Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu Hotel El Mapi by Inkaterra Guide. Eduardo

We were up early and down for breakfast, all doing quite well considering the hike we did the day before. Eduardo met us at the hotel and we walked/ran down to board the bus headed to actually tour the Machu Picchu site. Judy in her panic thought she had lost her ticket that Edouardo had just given her, but he said, “I know you have it and we will find it”. Of course, we did, she had just tucked it into a different spot. We boarded the bus to start the trip back up to the entrance to the Main Gates. I didn’t count the switchbacks but there were a lot. When we reached the gates, it was crazy busy and of course we all had to use the washrooms. As well, we had the opportunity to have our passports stamped as having been to Machu Picchu, so that took even more time. Eduardo was so patient with us and we finally were ready to set off. He knew exactly where to take us, and we followed him like sheep through the hordes of people.

Once we were in a very quiet space, Eduardo had us sit down, catch our breath while he proceeded to tell us his rendition about the mountain from his point of view as an indigenous person.

Machu Picchu is often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", but in fact, it is the most familiar icon of Inca civilization. The Incas built the city around 1450 but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish conquest. The Incas built the city on a mountain ridge, 2430m above sea level. They lived there between 1200 and 1450 AD. Construction appears to date from two great Inca rulers, Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui (1438–1471) and his son, Túpac Inca Yupanqui (1472–1493) There is consensus among archaeologists that Pachacuti ordered the construction of the royal estate for himself, most likely after a successful military campaign. Though Machu Picchu is considered to be a "royal" estate, surprisingly, it would not have been passed down in the line of succession. Rather it was used for 80 years before being abandoned, seemingly because of the Spanish Conquests in other parts of the Inca Empire. It is possible that most of its inhabitants died from smallpox introduced by travelers before the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the area. The Spanish never found Machu Picchu during their occupation.

Machu Picchu is very difficult to get to because it is so high in the mountains. It has only one way in and a stone wall to protect it. Most people in the world did not know it was there until a Yale graduate named Hiram Bingham III discovered it in 1911. Bingham asked farmer and innkeeper Melchor Arteaga if he knew of any nearby ruins. Arteaga said he knew of excellent ruins on the top of Huayna Picchu. At the top of the mountain, they came across a small hut occupied by a couple of Quechua, Richard and Alvarez, who were farming some of the original Machu Picchu agricultural terraces that they had cleared four years earlier. Alvarez's 11-year-old son, Pablito, led Bingham along the ridge to the main ruins. The ruins were mostly covered with vegetation except for the cleared agricultural terraces and clearings used by the farmers as vegetable gardens. Because of the overgrowth, Bingham was not able to observe the full extent of the site. Bingham returned to Machu Picchu in 1912 under the sponsorship of Yale University and National Geographic and made a deal with the government to take artifacts to the Peabody Museum at Yale University for study. In December 2011 the university gave back thousands of ceramics, jewelry and human bones from the Peabody Museum at Yale to the International Center for the Study of Machu Picchu and Inca Culture.
The city is a complex of over 200 dwellings, cosisting of houses and temples. There are caves, a park, agricultural terraces, waterways, fountains, and a rock quarry where much of the construction materials were extracted.
Behind the main parts of the city, there is a high abrupt cliff, which is called Huayna Picchu or Waynapicchu. "Machu Picchu" means "Old Peak", "Huayna Picchu" means "Young Peak".

The Agricultural Sector
Located in the southeastern part, it comprises many agricultural terraces, which were also equipped with aqueducts for watering.
Also, in this sector, there is a Guard Hut, a Cemetery, a Funeral Rock and the City Gate. The agricultural terraces have 120 steps (terraces). The height of the terraces varies. Some of them are up to 4 m high. And some of them are right above the deep Urubamba Valley. The terraces have been constructed rather on the mountain sides than on the top.

The Guard House/Watchman's Hut (Casa del Vigilante)
This is the most prominent building, located in a strategically, on high ground from where the Incas could observe the Urban Sector and a large part of the Agricultural Sector.

The Funeral Rock
It is right near the Guard House. it's a huge stone. Human remains were found near it, proving that burials were made in the proximity. Some stones found nearby contain grooves, which could mean that they were used in sacrifices. Some specialists say that certain carvings in rocks were made for blood drainage or for placing human or animal bodies in it. Though there is no concrete evidence that the Incas made human sacrifices in Machu Picchu, we know that animal sacrifices were very frequent and considered as requirements by the gods in Inca religion.

The Urban Sector
Occupies the biggest part of Machu Picchu and is situated northeast of the agricultural sector.
It is the part richest in attractions in the whole of Machu Picchu. This is the core of the city.
The urban part of Machu Picchu is divided into 3 districts. These are the Sacred District or Religious District, the Popular District, and the District of Priests and Nobility (also called Royal District).

The Popular District/Residential District is not the only residential area of Machu Picchu, but it is named this, because most houses are located here. The lower-class Incas might have had their homes in this district.
The buildings here are simple houses and storage buildings.

The construction of the Sacred District was motivated by religion. The Incas always had a special place in their cities for the mystical practices and rituals. This is the location of the famous Intihuatana Stone, the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three Windows. Religious rituals took place on the Sacred Plaza and the surrounding buildings. High level Incas would have attended these rituals. Part of the hill still has rocks standing out of it, naturally and, there are several terraces on the sides as well. Machu Picchu has the only sacred Intihuatana Stone in all of Peru that wasn't destroyed by the Spanish. Unfortunately, on September 08, 2000, during the filming of a beer commercial the Intihuatana stone was irreparably damaged. The southern upper vertex of the stone was damaged when the arm of a crane fell upon it.

The District of Priests and Nobility/Royal District
It is located between the Temple of the Sun (in the Sacred District) and the baths, close to the Sacred Plaza. The high-class Incas lived here. The rich, the leaders, the priests and possibly the emperor might have lived here too.
The houses in this part are located in rows, constructed on a slope. The Residence of Wise Persons or the Residence of Amautas) has distinguishable reddish walls. The zone of the ñustas (sort-of princesses, high-ranked young ladies) has trapezoidal roomed buildings.
This sector dedicated to the high-level Incas has larger, roomier buildings, when compared to those in the Popular District, where the "normal people" lived. There is a Main Building, probably a temple, with a large stone in its center. The rock might have been a table or altar. Some think that it was used for sacrifices.
Another building is the Monumental Mausoleum, which is a large stone block with carved walls and vaulted interior.

The Rock Quarry
It is located on a high hill in the center of the Urban Sector that was used for extracting the construction materials used for the buildings.
Scientists are still speculating about how the blocks were extracted and cut.
The quarry was left there in the middle of the city, more proof that Machu Picchu's construction wasn't finished and that it had been abandoned.

The Main Temple
It is located near the Temple of the Three Windows. The building has partly intact walls, which are reclined, the stones moved out of place. The walls have niches in them. The Incas used these niches in which to place huacas, or sacred objects. There is a platform at the bottom of the "black wall". This platform looks like a stone bench or a stone bed and is considered to be the "sacristy" of the Main Temple. The Temple of the Three Windows is a Wayrana-type temple. This means that it only has 3 walls, built with rectangular stones. It has 7 trapezoidal niches in its main wall and 5 on each sidewall. The building lacks a 4th wall. Specialists say that it might not have been finished. It might be a sign of the fact that the population had abandoned city.

The Sacred Plaza
It is located on top of a natural hill. On that hill you see the famous Intihuatana Stone.
Buildings nearby have the finest carved stones and are very carefully put together.
Religious rituals had taken place on the Sacred Plaza and the surrounding buildings. High level Incas would have attended these rituals. Part of the hill still has rocks standing out of it, naturally and, there are several terraces on the sides as well.

The Intihuatana (Intiwatana) Stone
The exact purpose of this stone is not known. It must have been some sort of an astronomical or archaeological object. Some specialists believe that it was used for determining the solstices by tracking the sun rays. When there was no shadow cast, then there was solstice (daytime equaled nighttime and the sun gets right above heads on midday). The Intihuatana site is the only one well-preserved. All others found by the Spaniards in the other Inca cities were partially or completely destroyed. Unfortunately, during the filming of a beer commercial in 2000, a crane fell on the Intihuatana, damaging it. Some tourists think the rock has special powers and will fill them with energy, therefore they put their hands on it. The stone is surrounded by a rope fence and you are not allowed to climb or step on it. However, it is generally allowed to put hands on it.

The Temple of the Sun/Sun Temple
Semi-circular building located on the lower part of a hill, near the Ritual Fountains and the Royal Tomb. The temple could have been an astronomical observatory.
It is believed that high level Incas had their residences in this area.

The Ritual Fountains
Fresh water for the population came from these fountains. The water cascades down across several stone constructions.

The Condor Temple
According to the specialists, it was a torture chamber. Between the stone-carved "wings of the condor", there is a chamber with grooves. It is believed that the grooves were carved in order to drive the flowing blood of the victim into the pit. To the Incas, the condor was the symbol of cruel justice. Some specialists consider that the Condor Temple was primarily used for animal sacrifices. And, probably it was never used for human sacrifices.

We walked through and around all of these sites and the marvel of how all this was built will always be with us. It was quite a warm day and by noon hour the crowds were thinning. We stayed until 1:00 and then made our way back down to the bus area to descend the switchback road to the city below.

Edouardo took us to a lovely restaurant called the Indio Feliz where we had an incredible Peruvian lunch. We asked Edourado about his life and family and he graciously answered all our questions. All too soon we had to leave and return to our hotel and say our sad goodbyes to Edouardo; no words can describe how wonderful he was as a guide and such a gentle but strong person. We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about our wonderful time here and packing our bags for our return to Cusco, via train, the next morning. We wandered around the town and then we had dinner in the hotel again and headed off to bed.Read more