Machu Picchu
Our very first view of Machu Picchu
And this is it: Machu Picchu. We spent a day and a half here, and the site is truly impressive. As preparation, we had both read the recent book Turn Right at Machu Picchu which chronicles Hiram Bingham’s “discovery” of the site in 1911. In reality, locals had known about the place all along, and Bingham may not even have been the first Westerner here. But Bingham and National Geographic cranked up the publicity machine and effectively put Machu Picchu on the world map.
The remarkable preservation of these 500+ year old buildings can be attributed to the Spanish never knowing about Machu Picchu, and therefore not having a chance to plunder and destroy it. Thus, visitors are given a chance to appreciate what a tiny Inca town would truly feel like. No one really knows the purpose of this place, but the idea of glamorous royal retreat does feel right. Here’s a clockwise tour of this iconic tourist attraction, starting from the Caretaker’s Hut.
The Caretaker's Hut, sitting above the ruins
The mysterious Funerary Rock that sits behind the Caretaker's Hut
The classic view of Machu Picchu from the Caretaker's Hut
The main gate to Machu Picchu, which perfectly frames Huayna Picchu behind
The Royal Sector where the privileged live and the curved Torreon at the center
The Torreon/Temple of the Sun receives the morning light onto an abstract rock
The Torreon stones follow the natural curve of the giant rock its built upon
Beneath the Torreon are more abstract rocks and the temple to Pachamama, Mother Earth
The Royal Sector is filled with naturally flowing fountains conceived by ingenious Inca design
Temple of the Three Windows in the religious sector
The Principal Temple and the Intihuatani mount rising behind
The Intihuatani, a ritual stone believed to hold the sun in its place
Each corner of the Intihuatani points to a different sacred mountain
A view of Machu Picchu opposite the Caretaker's Hut
Mountain mysticism: the Sacred Rock and its inspiration behind
The Temple of the Condor: beak on the ground and two natural rocks as wings
These niches either bound prisoners with their blood flowing down the rocks or held the Inca mummies
A last look at the site, with one of the ever-present llama
Machu Picchu is peaceful early and late, with the day trippers streaming in by 10AM and leaving by 3PM. One huge tip: sit on the left side of the train from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu Pueblo. The ride through the Urubamba Valley is spectacular and there are no views from the right at all. There’s a very good chance it will rain, but wait it out and some of the tourist crowds may have cleared. The clouds also put on a spectacular show; see video and photos below.
What an amazing entry! Thanks for sharing this! Did you get your netbook fixed?
the netbook just started working again after being stone dead for over a week, so we’re back
Thank You. I relived being there!! Your commentary was very helpful in documatation. The europeans I understand went all out to these places to take the knowledge of the powerpresented by the ley lines and giant crystals back for themselves. David Icke talks of this. The elites are the only ones to be in the know of this power to themselves. I was there but feel I floated thru. We climed that high mountain and what a journey. Cusco was beautiful with best of everything acustomed to westerners. Best coffee,breakfast and Italian food. I would love to retire in such a place. Peru is a land of sense. No Gmo’s,no chemtrails, more civil liberties than the crooked USA. My heart bleeds for Peru!