Machu Picchu – Day #1 « Chicagogirl1302′s Blog

Machu Picchu – Day #1

August 23, 2009

The day has finally arrived!! I am so excited, as this portion of the trip is truly the reason I am in Peru. To start, upon reading The Celestine Prophecy in high school (which was centered in Peru), my entire life begin to follow a new path and I have had a connection with the discussed energy ever since. Secondly, my Father´s Aunt & Uncle (my Great Aunt and Uncle) Jan and LaBelle hiked Machu Picchu when they were in their mid 70´s and upon showing us pictures, and telling me what an accomplishment it truly was to hike in the altitude, I was hooked. I was determined it would be the best 30th present I could possibly give myself and after Shannon agreed to go, we developed the entire trip around it´s visit.

The PeruRail train cuts right through the Sacred Valley, the highway the Incas paved from their Capital Cusco to other areas that provided agricultural and retreat pleasure on Holidays. The valley follows the Rio Urubamba (river) that was cultivated for irrigation purposes with the famous Inca terraces. The Rio was also considered a direct reflection of the Milky Way. As mentioned earlier, the Spanish destroyed most of the towns along the way, but the ruins of the foundations still exist, and the backdrop of the mountains are incredible. It is a clear example of how the Incas built in harmony with natural settings versus destroying it. Much of the valley was sculpted with the movement of the sun and stars in mind. The temples correspond precisely to lunar and solar events.

The train ride leads from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, the small town right below Machu Picchu. Hiram Bingham, a US Senator and the inspiration for Indiana Jones, came to Peru in 1911 to find the lost city of the Incas (their last stronghold before the Spanish defeated them) called Vilcabamba. Both the Spanish and the Incas had reports of a city “in the plains” that was conquered but later lost as the city was basically destroyed by the Spanish. Bingham began his search along the Rio Urubamba – and developed a trail which is now the train line. We took the Vistadome train – which takes about 3 hours and includes breakfast and large viewing windows in the ceilings to view the mountains. The mountains became steeper and steeper – and the colors became greener as we climbed deeper into the upper Amazon. I truly enjoyed the scenic views and, even though it may have seen like I was closing myself off to the world, I listened to Coldplay for at least an hour to prepare for my arrival (Coldplay has been my staple group in moments of change in my life…and was there as I moved to Hyde Park, as I pulled onto Lakeshore Drive for the first time viewing my new city, and….as I drove into Aguas Calientes). I have to admit I began to get slightly emotional upon the ride: this was a defining moment in my life….something only I could give to me…something I was proud to deserve…and something I was able to do to myself and for myself -purely by my own means and own determination.

We arrived at last to Aguas Calientes, and the view was breathtaking. Especially as we came from the dirty, dusty smog-filled air in Ayacucho and Cusco…the colors and clearness were slightly overwhleming. Green covered mountains were all around us and the friendly locals were there to welcome us with silver jewelry and other local items. We had to get some help to find our hostal…and upon arriving were devestated to find out they did not have us in their reservation booklet. Slightly panicked, we tried to look for another hostal but they were not as clean. By the work of God, we double checked with the first hostal one more time and she found us in the reservation booklet right away! Phew!! At the same time, we met a friendly couple from Florida (Libby and Joe) who was checking into the hostel at the same time (always nice to meet fellow Americans who feel as lost as we do).

Shannon and I decided to go up to Machu Picchu that afternoon, unsure of what we could see and do in a matter of 3 hours (before the last bus left). Prices of the entrance fee and bus tickets went up significantly from the time our tour booklet was published and I became very hesitant to purchase 2 days (as I knew we were going to do the sunrise hike the next day anyway…I wasn´t sure if we actually needed 2 days to see ruins). Just at that moment, Libby and Joe arrived and challenged us, “When are you ever going to come here ever again? this is why you came, right? You have to go today and tomorrow…it will be beyond worth it!” We agreed and bought the 2 day pass…I think my wallet actually screamed “ouch”….and we all got on the bus and began our assent.

Again, I became emotional….the view of the mountains on the 20 minute drive were breathtaking and reminded me of what a connection I have with the energy of “peaks” . The anticipation built each time we drove one switchback to another and finally, through the clearing, I could see some sort of ruins at the top of the mountain and my eyes welled with tears. Libby told me later that at that exact same moment, she teared up as well, overwhelmed by the beauty and excitement of the journey coming to fruition.

Hiram Bingham actually thought Machu Picchu was the lost city (despite the city being overgrown, in perfect condition, and in the mountains vs the plains) and began excavation immediately. His inexperienced scientists also thought they found over 80 female skeletons and began the idea of the Incas holding “virgins of the sun” here for sacrifice and other rituals. Later research proved the skeletons were 50-50 male/female and that Machu Picchu was actually a winter retreat for the Incas built by Pachacutec (away from the hustle and bustle of Cusco) that included enough agriculture for 1000 people at a time and a religious temple that allowed better study the astrological calendars than in the cities.

Shannon and I walked into the entrance, which hid any view of Machu Picchu at all. You actually have to go around a mountain curve until you come to a clearing that shows the entire valley below…surrounded by lush green mountain tops on all sides. It is extremely difficult to describe the majestic beauty in words but one can immediately understand why the Incas would build a retreat in this location. The air was crisp and clear…which allowed the colors of green mountains and blue sky to project a radiance of energy across the valley. A camera cannot capture this vision nor can someone describe what was shown or felt but it was incredible. You can see how the Incas built in accordance with nature versus against it.

Machu Picchu is divided by a large grassy square. To the left are the Royal areas reserved for the Emperor and his court. To the right are where the workers lived. The terraces once provided food for 1000 residents and have never needed to be reconstructed thanks to elaborate drainage and support systems below the surface. Much of Machu Picchu is actually built on a giant landfill that is terraced underneath for suport. There are 16 fountains that were used for ceremonies and fed by a natural spring that was used to irrigate the terraces. The highest temple (Principal Temple) holds a kite-shaped stone or, Intihuatana (Hitching Post of the Sun), which was used to make astronomical observations and calculate passing seasons. Its shape mimics Huayna Picchu, the mountain in the background, and appears to be aligned to the other mountains in all directions. As the Spaniards never found Machu Picchu, the device is one of few that was not destroyed.

During our hike through the ruins….we found LLAMAS!! I was beyond ecstatic (for those who don’t know, I have loved llamas since 9th grade…long story…but seems to oddly align with my obsession with Peru even though at the time they had nothing to do with each other) and I actually got to pet them I even got to pet a baby one…amazingly soft…and he wasn´t scared at all…but once I pet him he looked up and made some weird bleeting noise which made me squeal!

By now, almost 3 hours had gone by and the exhaustion of the hike and overwhelming emotion took over. Shannon and I took a mini break for self-time and I decided to climb back up to the overlook (felt like I was going to die at this point from exhaustion) for some much needed meditation. I found my own terrace (Sunday is the best day to visit as most tour guides don´t arrive until Mondays) and by now, most people had left. It almost felt like the place was mine alone. I seriously sat above the ruins and became one with the mountain top. Again, too incredible to describe, but I knew at that moment I had moved to a new plane and I felt like I was floating. Afterward, I became almost giddy…like a childlike person…and took pictures of my bare feet and Huayna Picchu, Huayna Picchu between my fingers and Huayna Picchu cupped into my hand. I was having such a blast that I forgot about the time and was 15 minutes late to meet Shannon (whoops!). We got our passports stamped and caught one of the lsat buses back down the mountain.

Upon our decent back down…I was literally exhausted. We did some market souvenir shopping, where we bought silver necklaces that have the famous Nasca Line images surrounding a Pachamamma (Mother Earth) symbol. The entire day felt like it was a gift, given to me to open and enjoy without any strings attached and for pure happiness. The necklace sealed the evening perfectly. Once we ate and showered, I set my alarm for 4:00am in order to get up for the sunrise hike to Huayna Picchu and passed out immediately.