Machu Picchu stones

Time here has been tumultuous; teeming with possibilities and despair. Strolling through histories of violence and occasional inspiration, fit to boggle the mind with complexity. My spanish is much improved (I have come to utter the words ¨no, gracias¨ with the ease of a native) and South America has taught me many lessons. My most recent day of note was at the fabulous Machu Picchu. After a series of bus rides and a shortwinded bout of food poisoning (giardia?) I made it to Cusco, Peru where I sit today. A town of 400,000 people and the historic capital of the Inca Empire (1200s-1532). Despite Spanish influence, the Incan influence is still quite evident in the structure of the city. Stone structures, set in the 1300s serve as foundations to todays markets and churches.

View from street in Cusco, there is an alpaca in the shadow

One is able to take a train from Cusco to Aquas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo, the stopping off point to enter Machu Picchu) everyday. It is three and a half hours, fairly expensive and a joy to endure.

Aguas Calientes is wild with unplanned tourism and not much of a place to hang out. But a 1 hour bus ride at 5:30 am brought me to a monument shrouded in mystery.

The Guard Tower at Machu Picchu

I didn´t see the mountains until the mist blew away

Wandering the ruins

View from Huayna Picchu, a nearby peak that offers lovely views of the former empire. After the severe hike to the top of this mountian I decended to share a good bottle of wind among the ruins.

What a cool place to build an empire.

The Tomb beneath the Temple of the Sun

At about 11am thousands of people began to arrive, and the place was flooded with people. School groups, tourists, a man with a whistle who whistles at you whenever you are stepping on something inappropriate.

Here are a few interesting facts about Machu Picchu:

-Machu Picchu is one of the New Seven Wonders Of The World.

-The site was built around 1460 but abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers after a century.

-The site was forgotten by the world until 1911, when it was discovered by Hiram Bingham, an American historian.

-Machu Picchu was the center of the Incan Empire through which the Urubamba River flows. The river is a partially navigable headwater of the Amazon River.

-Machu Picchu is built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls.

-Machu Picchu comprises of around 140 structures.

-The Intihuatana stone located at Machu Picchu is one of many ritual stones in South America. Researchers believe that Intihuatana stone was built as an astronomic clock or calendar.

-In 1911, some people were found living on the site and a number of female mummies were also discovered.

Now, back in Cusco, purchasing tickets, wandering the streets, enjoying music, and looking forward to Lake Titicaca.