Day 16: Sanctuario Histórico de Machu Picchu

I woke up ready for my adventure to Machu Picchu. I ate breakfast and walked about 15 minutes to the train station. We boarded the train by car letters and I was able to see up through the multiple windows. The journey to Aguas Calientes took about 2 hours. Along the way, I saw people campaigning for their chosen political candidate, horses, porters, and donkeys.

Upon arrival to AC, a guide holding a sign with my name helped me navigate from the train to the bus station to purchase my ticket. I bumped into Bhavna and her husband on the bridge as I made my way to the bus station. We took a quick picture because I had to make my entry time to the sanctuary. My guide helped me find the correct line to ride the bus up to the sanctuary. Once boarded, it took 20-30 minutes to reach the top of the citadel. The narrow roads made the bus conductors look like expert Formula 1 drivers — narrow roads, big buses!

I met up with Samuel, my guide for Circuit 2 at the citadel. Samuel explained that this was a site for rituals and prayer back in the 1500s. The sanctuary is named for the mountain that sits next to it, Machu Picchu is at its base. The famous tourist shot is of Huaynapichu in the background which is part of Circuit 3. The Incas used two ways to shape the rocks for the structures, one way was to make openings in a straight line and placing wooden wedges in those openings. They would add water so the wood would expand and break the rock into two halves. It could take up to three months! Another way was to heat up the stone and then throw water at it so that the rock could easily break. Just like at the Archaeological Ruins in Ollantaytambo, the Incas did not use mortar to hold the rocks together at the temples. All of the rocks were placed there carefully chosen to withstand the elements and earthquakes.

Along the circuit, I saw chinchillas and llamas, some of the local animals of the region. Hiram Bingham was the “discoverer” of the citadel back in 1911. He asked the locals about the ancient civilization of Machu Picchu and people told him there were agricultural terraces up the mountain. Two families avoiding taxes and military drafts were living in an abandoned Machu Picchu. Hiram Bingham found over 4,000 artifacts in the ruins and sent them to Nat Geo and Yale University, two of his sponsors.

Interestingly, the highest ranked Inca leader never lived at Machu Picchu. He left his shaman or relative of his in charge of the citadel when he wasn’t present. The shaman was the one who performed animal sacrifices and used astrology to make predictions. They used sun dials to help know when to plant and harvest crops, some of which include corn and potatoes. The temples all have three windows representing the afterlife or over world, the land, and the underworld. Surprisingly, the Spaniards never found Machu Picchu when they colonized the Incas.

After leaving the citadel, I rode the bus down the mountain with Samuel. We spotted a “relojero,” a bird with a turquoise coloring, He recommend the Full House Restaurant with views of the Urubamba River. I saw a cute little hummingbird perched in the branch of the tree. Next, I hustled to see the famous Paddington Bear and had some locals take a picture for me. I couldn’t resist buying a llama plushie for my daughter and a couple of magnets as souvenirs before catching my train back to Ollantaytambo!

Thank you Pacha Mama and Machu Picchu for your gifts to the world. 🙏🥰Read more