Machu Picchu!

Here is the much-awaited post about Machu Picchu!

Saturday, June 2

we  went to MP approximately one week prior to this entry

"Haven't had time to write, we've been so busy  and I've not felt up to writing. I am currently swinging in a hammock in the jungle on the Peruvian border, 12 hours away from Machu Picchu.

SO, Travis, Katie and Derek trekked up the 1000+ stairs, while Marla, Chrissy and I took the bus with Anna at around 6 am. The sun was just peeking over the mountains when we got to the 'top'.

The site was fantastic, much of it has been rebuilt, some remains from the Inca days, and other sections remain crumbling ruins. Unfortunately for me, there was still a lot of 'up' to go once we got off the bus. We stopped for a photo op, then climbed some more and met the Machu Picchu llamas.

Sweaty from their hike up!

We are here at the crack of dawn, but there are already hundreds of people up here! We went down by lunchtime, and the place was PACKED.

Wilian gave us a brief introduction to the site. We learned that the site was 'discovered' by Hiram Bingham, a researcher from Yale, in 1912. The site was known to locals far before this, but he is credited with bringing it to the world. He took almost all of the artifacts he found here to the U.S., and as of today Peru only has 5% of the artifacts from the site :("

The ditch next to the path people are walking on here is a sort of divider- to the right were farming terraces, and to the left was "town"

Some of the farming terraces used at the site. Each level would harvest different crops because they are at different elevations and allowed for greater food diversity!

The shadow seen here viewed in conjunction with the carved stone is the Inca Cross, which represents so many things in Inca culture.  Here is the wiki page about the Inca Cross for more info. The shadow we see is a technique the Inca used all over Machu Picchu, and often held important significance for their astrological calendar. When a shadow fell precisely over one of these well-placed stones, it was a day or time for a ritual or event in Inca culture.

Those are more agricultural terraces behind us!

This central plaza supposedly has great acoustics, so this is where great speeches and announcements were made. 

Turn your head to the side- do these mountains look like a face to you? It is supposed to be the Inca Face.

The site is incredibly complex, with buildings worked into the hillside. There are at least 4 important temples, as well as buildings used as schools, homes, and workshops.

An example of how the Inca worked with the mountain, didn't fight against it, with their architecture. 

Those colored splotches up there are tourists! This should give you some idea of how large the site is!

These are thought to be reflecting pools- they would reflect the stars at night for astrological and mythological purposes.

Another example of how the Inca built with the landscape, and also of their stone-working skills. The sharp edges and  precise fit of the stones are characteristic of Inca architecture.

Inside this enclave there were mummies of Inca elite, adorned in gold. The mummies were removed by Bingham. This area may have been used as a temporary storage for bodies before their ultimate burial.