You would be forgiven at this point for questioning us relentlessly on our workaway activities, or the lack of them.  We had decided some time back that we would forgoe any workaway until we reached Bolivia, just because we wanted a change of scene.  

When we got to Bolivia, however, the workaways, for our family anyway, dried up somewhat.  There was plenty of work in hostels, bars etc. but very little farmwork going.  There was one farm in the hills of Samaipata, where a man was living with his two female friends and wanted more people to join their living arrangements.  I have to say, I was a little bit intrigued by their living arrangements and wondered if more people just meant more women for his little harem?  We did apply (just out of curiosity you know) but were returned with a reply that there wasn't space for children.  Fair enough.  

There was a few mentions of this Samaipata area which just made us more intrigued about the place so we did a bit of research and decided we wanted to go.  

Samaipata is about two hours west of Santa Cruz.  1600-1800 metres high, it's nestled between forested mountains and Inca history.  Traditional buildings line traditional streets, providing a rugged but tranquil idyll. 

We had realised just how cheap taxis were when staying in Santa Cruz and decided it would be just as cheap to rent a taxi to take us on the two hour journey up the mountainous road.  We had heard the bus drivers in Bolivia were often drunk and drove like maniacs.  After my overnight bus encounter in Argentina, I wasn't going to put my nerves on high alert when we could get a taxi for £20. 

A battered people carrier pulled up outside our hotel, and after staff members coming out to admire and ask the taxi driver questions and retrieve business cards off him, we were on our way. 

After about 40 minutes we had left the city and were on our way towards the mountains.  Soon enough we were following a river running between two massive cliffs.  Trees clung to the side of the cliffs, like herds having been pushed to the edge and with nowhere else to go, fall tumbling to the valley floor.

I did manage to open my eyes to witness a house sitting perched on the edge of a grass tip.  Either side of the house, the grass sloped directly down, hundreds of metres to the bottom and I wondered in awe, how the house had been built and who would live like that? 

After sometime we finally arrived at Samaipata and we were relieved.  First impressions viewed it not only as a beautiful village, but the air was clean and fresh and the overall feeling was relaxed.  After spending so much time in cities, it was nice to be able to breath again.

Our hostel was cheap but had a really pretty courtyard where we ate the most amazingly full plate of fresh fruits and home made toast every morning for breakfast.  The bedroom had its own bathroom and was quiet, with a cute view from its window.  

We booked a tour to an archaeological site called El Fuerte, using a local guide to explain more to us.  A driver took us the 20 minute drive to the location and what we saw was quite mind blowing.  

The ruined site was a huge temple with housing for priests, virgin wives and soldiers.  It was originally built by the indigenous tribes who lived in the mountains and celebrated the sun god, but was later taken over by the Incas, who instead of destroying the site, developed it further, including adding their moon god worshipping talismans.  

Different animals were carved into the rock, depicting the different elements on earth.  A large snake like gulley was built, with two smaller interweaving gullies, one for the blood of a virgin, the other for mead or some sort of plant extract liquid.  

The priests quarters showed walls with coffin sized holes in them and when asked about them, we were told that was where the mummies of dead priests would stand.  Living priests would live in a small hole along with their dead predecessor.  

There was other architectural interests about the incas.  For example, if they built a store room at one part, then they had to build a second one as a mirror image.  They also always engraved three squares into the sides of the walls, I can't remember what they represented - man, woman and family, or something along those lines.  

They also had such an intricate set up for administration, keeping trade and population recorded.  

Standing amongst the mountain peaks, you could understand their religious fascination with the area.  Deep, red, massive rock formations.  The real feeling of being a small speck on the horizon. 

Here be Gods.