Peru Trip Report, Twenty-Four Hours 4: Machu Picchu

DAY 4, November 30, 2014:

Machu Picchu is believed to remove maintain been built yesteryear Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, the 9th ruler of the Inca, inwards the mid-1400s. Machu Picchu is located on a ridge betwixt the Huayna Picchu too Machu Picchu mountains inwards Peru.

It sits 7,970 feet (2,430 meters) higher upwards body of body of water degree on the eastern gradient of the Andes too overlooks the Urubamba River hundreds of feet below.

Huayna Picchu (the light-green peak, shaped similar a rhinoceros horn, that appears inwards the background of Machu Picchu citadel.) is the peak to viewer correct here

Una Picchu is the 1 to the left. Huchuy Picchu is the fifty-fifty smaller peak betwixt Huayna too Una Picchu:

Almost no 1 bothers to ascend the pinnacle that anchors the reverse halt of the site... Machu Picchu Mountain. At 1,640 feet it is twice equally tall, too the views it offers of the surface area surrounding the ruins—especially the white Urubamba River winding or too then Machu Picchu similar a coiled snake—are spectacular.

Our hotel had given equally a packed breakfast the previous even too asked us to locomote along our packed bags too the key within the room equally nosotros left inwards the morning. We could unopen the door shut/locked equally nosotros exited. As it was a Lord's Day the reception staff would come upwards inwards later, collect our bags from the room too locomote along it with them till nosotros returned from MP too were ready to leave. We had entirely a pocket-sized handbag too had left the residual at Ollanaytambo. Only 1 five kg handbag per somebody is allowed on the develop to too from Machu Picchu!

5.30am, nosotros boarded the MP bus.

There are several taking off 1 after another. After a twenty min ride up, reached the famed entrance.

We had to checkin our hiking poles—only people higher upwards lx years allowed to purpose them.

We had bought our tickets to MP online a calendar month ago. There are entirely express tickets for a day... can't await to walk upwards too purchase 1 at the counter.

Machu Picchu was constructed equally a purplish estate of sorts, the presence of elite residences inwards the northeast sector of the site backing that thought up. It would remove maintain been used yesteryear the emperor too his household unit of measurement equally a temporary respite, the site supporting a pocket-sized number of year-round caretakers.

Almost equally impressive equally the ruins themselves is the spectacular backdrop of steep, lush, too oftentimes cloud-shrouded mountains. Standing close the caretaker's hut, looking out over Machu Picchu, the jungle covered mountains, too the river far below, it is non difficult to imagine why the Incas chose this identify to build their city.

Guard's hut...

Surprisingly in that location was a crowd at that early on hr too many hired guides to remove maintain them around. We had read upwards a lot too had our ain notes too map. We decided to ditch the crowd, went our ain agency next our map. There were clouds too a fiddling fog for the kickoff one-half an hour.

Alpacas grazing ...

this identify is total of pesky sandflies. People were beingness bitten to pieces yesteryear sand flies, nosotros had been adequately warned thank yous to the huge thread on that topic inwards this forum. We had OFF Towelettes, nosotros wiped ourselves well, nosotros were also wearing total sleeves too long trousers. Despite that I had half dozen bites on my hands too it itched for a week!

The purplish residences remove maintain highly polished too good crafted stone locomote patch the other stone masonry is utilitarian. All purpose trapezoidal openings/niches with wide bases to withstand earthquake. NO MORTAR ANYWHERE!

To the left of the purplish tomb lies a serial of xvi ceremonial baths, joined yesteryear 1 linked aqueduct system.

Royal Tomb: This cave-like surface area behind contains ceremonial niches too an Inca cross carved from 1 wall too is next to the Temple of the Sun.

A boulder carved into a stairway lies close the cave entrance too the undercover sleeping room probable served a religious business office of some form. The cross resembles a serial of steps, too represents the 3 levels of existence inwards the populace of the Inca. The kickoff step, symbolized yesteryear the snake, represents the underworld or death. The 2nd pace represents the present, human life, too is symbolized yesteryear the jaguar. The highest pace represents the celestial/spiritual bird of the gods, too is symbolized yesteryear the condor.

Inside the Royal Tomb numerous mummy excavations had been made. Of to a greater extent than than 100 skeletal remains discovered here, 80% were women. This fact, with others, leads many historians to surmise that the surface area was inhabited primarily yesteryear high priests too chosen women.

This is the temple of the Sun...

Machu Picchu has a number of structures that heighten the spiritual significance of the site.

One of them, the “Temple of the Sun,” or Torreón, has an elliptical blueprint similar to a Sun temple constitute at the Inca upper-case alphabetic lineament of Cuzco. It is located close where the Inca emperor is believed to remove maintain resided at Machu Picchu. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 stone within the temple could remove maintain served equally an altar. During the June solstice the rising Sun shines straight into 1 of the temple’s windows, too this indicates an alignment betwixt the window, stone too solstice sun.

Beneath the temple lies a cave, naturally formed, which the explorer Bingham referred to equally a “royal mausoleum,”

Hiram Bingham came across Machu Picchu inwards 1911 too believed until his expiry that it was the "Lost City of the Incas," kickoff documented yesteryear Castilian soldiers inwards the 1500s. However, historians believe the existent lost metropolis of the Incas was at Espíritu Pampa, a ruin Bingham knew of but discounted equally beingness insignificant.

This Temple of the Condor is a corking illustration of Inca stone masonry. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 natural stone formation began to remove maintain shape millions of years agone too the Inca skillfully shaped the stone into the outspread wings of a condor inwards flight. On the flooring of the temple is a stone carved inwards the shape of the condor's caput too cervix feathers, completing the figure of a three-dimensional bird. The caput of the condor was used equally a sacrificial altar. Under the temple is a pocket-sized cave that contained a mummy.

A prison theater complex stands straight behind the temple, too is comprised of human-sized niches too an undercover maze of dungeons. According to historical chronicles that documented similar Inca prison theater sites, an defendant citizen would locomote shackled into the niches for upwards to 3 days to await the deliberation of his fate. He could locomote set to expiry for such sins equally laziness (!!), lust, or theft.

Guard hut yonder...In ½ hr the fog had lifted too the whole citadel stretched out before our eyes inwards all its glory.

Huayna Picchu is the large peak to viewer right. Una Picchu is the 1 to the left. Huchuy Picchu is the fifty-fifty smaller peak betwixt Huayna too Una Picchu:

It's lower too thus easier to climb (though it does remove maintain a curt rope portion), too it is non likewise high to reckon the details of MP equally many abide by the views from HP to be.

To larn to it yous create remove maintain to purchase a HP ticket. However I came across this written report yesteryear some 1 online. Don't know how truthful this is... looks attractive though!

"There is a pocket-sized trail that branches off shortly after the gate house. The sign is titled “Huchuy Picchu” it’s impossible to miss. This is similar a mini-Huayna Picchu experience with the exception that yous volition almost sure enough locomote the entirely ones hither too tin remove maintain your personal viewing platform of Machu Picchu with an fantabulous sentiment of Intihuatana too the Unfinished Temple. At the summit admire the views too watching lizards, birds, insects, ants (human too real), etc. become close their daily routine. The entire climb takes peradventure fifteen minutes; it was inwards some ways only equally gratifying equally climbing Una’s better-known vecino too provided a overnice wrinkle/coda inwards the entire Machu Picchu experience."

The Sacred Rock:

Just downwards the steps from Intihuatana too across the Sacred Plaza is the Sacred Rock, a massive slice of granite curiously shaped similar the Inca’s sacred mount of Putukusi, which looms on the eastern horizon.

It serves equally the gateway to Huayna Picchu.

Before a hamlet could locomote erected, a sacred stone must locomote dedicated to the site. The Sacred Stone of Machu Picchu sits at the base of operations of Huayna Picchu (little peak) too the outline is a replica of the mountain.

This is the Sacred Plaza. Surrounding the plaza are the most of import buildings of the city.

Three-Windowed Temple And Sacred Stone (Intihuatana):

The kite-shaped sacred stone sitting inwards the pocket-sized foursquare or too then the temple is thought to stand upwards for the Southern Cross constellation.

Temple of 3 windows: these 3 windows stand upwards for a component of the Incan world: The undercover (Uku-Pacha), the sky (Hanan-Pacha) too the earth/present or the actual fourth dimension (Kay-Pacha). These windows also human face upwards the rising of the sun, an of import number inwards the everyday life of the Inca population.

The Principal Temple is an illustration of fantabulous Inca stonemasonry, with its large stone blocks polished smooth too joined perfectly. note the Southern Cross Stone At Lower Left wall Of The Principal Temple.Southern Cross Stone Points To The Highly Evolved Red Giant Star Gacrux Or Gamma Crucis In The Southern Cross Constellation Every Year On May 2.

Earthquake harm tin locomote seen here....amazing that the stones remove maintain only moved but non collapsed!

Intihuatana:

The Intihuatana (also called the Saywa or Sukhanka stone) is a polygonal-shaped Sacred Stone, unremarkably known equally the "Sundial". The Intiwatana, the "hitching post of the sun" is a carved stone pillar whose 4 corners are oriented toward the 4 fundamental points. The Inca were accomplished astronomers, too used the angles of the pillar to predict the solstices. The Sun exerted a crucial influence on the agriculture, too hence the well-being of the whole society. It was considered the supreme natural god. The high priest would rope a golden disc to the Intiwatana, to symbolically grab the Sun too convey it dorsum toward basis for some other year's wheel of seasons.

It is designed to hitch the Sun at the 2 equinoxes, non at the solstice (as is oftentimes stated tourist literature). At midday on March 21st too September 21st, the Sun stands almost straight higher upwards the pillar, creating no shadow at all. At this precise 2nd the Sun "sits with all his mightiness upon the pillar" too is for a 2nd "tied" to the rock. At these periods, the Incas held ceremonies at the stone inwards which they "tied the sun" to halt its northward displace inwards the sky.

The Intiwatana hither is the entirely 1 of its form non lopped off yesteryear the Castilian conquerors, who made a dot of destroying all implements of Inca religion.

There is also an Intihuatana alignment with the Dec solstice (the summertime solstice of the southern hemisphere), when at sunset the Sun sinks behind Pumasillo (the Puma's claw), the most sacred mount of the western Vilcabamba range, but the shrine itself is primarily equinoctial.

Machu Picchu is 1 of the Earth's magnetic focal points, too carries an inherent spiritual or metaphysical power. When nosotros sit down at the border of the Sacred Plaza overlooking the Urubamba River below, the stone temples too plazas to the front, too the mount peaks of Machu Picchu too Huayna Picchu to the left too right, nosotros experience the magic!!

This is the principal gate... nosotros tin reckon the Guard's hut higher upwards inwards the left corner.

Adjacent to the Sacred Plaza (on the reverse side from the Intihuatana Shrine) is the Stone Quarry. There are many granite stones lying close too this most sure enough was convenient for the Inca stone masons. There is 1 stone nearby that Hiram Bingham tried to separate yesteryear using hot water, but it did non work.

This is the trail to the Sungate.. Intipunku; nosotros started on it, but were bugged yesteryear incessant sand flies.

The Sun was upwards too blazing yesteryear 10.30, crowds were coming in, too then nosotros reluctantly bid goodbye to the awesome site.

We had a snack of our final batch of paratas too love apple tree relish brought from home, sitting at this bench... too then scenic.

We had been scared to sit down elsewhere because of the sand flies. Surprisingly a daughter was immersed inwards her volume too totally ignored the glorious scene around... well, it takes all sorts to brand this populace too then interesting!!

Very happy with the whole visit... it had been AWESOME!1

Went downwards to the omnibus stop... non through the Guard's hut but some other way... here's the Paradero...stop.

Took the 11.30 omnibus dorsum to Aguas Calientes, coming together several buses coming upwards with loads of passengers.

Walked or too then enjoying the ambience too did some window shopping. We had wanted to hike to the falls but the sandflies made us driblet the idea.

Incan chararcters inwards all games too scenes... similar nascency etc... HA HA!

We had bought the 4.30 Expedition ticket dorsum to Ollantaytambo. We talked to the Perurail officials, they traded the tickets for the Vistadome leaving at 1. Very sweetness of them. [There are several trains plying to Aguas Caliente during the 24-hour interval too nosotros remove maintain to volume both the to too fro journeying picking our specific time. There are 3 dissimilar categories too... similar I said e had booked the Expedition which did non remove maintain the snack too amusement alternative too costed a fiddling less.... nosotros had constitute the timings correct for us. They changed the ticket to before costlier develop without whatever hassle too without charging us for the difference!!]

On the vista dome... Sun streaming inwards through the drinking glass windows inwards the roof...

They gave us snacks too a drink. We got the non alcoholic drink

Inca Kola... hugely pop too iconic imbibe inwards Peru. The yellow, sweet, carbonated soft drink's ingredients: carbonated water, sugar, citric acid, sodium benzoate, caffeine too lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora or Aloysia triphylla), known inwards Republic of Peru (and throughout the Andes) equally Hierba Luisa. Lemon verbena is a perennial shrub growing to 2–3 k high. The 8 cm long glossy, pointed leaves emit a powerful scent reminiscent of lemon when bruised. This flora is quite mutual inwards household unit of measurement gardens inwards sure parts of Peru, where it is used equally an infusión (herbal tea) too to add together flavor to mutual depression temperature drinks, sorbets too some savory dishes.

Pancake sandwich too fruits served gratis at vistadome trip... quite good.

They set upwards a trip the lite fantastic toe too fashion show... the Puma guy invited me to trip the lite fantastic toe too hither goes.

Back at Ollantaytambo... nosotros took a taxi from the develop station to our hotel though it is a curt distance... did non desire to pant upwards for twenty minutes...

OLLANTAYTAMBO:

We had left behind our luggage taking entirely a pocket-sized bag. We had a bigger, improve room now... with our ain sit down out...

The resident truthful cat came inwards through this opened upwards window at midnight too snuggled inwards son's bed... causing quite a fracas! ha ha!

This is the reception.

The Incan walls of the road...

Day 5, Dec 1, 2014:

We enjoyed a walk inwards the early on morning time to the famed Apu lodge to admire inwards unopen quarters Wirakocha- the creator god - chiseled into the mount face.

This is Apu Pinkuylluna, the mountain that towers over the town.... inwards the shade... it houses the granaries....

(Note the likeness of Viracocha carved into the sacred mountain.) We did non travail the hike upwards here.

We had asked Marco to pick us upwards at 8am , tour Chinchero before dropping us off at our even out at San Blas Cusco.

Had our breakfast too laid off... detailed written report of our 24-hour interval five too half dozen is here:
http://www.kris-sapiutri.blogspot.com/search?q=peru-trip-report-day-5-chinchero-cusco