Well, I first wrote out this blog and it was 3 pages with out pictures. So to start I will say that some of you should thank me, and some of you should email me if you have questions or would like to know deeper detail because I might have the answers. Also, this blog is so late for 2 reasons. The first is that school has picked up and I had many other things to do these past weeks. The second reason is that I really have no words to describe this incredible excursion so I dreaded trying to explain it and kept putting it off. Despite these emotions, I figured I should finally just go for it, and I’ll count it a success if by the end of this blog post you can begin to feel the awe that struck made me walk around with dropped jaw for most of the 4 days.
The weekend started out with an overnight bus ride to Cuzco (for Emperor’s New Groove fans, in my head I kept hearing, “Cuzco Topia!”). We passed the morning exploring the markets of Cuzco. Markets are overwhelming places with aisles of woven products, hanging dead animals, fruit, and millions of types of bread.
The rest of the day was dedicated to sites of Cuzco. First was the Cathedral. This Cathedral is famous because the Pope has visited, and it actually three churches and a monastery (so extensive). Unfortunately, photos of the inside were not permitted, but the church was filled with many paintings, catacombs, as well as small chapels. I can now distinguish between a painting of Peruvian handiwork and of European. Also, I know why the Santo de los Temblores (saint of the earthquakes) is now black.
Qoricancha is the most important Incan temple, and our next tour. Majority of the temple was destroyed by the Spaniards, but still Incan techniques can be noticed, such as their precision in building walls. You can see perfectly aligned windows, as well as the lego effect utilized in building walls without mortar.
The following day, we headed to El Valle Sagrado (Sacred Valley). This stunning landscape is another location that the Incas occupied.
For a change from ruins, we visited an animal reserve. Here, they care for injured animals until they can to be returned to the wild.
In the pen of the condors we saw in reality how big the birds are and they flew over us. Their feet were the size of my hand, the head probably came up to my waist, and the common wingspan is 8 to 10 ft.
And then there was this dog.....I think it was a pet, just really ugly.
We headed next to Ollantaytambo, yet another Incan site. Here displayed were Incan terraces for agriculture as well as more “lego” walls. The importance of this site is that it distracted the Spaniards from continuing to Machu Picchu.
Our day ended with a train ride that brought us to Aguas Calientes, the town closest to Machu Picchu and in the jungle! We arrived in the dark and could feel the humidity and the looming mountains around us, but the most fun was when we woke up to rain to a wet, green, and foggy world. The air was wet with moisture from the first rain I’d felt all semester (Arequipa is basically desert), and the clouds were below the mountaintops giving the landscape a mystic feel.
We walked through a foggy Machu Picchu as it was early morning and....well we were in a cloud forest so that’s how it is. Our first activity was to climb Huayna Picchu. This is the tall mountain in the back of basically all photos of Machu Picchu. The climb was a fun opportunity to be in the cloud forest, see the leaves and large flowers saturated with water, feel the rain and enjoy the intense greeness. As we climbed the view was clouds which gave us the aura that we were in a mystic forest with an abyss beneath us, and pretty much the truth. At the top, we explored the ruins and reached a look out. We were quite disappointed that the clouds blocked our view of Machu Picchu. Fortunately, a miracle happened, and later the clouds parted to show a birds eye view of Machu Picchu. Needless to say, it was a magical moment
First walk through Machu Picchu
Enjoying the jungle :)
views from the climb
ruins on top!
The clouds opened!!!
After soaking in the beauty, we started the steep decent to explore Machu Picchu instead of view it from above.
Some shocking things that Machu Picchu involves:
-a rock carved to the exact same angle as the tilt of the earth
-many rocks placed so precisely that they give shadows that indicate the equinoxes.
-there is a rock carved to point directly south. This rock is called el Cruz del Sur. Our guide placed his compass on the point and sure enough it was right on.
-There was a water system through out the entire area that still runs today and is a the perfect angles that it never stops flowing
Why is Machu Picchu so special?
-It was never destroyed by the Spaniards. Therefore, the town is left exactly as the Incans left it.
-There is a mystery that surrounds the town because no one knows why the Incans left, because the Spaniards never arrived there to kick them out.
-It was discovered only 100 years ago.
-shows undamaged proof of the Incan’s genius for masonry and architecture
In Cuzco, we visited another site called Saqsaywaman (pronounced “sexy woman”). This a LARGE temple to the sun god. This site was impressive because the stones that the Incans used to build the temple were extremely large. The Spaniards not only knocked down the walls, but also filled in around the base to create a hill. Even with the size of these rocks, the Incans used the “lego” effect that requires the rocks to fit absolutely perfectly together.
Our final stop was another place of Incan worship known for its caves. One cave was used for mummification because it has an alter that could kept the body cold enough so that it would keep throughout the mummification process (a month long). Apparently, this rock/alter is so cold that if a person lies on it for more than 30 minutes then they will die from hypothermia. It is a mystery why this spot is so cold, because the other surfaces of the cave are higher temperatures.
Over all, I spent the majority of the weekend in awe of the genius of the Incans and the amazing feats that they accomplished in the short 100 years of their empire. I felt the loss of all destroyed by the Spaniards. I fell in love with the cloud forest, rejoiced to be in humidity again as it reminded me of my beloved home. This weekend was an experience filled with so much wonder that even as I write this blog, I am still processing the beauty, exotic, and intensity of it all. Although, above all, as I am privileged enough to visit all these sites, over and over again I am blessed to see God’s creativity in new ways through out the ages and through out a wide variety of nature.
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