Today was a day off from cycling, although not entirely without physical exercise. After a bit of a lay in, I decided to take a walk up to the museum. A 3 km walk there, although thankful not as taxing as the Kuelap walk, as my calves felt like two balls of steel when I woke up in the morning. It was another clear blue sky day, with great views looking back down onto Leymebamba which made the walk all the better.
The museum cost 10 soles entry, and inside were displays and mummies found from very recent discoveries in the Lake of the Condors area. In 1997 an archaeological site was found on the cliffs of the lake, which contained funerary houses, and the mummified remains of over 200 people. Unfortunately, grave robbers had already visited the area, but the mummies were in good condition.
The funerary houses have been attributed to the Chachapoyan peoples, those same peoples who are also thought to have been responsible for Kuelap. Little is known about these Chachapoyan peoples, although one popular myth, is that they were white skinned with blond hair, and possibly descended from early Viking or Phoenician explorers. Until now, however, the remains found, have show that although of above average height, they are of Andean stock.
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