Machu Picchu … the Almost Lost City of the Incas

A trip to Machu Picchu is not for the faint of heart. The day begins extremely early. The line for the bus begins at 3 in the morning. After out super fun train ride the night before we weren’t quite ready for a 3am wake up call. We did make it out of the hotel by 6 so I’m going to call that a win. Our tickets were for the morning session. That runs from 6am to noon. One thing to remember if you come to Machu Picchu , bus tickets are separate. So after our guide finally arrives and we head out the door we stand in line to get tickets. Then we walk about a quarter-mile to get to the end of the line.While standing in line a person will come along and check your passport and stamp your bus ticket. I have no Idea why the don’t do this when you get on the bus but I guess they have their reasons. Lucky for us the line moves pretty quickly and we board the bus for Machu Picchu. The ride is pretty scary at times. It’s a mostly single lane road with buses barreling up and down with no guard rails. Your best bet is to cover your eyes and pray on this trip. Arriving at Machu Picchu means your dropped off in front of the hotel/restaurant. You then head up the stairs to the entrance. Outside the entrance are plenty of people willing to guide you through the ruins if the price is right. We had gotten our guide ahead of time and I’m glad we did. He was both informative and funny. As we get through the gate our guide explains some of the rules of Machu Picchu. 1. don’t get to close to the edge. There are no railings to keep you from falling in some places its just a few feet in others it’s the abyss. 2. Don’t climb on the ruins… seriously who does that??? 3. the most important of all… LISTEN TO YOUR GUIDE. After our class meeting we follow the trail around a bend. That’s when you see it…. Machu Picchu. It’s just like the photographs only more fabulous. The size of the city is unbelievable but the back drop is almost as stunning. Our guide tells us that we are not looking a Machu Picchu. We all look around confused. He tells us that we are standing on Machu Picchu… its the mountain that the ruins are built on not the ruins themselves. The Incan ruins here were discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911. Although discovered may be a strong word the ruins were always known by the local Quechua tribe. More accurately Hiram Bingham brought Machu Picchu to the world. Machu Picchu was an important find for the world because its one of the only Incan cities not destroyed by the Spanish. Its thought that approximately a thousand people lived there. These were not your everyday peasants , these were royalty and priests, scientists and architects. They believe that only a thousand people lived there based on how much water was available. He leads us through a maze of small buildings that at one time would’ve had thatched roofs but now are just open to the sunlight. We arrive at the base of a large rock with what appears to be a building on top with two small windows. This is the Sun Temple. The Incans were a people of science and time was very important to them. They needed to know when to plant crops and when to harvest. So the sun temple allowed them to know when the summer solstice was. The mountain across from the temple has two natural notches in it. and during the summer solstice the light shines through the window. It was a someones job to watch for this everyday so they would know what the date was. To think that these people figured out how to do this hundreds of years ago is mind-boggling. Under the Sun Temple is an area used to bury prominent Incan people.He leads us next to one of the small buildings. He explains why the doors are such a funny shape.The sides of the doors slant in at a 13 degree angle. According to our guide this prevents damage due to earthquakes. I have to say he’s probably right seeing that there are at least three major earthquakes since it was built and it’s still standing. He leads us next to another building with several of the same funny slanted windows along both walls. He explains that these were storehouses. Inside they stored everything from dried potatoes and meats to textiles and metals , to grains and clothing. My first was how would you keep rodents and bugs out of your supplies…. it’s not like they had Tupperware? Herbs!. He told us that the Inca used strong-smelling herbs under and in between layers of goods to deter rodents and small animals.  We make out way through the tight walkways to the King or Inca chambers. Its anything but regal. It’s a small group of three rooms not much bigger than most living rooms. He shows us where the king would’ve slept. It’s a small rectangle of stone that would’ve been covered in straw and animal pelts. I guess what makes these rooms the most interesting is that they had something that has not been found anywhere else in Machu Picchu…. a bathroom. Just a small room with a hole and drain for run off but a bathroom none the less. I’m so glad that I didn’t live there… I kinda like going to the bathroom indoors…lol. We walk down the terrace and around a corner and we get a great surprise. Llamas, all different colors shapes and sizes. The look cuddly and cute but our guide warns us not to get to close… they spit. The animals serve several purposes at Machu Picchu. They not only make the tourists ooooo and ahhhh.. they also keep the grass short and fertilized. The super cute part is my favorite though. There are currently 23 llamas living at Machu Picchu and they all have names. The names can be found on a tag behind their ears. We move further around the ruins and come upon a structure with three windows facing the mountains. Our guide explains how this is called the Temple of the Three Windows. Inca believed that there were three worlds. One represented by the snake , the underground, one represented by the Puma , the above ground and one represented by the condor the sky. The windows face the rising sun which is also a big part of the Inca belief. While scientists are sure that this temple had religious significance it was probably also used as a lookout for any invaders. This is the point that finished our tour. We said out thank yous to our wonderful guide and all headed towards the exits. At Machu Picchu you are allowed two entrances with one ticket so we left the ruins and went to have a bite to eat. There is a restaurant and small cafe on premises. We chose the small cafe and had a wonderful lunch with an even better view. The prices are pretty hefty but what did I expect, I’m a in a tourist spot everything will be more expensive. I can say that the portions are hefty. I had a piece of quiche that a family of four could’ve enjoyed. After lunch we head back to the ruins. Your allowed to enter twice with one ticket. My friend wants to hike some of the higher trails but I settle for the hiking only to the guardians house. It sits up above the ruins. I make my way slowly but surely up the trail. Its not a particularly strenuous hike but at this elevation I became short of breath pretty easily. I followed a family up the hill, glad to know that I wasn’t the only one having a hard time. I was slower than a turtle in peanut butter but finally I made it to the top. Out of breath and on the verge of passing out I walked to the edge and the little breath I had left was taken away by the Spectacular view before me. Standing on top of the mountain and looking at the wondrous beauty and Spectacular craftsmanship of the ruins before me I try and think of a reason that the Inca would leave such a place. According to our guide it looks as if they just woke up one morning and walked away. Buildings unfinished and storehouses full. I guess that’s a question that may never be answered. We’ve learned a lot about the Inca but maybe this is just part of the story that was not meant to be told.