Friday 17.10.14 – Machu Picchu take 2 – Aguas Calientes, Ollantaytambo – Cusco.

Alarm set for 4.55 as were to meet our guide, Bruno, in the lobby at 5.45. Walked a minute or two to bus station, queue was considerably longer than yesterday, but the buses were arriving constantly, they have 30 buses, we were about number 25 we reckon (as the buses coming down were in numerical order and a couple were missing, ours was number 27.)

Same 22 minute trip up, but some longer queues to get into the City, again these moved quickly and we were soon retracing our steps of last night. We got up to the Guardhouse area and Bruno grouped us up to talk to us about this amazing Incan City.

Ta da, here we are back again. Sun shining from the
opposite side.

Yep, we really are here.

Bruno and the group on the ACTUAL
Inca Trail, so we did do a LITTLE of the
trek.

Looking up toward the Sun Gate entry, that the
Trekkers, come in at.

This is a bad pic of the flying steps
the Inca used to climb the walls
of their terraces, there are 4 rocks
sticking out at different levels, that
hang in the air.

Sorry, just another view of this magnificent piece
of architecture.

Bruno explaining stuff.

Orlagh’s notes from Bruno's explanation:  (thanks for sharing Orlagh.)

Machu Picchu:

• Discovered 1911
• Spanish arrived 1533- civil war in Peru at that time : country was divided into 2 parts ( north & South) this was advantageous to the Spanish. This made it easy for Pizarro -also the population was 14 million people.
• Many people wanted to be free and so joined the Spaniards when they arrived- their army expanded
• Chronicles from 16 centuries tell us about the Incas. They observed their traditions as way of life
• It took 3 years for the Incas to realise the Spaniards purpose- to conquer and steal temples.
• Some died of diseases and they were afraid of the horses.
• Manco inca decided to rebel. He eventually ran away to Vilcabamba to make a new capital.
• TupakAmru was the last Inca to be captured.
• Before MP was discovered there were many looking for it. A farmer was one of he first to see MP in 1901. He left an inscription which was erased by Bingham.
• Bingham was unaware of Inca people until he visited Cusco and learnt of  another Inca city, Choquequireo, which is still being excavated now and impossibly bigger than MP.
• 40% of MP is still under cover - it provided great escape routes for possible attack.
• Why was MP abandoned in 1536? Disease.
• 1800s a trail existed for the farmers (now railway) Bingham, at 37 years old, followed it to a local farmer who told him of the ruins. It was covered by forest but he found two families living and farming in MP.
• He went back to America to organise a second expedition for 1912 with the help of Yale university, national geographic and Peruvian government. Excavation revealed Incan mummies (mostly female), pottery and jewellery. Artefacts were brought back to America for study. 
• It's thought that the women who were buried were left there to prepare Chicha (corn beer) for offerings to gods. Typically the beautiful looking girls, Acllas, were chosen by the Incan king.
• MP is the entrance to the Amazon rainforest. It was an administration centre too. Incas were trying to conquer the Amazon. It's also located between a spread of mountains, their gods and therefore a holy place.
• The winter solstice was celebrated here by the Incas every year on 21st December. Llamas were sacrificed and children were too.
• Wyna Picchu is the big mountain and makes the nose of the Inca face.
• MP had two sectors: agricultural sector & urban.
• Acquaduct with 16 fountains exists. Store houses (reconstructed) kept tools and farming equipment.
• The guard house was a lookout tower & highest point of MP. 
• 8 trails exist on the way to MP.
• Temple of the sun is facing mountain for winter solstice. The alter is carved from the mountain rock and was probably used for sacrificing llamas. It was astronomical and sacrificial.
• MP is made from white granite volcanic rock that the Incas split using wet logs, which expanded and split the rocks. Bingham found bronze chisels that were used to make cracks in the rocks. Ramps and wooden rollers were used to transport big rocks during the building period.
• Social organisation was like a pyramid: king at top, nobles and common people (farmers) and then servants. Children took on their parents' occupation. Girls were educated to weave, make pottery and make Chicha. Boys studied astronomy and maths in separate schools from the girls.
• Condor, Puma and snake are represented by three steps in the inner temples.
• MP is built in imperial Inca style: no mortar between perfectly cut rocks. It's possible that MP was not finished as the workers were in a rush to escape the Spanish.
• The condor bird was considered a messenger, carrying the souls of the dead to the next life. The Incas carved a condor into the floor if the temple of the Condor. 

End Orlagh’s notes.

We visited and learnt about:

The terraces, the quarry, the boys school and girls school, Temple of the Condor, The Sun Temple, Three windows, Intiwatana, The Sacred Rock, Funerary Rock and Storage houses.

Yep, more.

Looking down on Sun temple.
Unbelievable work gone into
rounding these stones.

The Guardhouse.

The entrance.

Then we had some free time to wander, it was 9.30 and it was hot, with the sun beating down. Suzie and I found a bit of shade for a drink and snack. Then we wandered again to the Central plaza to see the Llamas and through several of the sites for a slower look. There were people crawling all over the city, like ants, very frustrating. We slowly made our way back up and down to the exit. We met Bruce going up to sit and absorb some more and then found Orlagh having a break, we three travelled down to Aguas Calientes together. Orlagh got yelled out for cutting in to the bus queue (accidentally.) We waited possibly 15-20minutes for a bus down. We had some lunch at 12.00 overlooking the Urubamba river, as we were starving and I was feeling a bit overheated.

The Terraces looking to Storage
houses.

The natural rock, inside the Sun Temple, was used
as a sacrificial altar (maybe Llamas) On a solstice,
the sun shines directly through that window onto the
altar. Their precision and planning was beyond the pale.

I liked that tree in the Central Plaza.

A chinchilla in one of the niches.

Up close, ©Suzie Sloan

Arty farty shot.

These rocks had been shaped like into round log
like shapes, perhaps to hold the roof on, something
to bind, wood and thatch too.

That's my iphone, with compass, this rock aligned
perfectly to the four points of the compass. How did
they know and achieve this in the 1400's?

Up closer ©Suzie Sloan

Another angle on some Terraces.

How did they do this?

The llamas were being herded, we
reckon for vaccination, one guy
had a needle.

This rock, was naturally aligning to the profile of the
mountains behind. Fascinating.

The Sacred rock.

Suzie in the walls etc.

Bruno telling us yet more info to
forget.

And again.

The roof has been recreated, but
this is how it used to be done, the
Inca way.

I can't remember what this place
Maybe Temple of the Condor? A
burial place in there.

Here's us.

Llama and ruins.

More llama and ruins.

close up ©Suzie Sloan.

Llama, and the Three Windows, there were some
archeological people looking/working with the
structure.

The size of these blocks was amazing, and look at
that rounded piece of rock on the top right.

The Three Windows again.

An almost parting shot.

That's the first place we headed,
last place we saw.

Workmen, maintaining the path.
No mechanical thumpers here.

Suzie showing them how it should
be done.

With several hours to kill before our 4.22train and meeting time of 3.30, we walked the few streets of Aguas Calientes, mainly cafes/restaurants and tourist shops. We explored a very small local market and then the tourist market – OMG – so much tourist JUNK, then we finished off with a Pisco Sour before meeting Reni.

It rained a little in town this arvo, but we have been blessed by fabulous weather all trip.

These guys were in Aguas Calientes,
playing the drums and dancing.
We saw these strange mask like
hoods in a lot of the stalls.

Looking around Aguas Calientes. I think I read it
is also known as Machupicchu Pueblo.

A statue in the square. Welcome to MP.

The resident hairless dog, all dressed up and out
on the town.

He belonged to this guy, just loved the love in this
pose.

Then he bounded up the stairs to the Massage place,
and appeared up at the third floor window shortly
after.

Hauled our gear to the train station, just a plain seat on the return journey and no window – bugger. 

At the train station, stray street dogs, waiting for a
morsel from the tourists INSIDE the train station
waiting lounge.

So to recap – Machu Picchu – it is impossible to put into words the Inca City of Machu Picchu. Hiram Bingham, who ‘discovered’ Machu Picchu in 1911 described it as…”What remains is the most impressive spectacle of man’s handiwork that I have ever seen.” I reckon that sums it up pretty nicely. I have to agree the craftsmanship, planning, architecture, astronomical planning etc that have gone into it are almost out of this world.

I will let the photos do the talking.

The young ones are all knackered/shattered/stuffed from their treks but all are chuffed at what they’ve seen and achieved. Lots of tired, sore feet, knees and bodies. The Inca trek crew were up at 4.30 to walk two hours to queue at the Sun Gate and to queue again to get back into MP. They are so looking forward to shower and a bed back in Cusco.

The our van got stuck in a MEGA traffic jam in Ollantaytambo, the streets are narrow, bounded by housing and even Inca fencing, so no where to go, one road in and out. A LARGE truck was stuck on a corner and other traffic couldn’t/wouldn’t move for him to manoeuvre, it held us still for about 30 minutes, which made our ETA now 9.30pm, the poor buggers were hanging for that shower and bed. Eventually we arrived after a couple of hours at 9.30. Orlagh, Bruce and I went around the corner pizza/enchilada – took aged but very nice. Into bed a little after midnight. Suzie has caught a cold, poor bugger, hopefully the Codral will allow her to ‘soldier on’. I’ve got itchy bites – an unexpected souvenir from Machu Picchu.

View out the train skylights. ©Suzie Sloan.

The wildfire on the mountain, through the skylight.
©Suzie Sloan.