Machu Picchu

We travelled to Machu Picchu from Ollantaytambo, where we caught the train into the gorge of the Urabamba River.  The train ride itself was quite spectacular, with great views of the river and of the towering Andes Mountains all around.  After lunch on the train, we arrived in the village of Aguas Calientes, the colloquial name for Machupicchu Pueblo, the closest access point to the sacred city of Machu Picchu. 

We dropped off our luggage and hopped a bus directly to Machu Picchu, the UNESCO World Heritage Site that brought most of us to Peru for this trip.  This ancient city was a place little known to anyone, even the Inca people – only a select few were allowed to visit this mysterious sanctuary.  Even though it was ‘discovered’ by Hiram Bingham in 1911, Machu Picchu remained inaccessible until the 1940s, when the Inca Trail was found by an archeological expedition. 

Reputed to be the legendary "lost city of the Incas," Machu Picchu is steeped in mystery and folklore. The only significant Inca site to escape the ravenous appetites of the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, it ranks as one of the world's most stunning sights.  Photographs of the stone ruins, bridging the gap between two massive Andean peaks and swathed in cottony clouds, just can't do it justice.  It is dreamlike.

Invisible from the Urabamba Valley below, Machu Picchu lay dormant for more than 400 years, nestled nearly 8000 feet above sea level, under thick growth of jungle.  The ruins' unearthing, raised more questions than it answered, and experts still argue about the place Machu Picchu occupied in the Inca Empire.

Was it a citadel?  An agricultural site?  An astronomical observatory?  A royal retreat for the Inca emperor? An administrative center for the cloud forest?  A religious center?  Or some combination of all of these?  Everybody has a theory.

Most historians believe that the complex was constructed sometime in the mid-1400s.  Machu Picchu appears to have been both a ceremonial and agricultural center, as well as a royal retreat for Inca leaders.  Never looted by the Spaniards, many of its architectural features remain in excellent condition.

One thing is certain:  Machu Picchu is one great example of landscape art.  The Incas revered nature, worshipping celestial bodies and earthly streams and stones.  The spectacular setting of Machu Picchu reveals just how much they appreciated and enjoyed their environment.  Steep terraces, gardens and granite and limestone temples, staircases and aqueducts seem to be carved directly out of the hillside.  Forms echo the shape of the surrounding mountains.  Windows and instruments appear to have been constructed to track the sun during the summer and winter solstices.  The ruins are cradled in a circle of Andean peaks.  Even the llamas seem to appreciate the views.

Machu Picchu was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and in 2007 was declared one of the new "Seven Wonders of the World."  We were fortunate to have a wonderful guide (Raul) and two days to visit the site. 

The photograph below shows the main parts of Machu Picchu that we visited.  Major points of interest are labelled.




 

Passing through the main entrance to the park, our first glimpse of the ruins was reason to stop and stare.  Even with people on the path ahead, the view was breath-taking.

The first section we saw was the agricultural section.  There is a huge hillside of farming terraces, with some resident llamas to keep the grass neatly trimmed. 

It takes a bit more work to see the classic postcard overview - straight up the hill to the Caretaker's Hut, which overlooks rows and rows of steep agricultural terraces. 

From this vantage point, we could see the full layout of Machu Picchu, surrounded by mountains and clouds, with the Urabamba River below.

A bit higher up the hill is the Funerary Rock, believed to be the place where Incan nobility were mummified.  A small herd of llamas and alpacas enter Machu Picchu from the terraces nearby and graze on the grass, keeping it efficiently mowed.

Margaret got a close look at some Inca flying stairs, a quick way to travel between stone terraces. 

From here we can also see the start of the Inca Trail, a well developed road that connects Cusco with Machu Picchu. 

From the Inca Trail, the path opens into spectcular views and leads into the main section of the ruins.  Our guide assured us that we cannot spend the night here, so we took our last looks at the panorama of Machu Picchu as we headed downhill.

This entrance to the city was the only gated entry to Machu Picchu; otherwise a tall stone wall and a million steps separate the agricultural section from the urban section.

A section of jumbled stones, likely a quarry, sits atop a clearing between the urban section and the ceremonial area.  Archeologists believe that this quarry was a major source of rocks used in the construction.  Below the quarry there are even more terraces.

Down a steep series of stairs is one of the most famous Inca structures, the Temple of the Sun.  The rounded, tapered tower has extraordinary stonework: its large stones fit together seamlessly.  The eastern temple window is perfectly aligned for the summer solstice, when the sun streams through at dawn and illuminates the stone altar at the center of the temple.  The first light of the winter solstice is received through the temple’s southern window.  Below the Temple is a cave where human remains, believed to be of royalty, were found. Beautifully carved stone makes for a remarkable entrance to this cave.

Below the temple, in a cave carved from the rock, is a section traditionally called the Royal Tomb.  Inside is a meticulously carved altar and series of ceremonial niches. 

The Royal Tomb has been the site of numerous mummy excavations. Of more than 100 skeletal remains discovered here, 80% were women. This fact, among others, has led many historians to surmise that the area was inhabited primarily by high priests and chosen women.

To the left of the royal tomb lies a series of 16 ceremonial baths, joined by one linked and still functioning aqueduct system. There are a total of 16 fountains where people could access potable water. The first is just above the Temple of the Sun, and the succession of fountains goes down the eastern terraces.

Above the Sun Temple, a trapezoidal doorway frames the sacred mountain, Huayna Picchu.

Back up the stairs to the high section of the ruins is the main ceremonial area.  The Sacred Plaza is a ceremonial area that makes one appreciate the superb craftsmanship of the Inca. Surrounding the plaza are the most important buildings of the city.   The Central Plaza (grass) is in the background.

The Principal Temple is an example of excellent Inca stonemasonry, with its large stone blocks polished smooth and joined perfectly.  The jumbling of the stones in one corner is due to the settling of the earth over the years, and not to any defect in construction. The Inca used no mortar to hold their walls in place; they relied upon precisely cut stones, geometry, and female and male joints in the corners and foundations. Their best-built structures withstand the passing of centuries, and even multiple earthquakes, without suffering.

On the eastern side of the Sacred Plaza is the Temple of the Three Windows, each trapezoidal shape cut with views of the Andes Mountains in the distance.

The stonework here is mind-boggling – it is impossible to see how these many-angled stones (one with 32 sides) were fitted together by the Inca stonemasons.  In one area known as the Artisan's Wall, stones were sculpted into perfectly fitted rectangles - very unusual for the Inca builders. 

We were so intent on studying all these rock structures, we almost missed this little viscacha.  Closely related to the chinchilla, the viscacha is commonly known as the Andean rabbit.

Up still more stairs is the Intihuatana, or "hitching post of the sun."  This is the highest point in the Urban Sector and where important ceremonies were held. The Intihuatana is a carved rock pillar whose four corners are oriented toward the four cardinal points. The Inca were accomplished astronomers, and used the angles of the pillar to predict the solstices.  At the winter solstice, the high priest would rope a golden disc to the Intihuatana, to symbolically catch the sun and bring it back toward earth for another year's cycle of seasons.  The Intihuatana is the only one of its kind not broken off by the Spanish conquerors, who made a point of destroying all implements of Inca religion.

Leaving the Intihuatana, we followed a trail down through terraces and clearing with covered stone benches on either side.  Fronting the square is a massive, sculpted Sacred Rock, whose shape mimics that of a sacred peak across the valley.  This area likely served as a communal area for meetings and performances. 

Down a path from the Sacred Rock is the gateway to Huayna Picchu, the huge outcrop that serves as a dramatic backdrop to Machu Picchu.  Rumor is that anyone in reasonable shape can climb it in a couple of hours.  We opted out - partly to have more time to explore the ruins and partly because the altitude made it hard enough to breathe walking on flat ground.

The Central Plaza separates the eastern and western sides of the Urban Sector of Machu Picchu.  Raul told us that on his first visit here, at age 11, he and his classmates played soccer on this grassy field.  The Central Plaza of Machu Picchu is surrounded by roofless stone structures and steep terraces – it is like an island of green amid the stone buildings all around.  We saw llamas roaming here and grazing. 

The lower (eastern) section functioned mostly as a residential and industrial area.  There are a series of cells and quarters, some of which were once two-storey buildings.  Big surprise - these overlook more steep terraces for farming. 

At every turn, there's more amazing stonework.  Here are some stairs partly carved out of solid rock. Nearby is a beautiful wall - with windows, niches and stone posts for hanging things.

The most interesting part of this lower section is the Temple of the Condor.  Said to be a carving of a giant condor, the dark rock above symbolizes the great bird's wings and the pale rock below represents its head.  Condors, the largest birds in the Andes, are revered by many in South America.  Machu Picchu’s Temple of the Condor in Machu Picchu is a superb example of Inca stonemasonry. A natural rock formation began to take shape millions of years ago and the Inca skillfully shaped the rock into the outspread wings of a condor in flight.