A Very Merry Machu Picchu Christmas!

Machu Picchu was the place I was looking forward to the most, and it truly lived up to expectations!  This ancient city was not revealed to the Spaniards (if it was they would have destroyed it because of pagan sun worship) and was pretty much forgotten until the early part of the 20th century.  Local Quechua people knew about it obviously, but an American historian Hiram Bingham "discovered" this city in  1911 when guided here by locals.  He was looking for the lost city of Vilcabamba which was the last stronghold of the Inca people, and he thought that it was Machu Picchu (Vilcabamba was later found deeper in the jungle).  Bingam's team cleared out the thick forest that was overgrowing and it was then that the ruins were discovered.  If you are interested, his book on  the "discovery" was recorded in the book Inca Land: Explorations in the Highlands of Peru and can be downloaded for free here.  Knowledge of Machu Picchu still remains really random, and most people still speculate what it was used for.  The fact remains though that it is one of the most beautiful archeological sites in the world, and it is truly a breathtaking experience!

Our driver picked us up from the hotel at 5:45AM to take us to Poroy station.  From there, we took a 3 hour train ride through the Sacred Valley of the Incas.  We took the  Vistadome train, which had huge windows all around the coach (including the ceiling) and played traditional Peruvian Buddha Bar type music  - the whole experience made us feel absolutely  immersed in the stunning scenery that was gliding by outside the train.  All around us we saw the lush green Andes with random crystal waterfalls, unforgiving rushing rapids, cows grazing on emerald meadows, and women and men in traditional wear living the simple life, spiraling up hills with mules adorned in colorful cloth transporting bags of grain, lush fruits, and coca plants.  It really makes you question the beauty of a simple life, a life where you turn it down a notch, look inwards, and find peace with yourself and with nature.  But I guess that's the hippie in me talking! 

We finally got to Aguas Calientes, which is the gateway town to Machu Picchu and also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo.  Many people stay here if they want to catch sunrise at Machu Picchu, which I have heard is a fantastic experience.  We chose not to stay there so that we could keep our roots in Cuzco for a few days, but that meant that we had a very, very long travel day yesterday!  Nonetheless, we got there at around 9:45 and met up with our tour group.  Aguas Calientes is a beautiful town because of its scenery, but because so many tourists pass through to get the Machu Picchu, it is dominated by a tourist focus.  Huge repetitive market right when you get off of the train station and pizzerias and restaurants with a set tourist menu are abundant here.   We took a 30 minute winding bus ride to the Machu Picchu main gate. 

A few tips for travellers:

• Take toilet paper and hand sanitizer with you.  It costs 1 sol to use the bathroom but its not in the best shape
• Take sunscreen and Deet with you and apply liberally!
• You must take your original passport to claim train tickets and for entrance to Machu Picchu
• You can check any extra bags you have outside the gate for 5 sol and inside for 3 sol. This comes in handy - we had a pretty sunny day so we checked our jackets and offloaded from our backpack
• Take water and snacks - you cannot buy anything inside Machu Picchu
• If you see a bit of rain, you can buy ponchos in Aguas Caliente or outside for 5 sol (~$2)
• Bring an umbrella.  We had sunny weather with sporadic raindrops so the umbrella came in handy
• Don't forget to stamp your passport with the Machu Picchu stamp!  There is a table just inside the entrance where you can stamp your own passport with the date

We took a guided tour through the grounds and then had a bit of free time to wander.  There are definitely pros and cons to the tour.  On one hand, it was nice to get a description of the significance of various areas inside Machu Picchu, but on the other hand I think I would have liked to explore on my own, get lost in the ruins, and find a quite place to do some yoga!  Needless to say, it was very informative and enriching to learn about the way that the lost city had been organized for different activities, like agriculture, observation of astronomy, and ceremonial sacrifice.  One huge theme, as it is in all old civilizations, is sun worship, and how that ties in with mathematics and astronomy.  For example in the Temple of the Sun, which is the only circular room in the city, the Incas built two windows.  In one window, the angle of the sunrise shines through the window during the Summer Solitce, and in the other window during the Winter Solstice.  It is in this way that the Incas were able to chart out a calendar and observe changes in the seasons for agricultural and ceremonial reasons.  This theme permeates throughout the city, with various locations that use astronomy and sun to symbolize various important days, like the start of the harvest. 

People say this place has a certain energy and you can definitely feel it if you step away from the tourists and really let yourself take in the breathtaking view.  We felt the energy most when we descended down to the flat green area (after seeing the Intihuatana, the "Hitching Post of the Sun") where there is just a sense of quiet that surrounds your body, mind and soul.  It is hard to describe the scene, and the hundreds of years of tradition that are steeped in the stone walls. When we were there, the Andes were bathed in fog which made the scene even more mystical and surreal.  I would be doing it an injustice to try to explain the feeling, so all I have to say is you must experience this once in your life if you can!

Unfortunately we did not have time to take the hour trek up the Sun Gate or the hour trek to go to Wayna Picchu (buy tickets in advance, only 400 allowed per day).  I have heard you get fantastic views from these places.  We headed back to Aguas Caliente for a quick lunch at Cafe Inkaterra.  This is a rustic cafe with a Peruvian fusion spread and beautiful views of the Andes.  It is located just south east of the train station in  the Machu Picchu Peublo hotel.  I would recommend going here if you don't want to grab a pizza or a set tourist menu from the other places in Aguas Calientes.  The place has a chilled out vibe and plays relaxing beats.   

We got home around 9:00PM, ordered room service and relaxed - it was a long and tiring but amazing day!  I am so excited to explore Cuzco today!

Temple of the Sun

Taking it all in

llamas