Machu Picchu

And finally on Friday, we traveled to Machu Picchu. After our healing ceremony, we took a bus and then a train to Aguas Calientes, the closest town to Machu Picchu. We then caught a bus for a 30-minute, winding and twisting road up to the entrance to Machu Picchu. We were a bit concerned as it was raining, but just before we arrived, the rain stopped, and through the afternoon, it began to clear up. Cesar explained to us about the Inca trail (the one Di and Daniel climbed a few years ago), and then we were introduced to the wonder of Machu Picchu. Because the Spaniards never could find it, when Hiram Bingham found it, the site was exactly as it has been when the Incas abandoned it before 1500 AD, although it was terribly overgrown by the rainforest. Apparently the overgrowth was so difficult to remove, Bingham actually tried burning the area. Luckily, the structures were made of stone and only the overgrowth was removed. Carbon dating and other resources have shown Machu Picchu to have been occupied by about 750 people from about 1438 to 1500 through the reign of two Inca emperors. Although many speculate that it was built in the early 1400s, I find it hard to believe that it could be constructured that quickly. Each stone was chipped to perfection, they had to be hauled around the site, the terraces had to be built. It just does not seem possible that it could be built so quickly . . . but no one asked me. Our afternoon tour was perfect - not many people were there, the rain quit and the sun blessed us with its presence, and the temperatures were perfect. Cesar explained the transportation to the area that included numerous trails to many other Inca cities; the Sun Temple, where the sun's rays go through one of the windows on the summer equinox; and the sundial on top of one of the hills that has its shortest shadow on June 21 and its longest one on December 21. Although the elevation of Machu Picchu is not that high (7900 feet - the same as the cabin), we found climbing the many stairs caused many of us to be winded. We took it slow, and although the stone stairs created some balance issues, no one had much trouble. By the time we had completed Circuit 2, however, we were pretty tired and relieved to get back to the hotel.