The alarm clock went off extremely early to start on a bus ride through the mountains in the rain for 90 minutes to Aguas Calientes to catch the Peru Railroad train to the base of Machu Picchu. Only 500 tourists a day are permitted to enter the ruins of the fortress and reservations are made over 6 months in advance. Our guide was a local specialist on Machu Picchu. The bus driver was an aggressive driver and many locals were already out walking into towns for Saturday market before the sun came up. The train to Machu Picchu is really nice and they serve you a breakfast snack and some strong Peruvian coffee once the train starts rolling. The tracks follow a tributary of the Amazon River and there are archeological sites and small villages along the way with crops growing in the fields; many terraces line the river for crops to grow on them. On the other side of the river is the ancient Inca Trail; hikers walk 4 days on this trek carrying supplies with local porters. The altitude is lower here so more crops were present and Indians in native dress were out working the fields. The river would be a rating of a 6 for rough water with small footbridges to cross over from side to side. This part of the trip is one I will always remember because I was seated in the front seat and had an unobstructed view of the valley and mountains- WOW! The vegetation began to change on this 90 minute train trip from the Sacred Valley types of crops to high jungle vegetation; vines, wild orchids, impatients and plants one sees in Hawaii. There was a small hydroelectric plant on the river to serve the valley residents electricity. The only TV antennas I saw were satellite dishes on hotels NOT on houses. The homes were small and simple with amulets on the rooftops. I guess the closest thing we know to compare to this is a weathervane; but its shape was closer to the rooftop. It had a cross in the center for faith, a receptacle for water and 2 bull statues for strength of family and strength to plow the fields. The Peruvians are pretty superstitious! The next step in the journey required a bus ride up closer to the ruins in mini-buses with switchback roads that are beyond description. Finally our destination!
The words Machu Picchu mean "old mountain". Yale grad Hiram Bingham "discovered" Machu Picchu with the help of a local family. The day was rainy when Bingham arrived at a hut and the parents told him there were ruins up there, but the weather was so bad they would not go out and sent 2 of their children to guide him to the spot. The clouds covered the ruins when we arrived too and my heart sank because I thought we would not get any pictures or views that day. The guide said to take a picture now and then wait 10 minutes to take the next one to compare the difference. Like magic the fog lifted and the majesty of the ruins was all around us- what a breathtaking moment! The excitement of the moment created energy in the thin air. A recent excavation here found the remains of 162 mummies with 105 of them female and less than 60 males. Machu Picchu is the correct altitude to grow coca so the surrounding land was terraced to produce the crop needed for religious and health reasons by the Incans. This was a planned city. Researchers found ceramic and bronze objects in the ruins- all broken in ceremony- this is the ceremony for leaving the city in a purposeful way. Along with the coca crop they grew maize (corn) and potatoes on the irrigated terraces. About 1000 people lived in Machu Picchu at one time. Of all the different parts we visited 3 things stand out to me: the Temple of the Sun orientation to catch the exact rays of the sun on the June 21st solstice, the Intiwatana(Sun Dial) with the crystal surface and placement in alignment to the cardinal points of the hemisphere, and the amazing water channel and movement to bring water to the city + the view, the view, the view! Talk about location!! These people conquered their world without power tools or the wheel using their brains- I am in awe of what they accomplished on the top of this mountain. We climbed to the Hut of the Caretakers to get the best shots of Machu Picchu- your lungs scream for more oxygen up here! What goes up must come down, so we started the long trip back. As we left Machu Picchu the gate attendant stamped our passports with the symbol for Machu Picchu- by far the coolest stamp on my passport! We all slept on the train ride home sunburned and exhausted from the journey with the backpackers who had finished the Incan Trail trek. There was shopping and lunch in Aguas Calientes and then the bus ride back to Cusco for the farewell dinner. We made one more stop on the way home at the native version of a sports bar. We learned a new throwing game and tasted the local corn fermented drink that the Indians love so much- not to my taste, but the explanation and demonstration was so interesting. This place also grows the guinea pigs for special feast days so we got to see how they are raised. There were several local teens and families there playing and talking. As we drove through the Square in Cusco we saw 2 wedding parties out on the square getting pictures in front of the ruins and the cathedral. The brides were in long white dresses- very pretty! I thought it was a strange time to get married and then I realized, "Hey, it's a summer wedding here like our July weddings!" The entertainment and food at the goodbye dinner was exceptional. The native dancers performed with a live Andean Folk Band. We even celebrated a birthday for one of the teachers in the group with a beautiful birthday cake. A perfect ending to a perfect day! There was only one small blemish- Carl could not join me for dinner- Atahualpa's Revenge was long in coming! TeeHee!
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