Machu Picchu & Aquas Calientes – February 18, 2010
We arrived in Aquas Calientes around 6:30 p.m. by train and walked to our hotel. From there some of us decided to quickly go up to the hot springs for a soak before it closed at 8:00 p.m. I personally had a shorter soak and then a massage, which was greatly appreciated. About $10 for a half hour and it was a really deep massage and just what I needed after the Lares Trail. After the hot springs we went to meet the others but they were just leaving the restaurant. It was raining hard at the time so most people just headed back to the hotel.
We didn’t get a chance to see much of Aquas Calientes but on our way to the hot springs we followed the river and crossed it at one point. The water just seems to come roaring down but that may just be the way it is in rainy season. Perhaps it’s a little calmer at other times. There were lots of people out on the streets at 7 p.m. and at 8:30 p.m. when we were walking around. The local sports field was crowded with kids of all ages (mainly males) playing soccer (or football to them). Even in the rain on our way back, the field was still full. And the next morning when we went by on our way to the bus station the field was busy again but this time with more mature people so it must have been the adult league.
The streets are narrow and very up and down. There are no taxis or tuk tuks to help you get around. Everyone walks and if something needs to be moved it is done by hand cart or wheelbarrow (almost) or simply just carried. The train track seems to run right through town but no one gives it a second thought. The buses all hang out on the river street and there are lots of them. I think they leave every 10 minutes for Machu Picchu and run from about 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are many small stores all along the streets and lots of restaurants and beverage places. The main industry is definitely tourism and they sure make the most of it. At night everything is well lit up and the town really seems to be alive. People from both sides of the street are trying to get your business so it gets a bit hectic at times. However, generally speaking it is a really fun place to walk through. The town square has a statue of an Inca warrior in the centre and the usual church and larger buildings around the square. They have lots of outdoor cafes, despite the weather, and people seem quite contented to sit around under canopies watching the rain fall and the people go by.
We were up early the next day to get our bags out for safe keeping until later in the afternoon, and to have our breakfast before we left at 7:15. We walked to the bus station and then caught the bus up to Machu Picchu. The route is along the river for a while and on the other side of the river you can see part of the Inca Trail. Then we cross a bridge and start to climb up a mountain side. The road is a continual bunch of switchbacks on a very narrow, very bumpy dirt road with quite a drop down. And then of course you have to make room every time a bus comes back down the mountain and that can get really scary because there just isn’t much room at all and someone is literally hanging over the edge. However, these bus drivers do this dozens of times each day so I’m sure they are used to all the twists and turns and they know all the available pullouts to get more room. When you later looked at the road from above you really had a good picture of exactly what the road was like.
We arrived at Machu Picchu around 8 a.m. and had a two hour guided tour to the main portions of the city. Then we had a couple of hours on our own to explore the great lost city. The first thing you notice is just how high it really is and how many different levels of terraces there are and how many different mountain peaks surround the city. It was an overcast day and the clouds were moving in and out of the peaks and over the terraces all morning. By afternoon it was totally socked in and the view was definitely limited. However, it was still fascinating. And when I say “high”, it really isn’t that high. At just over 2,400 metres above sea level it is one of the lowest places we’ve been to in the last couple weeks but it is high in the sense that it is on top of a mountain and very isolated from everything around it. The area is actual a rain forest and right on the edge of, or as they say “the eyebrow” of the jungle.
They estimate that the city was built for about 400 homes and that the water supply would have handled 800 people. The city is built on igneous rock over 250 million years old and the most common stone found in the region is a grayish-white granite, which is easy to shape and made great building material. Machu Picchu was first mapped and named in 1874 but it wasn’t until 1911 when Hiram Bingham rediscovered the lost city that it really became known. It was Bingham who referred to Machu Picchu as the “The Lost City of the Incas”. Yale University and National Geographic then got involved in excavations to uncover more of this lost city. When discovered it was totally overgrown by the vegetation in the rain forest.
Our tour guide took us to the main locations such as the agricultural sector and the terraces where the Incas grew corn and potatoes. We then went to the Temple of the Sun and the fountains right near it. We wandered through the remains of homes and even went to the King’s home, which was much more spacious and had a private bathroom. Today you only see the walls. The roofs were thatched and those have long since decayed. The walls were thick stones cut and placed together with no mortar. In the case of the King’s house, the stones were very close together and well polished. In other homes the stones were not polished and in some cases the stones did not fit as closely together. Of course one does have to remember that these are 500 year old remains and have survived several earthquakes so some of the spacing may be the result of that. We saw at least one building where the right wall was sinking lower than the left and of course the stones on the adjoining wall were now separating.
There was one room that with trapezoidal alcoves in it and it was acoustically amazing. We each stuck our head in an alcove and on the count of three started humming softly. The sound was incredible it was magnified so much. The Main Square was really a large grassy field between terraced sides. It too was acoustically amazing. A single hand clap or foot stamp from the side wall would echo throughout the facility. Apparently there were other such acoustical accomplishments around the city.
The Temple of the Condor was a place for sacrifices but one of the stones was drawn out in the shape of a condor. Of course if our guide hadn’t told us that’s what it was we probably wouldn’t have guessed but that’s totally irrelevant. Above the stone there was a rock formation in the shape of a condor with its wings outstretched. It definitely did look like a bird one he pointed it out to us but otherwise we might have walked right past it. We also went to the Temple of Three Windows, all of which provided excellent views. It and several other buildings were in the Temple Zone
I no longer remember exactly what came in what order but we seemed to be doing a lot of climbing around on our tour. Following the tour we had several hours to explore on our own and everyone seemed to head in a different direction. Shortly after the separation it started to rain and apparently half the group just headed back to town. I had my poncho so just kept wandering around through some of the balcony areas then back up to some of the higher points on the north and east sides. Many of the areas are like labyrinths so it’s very easy to get lost and start repeating your steps. However, I did work my way back to the west to try and find the route to the Guard House to get a better view of the whole city. After several dead ends I did make it. There is a look out at the top of one of the mountains but I definitely wasn’t going to try doing that climb. Getting to the Guard House was enough for me. The clouds certainly obscured the view but it was worth the climb anyway. Occasionally the clouds would part for a second and you’d get a glimpse of the whole thing. Certainly there won’t be any award winning shots but it was still beautiful with the clouds moving in and out of the scene.
So what else can I say about Machu Picchu? They have llamas around on the terraces to keep the grass trimmed. That seems to happen a lot around this area. The original steps are very steep so the Incas must have been in very good shape. Their diet of potatoes and corn and not much else would definitely get boring after while even though I like both. The King apparently wanted this city as a retreat but the scientists don’t think he ever really came here. The city seems unfinished and they don’t know whether it was abandoned so the Spanish wouldn’t find it or whether everyone was killed off by some disease. They did find about 130 human remains most of which were female but that still didn’t provide any answers. The Spanish never once mentioned the city so scientists and historians assume they never saw it. There are certainly more unanswered questions than answered questions with Machu Picchu but regardless of the uncertainty it is a beautiful site even on a rainy day.
I am definitely rushing through this as it´s almost midnight and this will be the last internet we have for a few days as we´re heading for the jungle. I´ll probably think of many things I missed in this write up but I guess I can always add them later. Cheers! And Happy Birthday, Max!!!
We arrived in Aquas Calientes around 6:30 p.m. by train and walked to our hotel. From there some of us decided to quickly go up to the hot springs for a soak before it closed at 8:00 p.m. I personally had a shorter soak and then a massage, which was greatly appreciated. About $10 for a half hour and it was a really deep massage and just what I needed after the Lares Trail. After the hot springs we went to meet the others but they were just leaving the restaurant. It was raining hard at the time so most people just headed back to the hotel.
We didn’t get a chance to see much of Aquas Calientes but on our way to the hot springs we followed the river and crossed it at one point. The water just seems to come roaring down but that may just be the way it is in rainy season. Perhaps it’s a little calmer at other times. There were lots of people out on the streets at 7 p.m. and at 8:30 p.m. when we were walking around. The local sports field was crowded with kids of all ages (mainly males) playing soccer (or football to them). Even in the rain on our way back, the field was still full. And the next morning when we went by on our way to the bus station the field was busy again but this time with more mature people so it must have been the adult league.
The streets are narrow and very up and down. There are no taxis or tuk tuks to help you get around. Everyone walks and if something needs to be moved it is done by hand cart or wheelbarrow (almost) or simply just carried. The train track seems to run right through town but no one gives it a second thought. The buses all hang out on the river street and there are lots of them. I think they leave every 10 minutes for Machu Picchu and run from about 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. There are many small stores all along the streets and lots of restaurants and beverage places. The main industry is definitely tourism and they sure make the most of it. At night everything is well lit up and the town really seems to be alive. People from both sides of the street are trying to get your business so it gets a bit hectic at times. However, generally speaking it is a really fun place to walk through. The town square has a statue of an Inca warrior in the centre and the usual church and larger buildings around the square. They have lots of outdoor cafes, despite the weather, and people seem quite contented to sit around under canopies watching the rain fall and the people go by.
We were up early the next day to get our bags out for safe keeping until later in the afternoon, and to have our breakfast before we left at 7:15. We walked to the bus station and then caught the bus up to Machu Picchu. The route is along the river for a while and on the other side of the river you can see part of the Inca Trail. Then we cross a bridge and start to climb up a mountain side. The road is a continual bunch of switchbacks on a very narrow, very bumpy dirt road with quite a drop down. And then of course you have to make room every time a bus comes back down the mountain and that can get really scary because there just isn’t much room at all and someone is literally hanging over the edge. However, these bus drivers do this dozens of times each day so I’m sure they are used to all the twists and turns and they know all the available pullouts to get more room. When you later looked at the road from above you really had a good picture of exactly what the road was like.
We arrived at Machu Picchu around 8 a.m. and had a two hour guided tour to the main portions of the city. Then we had a couple of hours on our own to explore the great lost city. The first thing you notice is just how high it really is and how many different levels of terraces there are and how many different mountain peaks surround the city. It was an overcast day and the clouds were moving in and out of the peaks and over the terraces all morning. By afternoon it was totally socked in and the view was definitely limited. However, it was still fascinating. And when I say “high”, it really isn’t that high. At just over 2,400 metres above sea level it is one of the lowest places we’ve been to in the last couple weeks but it is high in the sense that it is on top of a mountain and very isolated from everything around it. The area is actual a rain forest and right on the edge of, or as they say “the eyebrow” of the jungle.
They estimate that the city was built for about 400 homes and that the water supply would have handled 800 people. The city is built on igneous rock over 250 million years old and the most common stone found in the region is a grayish-white granite, which is easy to shape and made great building material. Machu Picchu was first mapped and named in 1874 but it wasn’t until 1911 when Hiram Bingham rediscovered the lost city that it really became known. It was Bingham who referred to Machu Picchu as the “The Lost City of the Incas”. Yale University and National Geographic then got involved in excavations to uncover more of this lost city. When discovered it was totally overgrown by the vegetation in the rain forest.
Our tour guide took us to the main locations such as the agricultural sector and the terraces where the Incas grew corn and potatoes. We then went to the Temple of the Sun and the fountains right near it. We wandered through the remains of homes and even went to the King’s home, which was much more spacious and had a private bathroom. Today you only see the walls. The roofs were thatched and those have long since decayed. The walls were thick stones cut and placed together with no mortar. In the case of the King’s house, the stones were very close together and well polished. In other homes the stones were not polished and in some cases the stones did not fit as closely together. Of course one does have to remember that these are 500 year old remains and have survived several earthquakes so some of the spacing may be the result of that. We saw at least one building where the right wall was sinking lower than the left and of course the stones on the adjoining wall were now separating.
There was one room that with trapezoidal alcoves in it and it was acoustically amazing. We each stuck our head in an alcove and on the count of three started humming softly. The sound was incredible it was magnified so much. The Main Square was really a large grassy field between terraced sides. It too was acoustically amazing. A single hand clap or foot stamp from the side wall would echo throughout the facility. Apparently there were other such acoustical accomplishments around the city.
The Temple of the Condor was a place for sacrifices but one of the stones was drawn out in the shape of a condor. Of course if our guide hadn’t told us that’s what it was we probably wouldn’t have guessed but that’s totally irrelevant. Above the stone there was a rock formation in the shape of a condor with its wings outstretched. It definitely did look like a bird one he pointed it out to us but otherwise we might have walked right past it. We also went to the Temple of Three Windows, all of which provided excellent views. It and several other buildings were in the Temple Zone
I no longer remember exactly what came in what order but we seemed to be doing a lot of climbing around on our tour. Following the tour we had several hours to explore on our own and everyone seemed to head in a different direction. Shortly after the separation it started to rain and apparently half the group just headed back to town. I had my poncho so just kept wandering around through some of the balcony areas then back up to some of the higher points on the north and east sides. Many of the areas are like labyrinths so it’s very easy to get lost and start repeating your steps. However, I did work my way back to the west to try and find the route to the Guard House to get a better view of the whole city. After several dead ends I did make it. There is a look out at the top of one of the mountains but I definitely wasn’t going to try doing that climb. Getting to the Guard House was enough for me. The clouds certainly obscured the view but it was worth the climb anyway. Occasionally the clouds would part for a second and you’d get a glimpse of the whole thing. Certainly there won’t be any award winning shots but it was still beautiful with the clouds moving in and out of the scene.
So what else can I say about Machu Picchu? They have llamas around on the terraces to keep the grass trimmed. That seems to happen a lot around this area. The original steps are very steep so the Incas must have been in very good shape. Their diet of potatoes and corn and not much else would definitely get boring after while even though I like both. The King apparently wanted this city as a retreat but the scientists don’t think he ever really came here. The city seems unfinished and they don’t know whether it was abandoned so the Spanish wouldn’t find it or whether everyone was killed off by some disease. They did find about 130 human remains most of which were female but that still didn’t provide any answers. The Spanish never once mentioned the city so scientists and historians assume they never saw it. There are certainly more unanswered questions than answered questions with Machu Picchu but regardless of the uncertainty it is a beautiful site even on a rainy day.
I am definitely rushing through this as it´s almost midnight and this will be the last internet we have for a few days as we´re heading for the jungle. I´ll probably think of many things I missed in this write up but I guess I can always add them later. Cheers! And Happy Birthday, Max!!!
posted by Jayne Brooks @ 8:46 PM
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