After leaving Quito and the equator, we've flown to Cusco in Peru, the old capital of the Inca empire. The town is hundreds of years old and most buildings are located on original Inca foundations. The streets are very narrow because the Incas didn't have wheeled conveyances and the streets are just wide enough for 2 llamas to pass. This street seen from our room was the widest we saw there.
When the Spaniards conquered the Incas, they tore down most of their temples and used the stone to build churches. This is a Catholic church built over a temple. They left some of the Inca walls intact inside the church. No one knows why. That's what you see behind the pillars.
The Incas built incredible buildings using only stones and no mortar. The stones are so close together that you can't slip a fingernail between them. They figure it took one person 4 months to complete a single block.
Just out of Cusco sits the remains of a major Inca site called Saqsayhuaman. It was a large community with 3 walls of stone surrounding it. This is the outside ring. How did they carve and fit such large stones?
Next day we went for a trip to the Sacred River and some of the Inca ruins there. I thought there was a dozen or so Inca sites but we were told there are over 360 major sites and hundreds of smaller town sites. This was a large agricultural site called Pisac, with homes, granaries and a sacred temple. They lived in the mountains so most of their farming was done on terraces which they built using rock walls and dirt fill. Those terraces in front of Grammie are about 15 feet high and 25 feet deep. That's a lot of stone and dirt hauled up from the valley below. This site supported a few hundred farmers and priests.
Our next stop was Ollantaytambo, another town/farming community/temple. This is where we first started to really notice the altitude. Climbing up steps for 10 minutes was enough to completely tire us out and we needed to rest every few steps. At over 12,000 feet there's not enough air to get enough oxygen to your muscles and they just give up. After frequent rests, we did get to the top.
For a welcome change of pace, we stopped at a spot that makes, dies and weaves Alpaca wool. This woman makes elaborate rugs or runners without a pattern, just from memory. They are amazing with very intricate detail. Lots of items were bought here.
The next day we boarded a train for the 4 hour ride to Aqua Caliente, the town at the bottom of the mountain which Machu Picchu sits atop. The ride was slow because of the hilly terrain but very scenic and lunch was served. A very comfortable ride through a beautiful country.
Once we got to Aquas Caliente we walked down the road to catch the bus to the top of Machu Picchu. There are no vehicles in the town except for the dozens of buses going to the peak.
The trip up was only about 6 kilometers but took over 1/2 an hour because the roads were mud and all switchbacks as we climbed. We stopped looking over the side as we got higher. As you can see, there were no guard rails or barriers.
Here's a look at part of the road going up to Machu Picchu. Not nearly as frightening from this angle.
Made it! There is a hiking trail up and some people hiked it. We couldn't have done it at that altitude.
This is the favourite lookout site for taking pictures of the site. Its shows almost all of the site. There are a few more buildings to the right and a lot of terraces that you can't see. This is called the lost city of the Incas because they abandoned it before the Spanish got this far inland and it was never pillaged and disappeared from history until it was discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911.
Our guide took pity on us and helped Grammie most of the tour as we trekked up and down all the hills and avenues of the site. To get anywhere you needed to go up or down first and the altitude made it very difficult.
The site is basically as it was when it was abandoned 500 years ago. Everything is intact except the roofs which were made of wood and have rotted away. Sites at other locations were torn down so the stone could be used for other things. Walking the steps, you can see the wear on the stones from the original inhabitants.
The national dish of Peru is the guinea pig; they eat over 65 million a year. This is one of the wild ones we spotted at the site. The tame ones are raised for food. Every cafe offered them but we couldn't eat one.
At the highest point of the site sits this rock, called the hitching post of the sun.The Incas were great astronomers and based on the shape of the rock and Machu Picchus location, they could tell when it was time to plant, harvest, and prepare for a new season based on the suns shadow.
After our day of hiking and panting, we deserved a break so we tried the local specialty, Pisco Sour. Don't know what was in it but it sure was potent and tasty. Fortunately the bar was in our hotel.
Next morning we took our coffee and went for a walk. This is in front of our hotel. The river in back is the sacred river which the Incas built most of their sites within sight of. A lot of tourists come to see Machu Picchu and I think this town was recently built to handle the crowds and provide a place to stay. Nothing in the town is finished and nothing looks older than about 10 years old. Its quite a change because most of the towns in Peru are very old and covered with grit and dust; not here.
There is a huge market here, selling everything from tourist knick knacks to hand woven alpaca garments to skinned guinea pigs ready for cooking. We had a few hours before heading back to Cusco so we did lots of bargaining. Interestingly, every item was made in Peru. Non Peruvian items are banned; poor China.
After filling a few bags with treasures, its time to take the 4 hour ride back to our hotel in Cusco.
Because its a long ride, late in the day, some entertainment was provided during the trip. A mythical character put his hook around Grammies neck which forced her to get up and dance with him. They also had a fashion show which highlighted local garments, mostly made of Alpaca. It kept the trip lively. Tomorrow we head out on our next great adventure, that is if I can get Grammie back to her seat.
This video gives a bit better perspective on the size of Machu Picchu. Although I've seen many pictures of the site, nothing prepares you for the sheer beauty of it. The deep green of the majestic mountains that surround it as well as the awesome gorges below it take your breath away. The air is so fresh and clear that even far away objects are crisp and detailed. Its one of the most beautiful natural locations I've seen and the Inca stone work is mind blowing.
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