Los baños del Inca

Thus saith Wikipedia regarding the District of the Incan baths:

Los Baños del Inca District is one of twelve districts of the province Cajamarca in Peru. It is centred on a spa, which uses the water from thermal springs.

Near Cajamarca, "at a distance of about a league farther, across the valley, might be seen columns of vapor rising up towards the heavens, indicating the place of the famous baths, much frequented by the Peruvian princes."

"Then having arrived at the place where Atahualpa was, he being in a small house which was kept for the Lord, together with other rooms, for his use when he went thither to rest and to bathe, and there was a great tank which they had built, very well made of hewn stone, and to the tank came two pipes of water, one hot and the other cold, and there the one was tempered by the other whenever the Lord or his wives wished to bathe, and no other person dared to enter the water, under penalty of death."

The penalty of death has since been lifted, so we decided to pay a visit to this great tourist attraction. 

The whole complex

My personal tub

Before we went in, David told me that it's a good idea to spend the last part of the allotted 25 minutes with the cold water running over you so that you don't sweat for the rest of the morning.  It was the first time I had ever received bathing tips from a brother worker, but I was glad for the advice.  I actually found that I couldn't even stay in the water for the full time span allowed.  

Notices:

1. Staying more than 25 minutes in the water is damaging to your health.

2. The floor is wet.  Be careful not to slip.

3. Before leaving, make sure you have all of your personal belongings.

4. Elderly people or those with an illness, check with personnel about bathing, and enter with a family member.

5. If you begin to feel bad, communicate with service personnel.

6. Always respond when someone knocks on the door.

You are responsible for your own safety!

So I have been warned!

You can't tell that I was sweating profusely, but I was, despite sitting under cold water for the last few minutes of my bath.  

After bathing, we took a quick tour of the grounds.

Yes, that's steam rising from the pool.

This is apparently where Atahualpa, the Incan ruler, was when he learned that the Spaniards had arrived.