its commemorative obelisk, a historical museum featuring relics from the battle, and the town's famous pottery, and colonial architecture.


In 1974 Quinua dedicated a fourty-four meter high obelisk as part of the sesquicentennial celebrations of the Battle of Ayacucho in 1974. Also in preparation for the ceremonies a paved roadway was built linking Quinua and Ayacucho, shortening to less than an hour what had previously been a day-long trip.


The Battle of Ayacucho was a decisive military encounter during the Peruvian War of Independence. It was the battle that sealed the independence of Peru.
On December 9, 1824, the Battle of Ayacucho took place at Pampa de La Quinua, just outside the town between Royalist and Independence forces. The latter were led by Antonio José de Sucre. His statue stands on the actual site of the battle field.

At the base of the obelisk the following military personnel are remembered from left to right – Cordova, La Mar, Sucre, Gamarra, Lara and Miller.
The modern Peruvian Army celebrates the anniversary of this battle.



As usual all the local children gather to sing and dance in the Qechuan language for anyone, or any group, willing to pay a few Soles! They made a reasonable killing out of our group.

On seeing all the horses waiting to be hired out I was reminded of a special event that occurred to Marion and Elena in 2008. They hired two horses and their handlers to take them the waterfall – in the far distance of this photograph. When they were about to mount up after seeing the falls they were duly informed that they had only paid one way, the initial quote did not include a return fare! It always pays to check all the details, even down to the last Sole!