Chapters 26 - 28 Summary and Analysis

"The Navel" brings Alberto and Che to Cuzco. The Incas once resided here and the conquistadors did as well. Cuzco was once the center of the Incan Empire. Its terrain and many ruins are beautiful, but there is another Cuzco which is a bustling city, and another which is a picturesque town littered with small buildings and churches.

"The Land of the Incas" informs the reader that Cuzco is surrounded by mountains, which the Incas used for defense of their fortress, Sacsahuaman. Che discusses some Incan history; the ruins remain to symbolize Incan power, however. The ruins also represent the power of whites that destroyed the Incas for their gold. Che and Alberto trace the Vilcanota River and Che recounts further events and Incan structures along the way. Further, in Cuzco, social classes are separated.

"Our Lord of the...