CAJAMARCA, THE CITY OF THE INCA BATHS.

Cajamarca had long been one of the oldest cities in South America Highlands. The city and its surroundings have been occupied by several cultures for more than 2000 years.
The Inca Bath District is one of the 12 Districts of the Province Cajamarca in Peru. It is centered on a spa which uses the Water from Thermal Springs.
Near Caxamalca, at a near distance, across the Valley, columns of Vapor are seen rising towards the heavens, indicating the place of the famous Baths, frequented by the Inca Clan. The Inca kept a small house with a number of rooms. A great tank very well made of hewn stone had two pipes of water, one hot and the other cold. The water was tempered whenever the Emperor or his wives wished to take a bath. No one else dare to enter the water, under penalty of death.
A Hot Spring is a Spring produced by the emergence of geothermal heated GroundWater that rises from the Earth's crust. In general, the temperature of Rocks within the Earth increases with depth. Because heated Water can hold more dissolved solids than cold water, warm Hot Springs often have very high Mineral content, containing everything from simple Calcium to Lithium, and even Radium.
Cajamarca City, the capital and largest city of the Cajamarca Region, is located in the Northern HighLands of Peru at approximately 2,750m (8,900ft) above sea level on an inter- Andean Valley irrigated by 3 main Rivers : the Mashcon River, San Lucas River and Chonta River; the former two join together in this area to form the Cajamarca River.
Cajamarca has a subtropical HighLand climate. It is semi-dry, temperate, semi-cold with presence of rainfall mostly on Spring and Summer.
The city is also surrounded by a very fertile Valley and is well known for its dairy products, which makes the city and important trade center of agricultural goods.
Mining activity is also done in the surroundings. Yanacocha is an active gold mining site 45 km North of the city. It is considered to be the 4th largest gold mine in the World, which has boosted the economy of the city since the 1990s, but at the same time the mine activity have provoked a negative impact on wild life, plants, or livestock. The mining operation use large quantities of a dilute cyanide solution, contaminating the water sources, leading to the disappearance of fish and frogs and illnesses among cattle, air pollution and loss  of medicinal plants.
The mine is co-owned by NewMont (based in Greenwood Village Colorado USA, one of the World's largest producers of Gold)/BuenaVentura (Peruvian Partner). NewMont is the World's largest producer of Gold.
The Conga Project in the hands of NewMont was suspended in November 2011. In 2012, protesters expressed concerns about perceived impacts of the project on the local water supply.  On December 4th
the President Humala granted the country's armed forces extra power for 60 days, including the right to make arrests without warrant. Opponents of the project pointing the risks for ecosystem and water resources had the result that several of president Ollanta Humala's ministers resigned.
Cajamarca is a Quechua word meaning "Town of thorns" or "Cold Place," depending on the source.