Diary/Photo Journal

Week of April 11, 2004

Machu Picchu.  Let's try to find a word to describe it, shall we?  Magnificent.  Stupendous.  Incredible.  Beautiful.
Astonishing.  Amazing.  Awesome.  Unbelievable.  Outstanding.  Remarkable.  Phenomenal.  Splendid.  Brilliant.  Miraculous.  Marvelous.  Stunning.  Extraordinary.   No, no, these do not work at all.  Wait, I got it!  How about..
WOW!
Yeah!  That's it! In all it's eloquence, that's it!

We raced down the last kilometer, wanting to reach the famed summit wherein lie the Intipunku ruins that serve as a sentinel for the Machu Picchu mountain and her precious child, the city of Machu Picchu.  We effortlessly made the last climb to that perfectly cut and fit stone arch that introduces you to a view of the spectacular joining of nature and manmade excellence.

As though we ran into an invisible wall, we all come to abrupt stop when the city came into our view.  Remembering to breathe at the 10,000 ft height, we grasp the unearthly beauty of the geography, only to come to the realization that seemingly nothing we create today will ever remain as intact and as beautiful as this city.  It is as though the Incas remade the mountain herself.

But, I will let you be the judge.  From here, all I can do is tell the story with pictures...

Our pre-sunrise view of Machu Picchu Sunrise exposes the yawning Indian shadow Even the resident Alpaca wants in on the action

View from the entrance trail and from a window Huayna Picchu is in the background

With Miguel guiding us through the city, we staggered through finely cut stone walls and up the centuries old steps.  Each building displaying its own significance and each structure crafted for a specific purpose.

Gerson at the entrance to the city and Louise at the entrance to the Temple of the Sun - check out the perfect fit of the stones

Condor Temple (see the wings in the rock and the stone in front has the carved condor head) View up the urban terraces to Gerson at the guardhouse Gerson next to the 24-sided stone each cut made by hand tools

The Inca Cross is made up of  a cross-like symbol that instead of it having four points, it has five tiers.  If you look at the picture below (Palace of the Three Windows), you will see the upper half of the cross, with the bottom half, being an exact mirror to the top (you could fold it in half and the halves will align perfectly).  Each "step" has a specific meaning to the Incas.  The first step, or the bottom/top part represents the underworld and is further signified by the condor.  The second tier, represents the earthly existence and the puma is the symbolic animal.  The final, middle section represents the afterlife, and its animal reference is the snake.  The Three Windows and the three tiers and many sets of three steps, three sacred pools, etc. repeat this significance many times over throughout Machu Picchu.

Temple of the Sun over the Royal Tomb View between the retaining wall and the significant Temple wall - see the difference in the construction?

Just another view of the city Palace of the Three Windows and half of the Inca Cross Gerson and I on top of the world Saying Ciao to our group

Once our tour was over, Gerson and I continued a short time on our own, but exhaustion finally overtook us (and hunger) and we opted for lunch at the park's restaurant.  It did not take long after our meal to decide that we would venture to our hotel (Machu Picchu Hostal) and look forward to an early visit to the city the next day.   Fortunately, Miguel had spoken with Jose and was told our return train tickets would be delivered to the hostal that day. 

Louise on the built-in terrace stone steps View of walkway between homes

View of how the Incas built around the natural stone formations View upward of the agricultural terraces to the guard house (and Gerson somewhere on top)

We got to the hostal, only to find that the train tickets had not yet arrived, and after another call to Jose, we were told they would be in our hands either that evening or at the latest, on the morrow.  With some reluctance, we agreed to wait and decided to have a bit of a rest and then head out to dinner.   When we returned, still no tickets.

View of Machu Picchu from Huayna Picchu And view to road for the buses and of our trail (upper left) from the Sun gate

View of the back terraces View of the upper terraces and of the rock quarry Level view of the main plaza

We left for Machu Picchu early the next morning so we could climb up to the top of Huayna Picchu.  Huayna Picchu towers over the city at about 11,000 ft and the ascent is a ridiculous, vertical climb.  The Incas carved out a stairway that leaves you within one foot of tumbling off the edge.  But, once you make it to the top, you are exhilarated by the near-death experience. 

How they split the granite.  See the notches in the rock and look where my hands are for the matching notch. They just stopped in mid- construction. Orchids bloom everywhere

Views from Machu Picchu Sacred Rock has the shape of the mountain behind This stone had a cross scraped on it and it points directly to the Southern Cross constellation

Huayna Picchu was an unexpected treasure.  The extraordinary construction on its peak and because you have to scramble up overgrown steps, crawl through tunnels, squeeze through rocks and simply put, truly explore these ruins made it all the more fascinating. 

Huayna Picchu watching over Machu Picchu below A close look reveals the climbers going up the ancient stone staircase View of the terraces and in the distant background, the road up to MP A very cool tunnel that slips you from the front to the back of the ruins I just love the Inca steps that take you from one level to another (the Urubamba River is below)

We found the highest point of the mountain and Gerson locked in his GPS (Global Positioning System, or as I call it "Gerson's Play Station") at just over 11,000 ft.  As you can see by the pictures, this mountain is not a gently sloped rise, but rather, a very abrupt peak that a careless stumble could give you the ride of your life (and your last).  How the Incas built this intricate suburb to Machu Picchu is beyond my imagination. 

Views from HP to MP Gerson did not like what it took for me to get to the spot for the 2nd picture - and my going back up the overgrown and cliff-hugging steps made me wonder "What was I thinking?" We even had a little rappel to conquer People making the last 100' climb Standing on the edge View of the incredible terraces and construction of HP

One thing that I would like to emphasize about the Inca culture is their reverence and their almost "taming" of water.  In every city, temple, guardhouse, whatever, there is exemplified a constructive genius in how they tapped into the mountain/rock itself and brought water into their lives.  Here are a series of pictures that show the various methods they carved stone drains, created stone waterways, formed stone fountains, fashioned stone baths, etc.  And, to further make the point, the water systems still work today as they did 500-700 years ago.  How long will our plumbing systems last, I wonder?

A M A Z I N G

Larry the Llama A face only a mother llama/Alpaca could love - dig that under-bite

So, after our rather careful descent down to Machu Picchu, we wandered around in awe for a few hours and made sure we did not miss this particular bus back to Aguas Calientes (where we were to gather our gear and our train tickets for our ride back to Cusco). 

We made it to the hostal with over an hour to spare, retrieved our belongings and found out that our train tickets for the 1:30 p.m. train were not there.  Now, those of you that know us know that we are rather thorough and tend to go well beyond the norm when making sure things come together correctly.  Needless to say, we were rather ticked  and after many, many phone calls with Jose and his minion, Rafael, and several hours later, we finally came into possession of tickets for the next day's (sold out) 8:30 a.m. train.  With a substantial pushing at our end, Jose grudgingly paid for our additional night in a hotel.  Unfortunately, in the middle of all this, we were out another $50 or so because of Jose's inept business practices (additional charge to change the flight, money exchange costs, etc.), and there was no offer to reimburse us for that loss. 

Jose and Rafael tried to give us some lame excuse that they sent $50 to the hotel for us to buy the tickets, which of course got lost somehow.  And, seeing as the tickets were $34 each, where $50 came from, who knows.  It was not the additional day in Aguas Calientes nor the missing of our flight back to Lima that bothered us, it was the flat out lies we were told.  Needless to say, we would not recommend this tour group again. 

Fortunately, the train ride back was scenic and comfortable; however, it started with a very sad note.  The area around Machu Picchu and specifically Aguas Calientes had suffered through very recent tragic losses of life and property due do mudslides, avalanches and floods.  The trains were stopped for three days (about the same time we were starting our walk on the Inca Trail) to clear the debris from the tracks. 

In order to get to the actual train at the station, we had to be escorted around a large clean-up area.  As we were walking by the many debris removal workers, a woman's scream pierced the air and another young woman ran along an upper embankment, covering her mouth and tears streaming down her face.  We continued to walk and all work had come to a standstill and all eyes were on another woman and man literally throwing themselves down a makeshift stair to get to the area being excavated.  We continued on by and did not want to see what we know to have been a body found in the still 10' deep debris. 

In this particular area, a small lagoon/lake rested above this part of the community and a small cascade flowed from its rim.  Apparently, the lake broke its confines and all of the pent-up water roared down and directly through this community.  Many people are still missing and it is unknown whether they are buried in the debris or were carried off down the violent Urubamba river (this river is so powerful that it provides electricity for four major cities in Peru).

Our trek around one train that was blocked by the mudslide Aguas Calientes view

Destruction of the homes and all the people looking to where there was the tragic discovery Boulders that were cleared out of the debris

With reality-checked hearts, we boarded the train and made it back to Cusco, just in time to hurry up and wait at the airport for the next available flight to Lima.

After a day to recoup (and to organize the 350+ pictures I took - love that digital camera), Carlos and Rosa took us on a long drive up into the local mountains (where Rosa was born and raised).   Remember, local mountains here make our local mountains look rather hillish, seeing as these mountains are over 4800 meters high (or close to 16,000 ft).  We enjoyed lamb soup to warm us, freshly made cheese to fill us and finally, we stopped at a Rainbow Trout farm (and would you believe, they brought the first generation of trout in from Sacramento, California - too funny).  Now, if you ever want to witness two supposedly grown men turn into Huckleberry Finnish boys, give them a slender tree branch, a little fishing line and some bait and they are giggling like 10-year-olds. 

At this trout farm, you can fish out your own "trucha" and they cook it for you any way that you like.  Carlos hooked a sizable trout immediately, but Gerson, with his eyes searching for that allusive "big one", had more fun throwing back the rejects.  Finally, we ended up with four nice fish and decided to have two of them fried and two of them made into ceviche.  All were terrific.

Up near the summit Beautiful crystal blue lakes

Our "little boys" fishing What US$10 will buy - yum! and that dizzying library

We rounded out the day with an interesting tour of the Convento de Ocopa (a Franciscan convent), built in 1725.  This convent is renowned for its incredible library of over 25,000 books, dating back to the convent's creation.  Just slide my meals under the door please and I will be fine there for many years. 

We had a little bump in the road in the way of a large rock that necessitated our changing the tire in the pitch blackness of the night.  However, within minutes we were on our way back to Lima where we crawled into our beds in the wee hour of the morning.

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