Machu Picchu

Our next destination was Aguas Calientes – the nearest station / town to Machu Picchu and the highlight of our trip to Peru. We left Sol Y Luna hotel very early on 16th April, (about 6.15 am), being picked up by Mr. Max and Hilda; (Hilda was coming with us for the day). We were driven to the temporary Piscacucho station. There we met John and Nina, all of us waiting for the 8.30am, or similar, train. The train journey was spectacular ...



Machu Picchu (in Quechua: Machu Pikchu – "Old Mountain” is almost 2,500 metres - roughly about 8,000 feet – above sea level. This so-called The Lost City of the Incas" is situated on a mountain ridge above Urubamba (or the Vilcanota has it confusingly becomes), about 50 miles north & west of Cusco.

It’s widely thought that Machu Picchu was built as some sort of a country estate for Cusi Yupanqui, who was Pachacuti, probably the most successful military Inca (1438–1472). It’s probably the most familiar icon of South America. The Incas started building the estate around AD 1400 but it was abandoned around the time the Spanish attacked the Incas.

It was apparently known locally but completely unknown to the outside world before its discovery in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham, (the reputed basis of Indiana Jones) and the man who the train to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is important not just as a cultural site but as a sacred place, containing the Intihuatana, (the "The Hitching Post of the Sun"), the Temple of the Sun, and the ‘Room of the Three Windows’.

During our visit the weather was rather chilly and misty (cloudy) but the site was not very crowded. It was an impressive place - probably over-hyped and much anticipated - but still a fabulous place. Most of the views we took pictures of, whilst not as good as the famous images, nevertheless would be very familiar, thanks to the iconic photos you see of Machu Picchu. Best of all, (for me anyway), was the Temple of the Sun ....




We stayed the night at the Inkaterra eco hotel, which is about 12 acres, and in cloud forest. The Spanish colonial-style hotel has rooms - each slightly different from one another – spread throughout the grounds; all of which have great views out over a colourful garden perched on the edge of the valley overlooking the Vilcanota River. The gardens are incredible with over 372 species of orchid, native palms, ferns, begonias, fruit trees and medicinal plants.

They even have the Spectacled Bear rescue reserve. This bear (known as Tremarctos ornatus, commonly called the Andean Bear and locally called ukuko, jukumari or ucumari) is seriously threatened and this centre tried to rescue and return orphans
or zoo damaged animals.


I spent a great morning, Saturday 17th April, from very early, bird spotting in the cloud forest garden of the hotel. The highlight was seeing the Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata). We saw two males compete for a female - watched the outcome and gazed on as the new couple settled in with each other.

Ollantaytambo

Thursday 15th April. After Pisca and a delightful lunch on the way through the Sacred Valley, we reached Ollantaytambo.


Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti who conquered the region, built the town and a ceremonial centre. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Peru it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance. The substance of the place is partly situation - at a confluence of the Urubamba and Patakancha rivers, in a stunning setting - and the stonework - the size, position and fitting together of some of the large stones is magical.

The main quarries of Ollantaytambo were located at a site called Kachiqhata, in a ravine across the Urubamba River some 2 miles or so away from the town.


The stones, (some form of rhyolite and porphyry - both igneous in origin), seemingly were rough carved or shaped on site in quarry then somehow rolled or dragged down to the river. To cross the river the Quechuas workers apparently made a diversionary channel.

An inclined plane or ramp was used to haul the stones up … even so it must have been a tremendous effort and involved hundreds of men … remember – no horses or buffalo. You can still see dozens of enormous stones (tired stones) – either they split or were damage or not needed – or indeed as many suspect unused as the temple or fortifications were unfinished as the Spanish invasion happened.

We walked this really impressive site, though Margaret wisely left Hilda and I do the top level, gazed at the store houses on the other hills, (to get up there looked a real effort - though some adventurous types had gone!) and then we descended to spend a little time in the town. We visited a local family's home, which comprised of four small one-storey buildings (two such properties form a unit of the town's grid type layout - a 'kancha' I think the term is), around a roughly uneven cobbled courtyard, cut by small drainage channels. In this yard hens, ducks, a cat and a dog wandered around, quite unconcerned.

In one of the buildings we were invited to enter there was a small stone hearth for the fire (not a fireplace as such - no chimney etc.), presumably both for heat and for cooking. One small window provided an escape for the smoke and some light. The rustic wooden beams supporting the thatched roof carried a smoked joint and some dried maize cobs. There was one old wooden cupboard and little else it seemed.


On the floor there were tens (maybe 35!) of Guinea Pigs (or quwi or jaca in Quechua and in Spanish cuyos) scampered about - seemingly they are often cooked when visitors drop in! (in all the time we were in Peru we were recommended roast Guinea Pig but in truth never had the stomach for the dish ... after all, when Sophie and Rory were at home we had some as family pets). Oddly enough, I have to really try to remember that the term "guinea pig" comes from our use of them in research in Europe!


The next day we headed off to the Citadel of Machu Picchu by rail from the temporary Piscacucho station (Km 82).

South American trip - 13th and 14th April 2010

Well, we are back from our South American trip, primarily aimed at exploring The Galápagos Islands or more properly called - but with less drama and meaning - by its official name 'Archipiélago de Colón.' Eyjafjallajökull volcano had a fair impact here - mainly because travellers - due out after us - couldn't make their flights … so we enjoyed less than normal densities of tourists!
The volcanic eruption caused quite a few problems - see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8630893.stm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_travel_disruption_after_the_2010_Eyjafjallajökull_eruption

First though, a few words in praise of Cusco and The Sacred Valley of the Incas as well as Macchu Piccu. The latter seems to be spelt a number of ways - for example an alternative I have seen is Machu Picchu; though in the local older language (Quecha or Qurchua) it was called Machu Pikchu - meaning "Old Mountain". Oddly enough, whichever spelling you use it the Spanish written version of the word as the Andean culture giving rise to the language never had a written format - relying rather on quipus or khipus the so called 'talking knots'.

Cusco, (in Qurchua it’s written as 'Qusqu'), we loved - a beautiful setting, high in the Andes (3,400 metres or 11,200 feet), with about 350,000 inhabitants, spread through the Huatanay river valley. Green hills surround the city and the Andes beyond provide a stunning backcloth.

We were lucky enough to be shown around the area by a charming and very knowledgeable guide called Hilda Jimenez.


Our first exploration of the area was Sacsayhuaman or Saksaq Waman. This is an impressive site, up at an altitude of 3,700 metres, (about 12,000 feet), apparently built by the Killke people, in 1100 AD, though Incas later conquered these people and expanded the place around 1200 AD. The site was either a fortified defensive position or a meeting place … perhaps a combination of all of these things … or even some sacred site - apparently it is laid out in the shape of a puma’s head, but it seems a mystery – as is the exact way in which the walls were made. All the walls are truly impressive - so closely fitted that nothing will fit in the dry joints. The corners of the massive stones are rounded and the stones interlock whilst also leaning regularly sloped – inward – apparently to be resistant to earthquakes. The largest stones seem to be of the order of 100 to 200 tonnes (!) and the size of the walls around 15 to 20 feet tall. Truly awe-inspiring.

Then we were fortunate enough to be shown around and have explained the extraordinary Temple of the Sun or Templo del Sol at Koricancha - the most amazing temple of the Incas - and an astronomical observatory to boot. It was dedicated to the Sun, (the most important deity in the Inca's religion). Koricancha means "courtyard of gold" in Quechua and reputedly there were gold panels lining its walls, gold figures and gold altars ... plus a massive golden sun disc which mirrored or reflected the sun's rays, bathing the temple in sunlight.


During the summer solstice, the sun still shines directly into a niche where only the Inca was permitted to sit.

After the Spanish had looted the temple and emptied it of gold, the exquisite polished walls were used as the foundations of the Dominican Convent of Santo Domingo, forming a jarring clash of colonial architectural statement of oppression or dominance!


The next day (15th), we left for The Sacred Valley, carefully driven by Mr. Max, with Hilda enthusiastically describing the history and culture of the area – taking care not to let the Incas dominate or (as they did) take over from the Andean heritage … nor condemn or denigrate some of the Spanish imperialism’s impact!

We drove first to Písac – the long way – as the shorter route was still without the road bridge reinstated, (washed out because of the recent floods). Its is a small town or large village on the Urubamba River (a tributary of the Amazon, called first the Vilcanota River then from Písac to Ollntaytambo the Wilcamayu (sacred river before merging with the Apurimac to form the Ucayali). Here's a little local girl who allowed us a snapshot!


We visited ‘Inca Písac’ initially - Inca ruins from around 1440 A.D. that are separated along a ridge overlooking the entrance to the Sacred Valley. The hillside was crammed full of terraces, which must have allows the Incas to produce food at altitudes as high as 11,000 feet! The overall site seems to have been a military, religious, and agricultural significance as well as being a kind of country estate.

Its defensive position on the southern entrance to the Sacred Valley, allowed it to control the route, which connected the Inca Empire with the border of the rain forest region where key supplies could be obtained. The site was taken and destroyed by the Spanish Conquistadores around 1530 A.D., following which the foundation of the modern Písac was built down in the valley.

There’s a market regularly in Písac – a bit of a tourist thing – but there are fruit & vegetable stalls too – so there is a local need. We bought a painting by local artist Teofilo Quilca Turpo – plus a decorative gourd, not too mention a silver llama!

Next blog --- down towards Ollantaytambo!