The face is easy to identify on the left side of the photo. It is not known whether the face is natural or man-made. Many believe that it was carved by the Incas in the hope that the fierce image would strike fear in the hearts of invading warriors. What looks like a rectangular carving on the steep slope is actually a large granary. By storing the grain in this high position on the cliff, the Incas knew that the prevailing winds would keep the grain cool, dry, and free of mold.

Ancient buildings at the foot of the agricultural terraces. The roofs are a modern reconstruction.

Wild flowers grow on the terraces. Here is a wild fuchsia. Leylys explained how the local Quechua Indians revere the flower because, when split lengthwise, the inside resembles Christ on the cross.

Clinging to the side of the cliffs are cacti and red-flowered perennials.

On the sunny, drier side of the cliff, bromeliads grow in profusion. In the middle is an arechmea fasciata, and the hairy grey masses everywhere are a type of tillandsia, much like the Spanish moss found in the southeastern United States. All bromeliads are epiphytes, or air plants, absorbing their food through moisture in the atmosphere.