Mama Chira (or How to Negotiate with an Emperor)

A long time ago, in the 1400s in fact, in a land we now call Peru, the leader of Cusco began to conquer other Indigenous groups in the vicinity. Little by little the Inca Empire was created and with it, the leader of Cusco became a mighty emperor. The meaning behind his name, Pachakutik (pa cha COO teeq), reflected his power: The Earth Shaker. This mighty leader had a mighty principal wife too- Anawarki (or Anahuarque).

When Pachakutik set his eyes on the Ica Valley (marked with a star on the map above), he marched 40,000 of his warriors south out of Cusco. As always when he set out to conquer a land, Anawarki was left behind in Cusco to act as regent over the entire empire.

Upon arrival, they encountered an arid, desert-like land near the sea. Although the coastal waters provided lots of salty water, there was hardly any fresh water around. Dry, swelteringly sunny and with huge sand dunes, it wasn’t exactly the most welcoming or desirable region.

Yet the Incas still wanted to win control of the area for some reason. In fact, Pachakutik was interested in expanding his lands in all directions. Ica was next on his list, despite being an incredible 470 miles to the west of Cusco. That gives you an idea of how vast Pachakutik’s empire was becoming.