There is much to tell about Machu Picchu. Although the ruins are indeed breathtaking, fascinating, the experience itself is strongly touristic. To take the bus to the site, you have to stand in a huge queue, which nevertheless moves quickly. Once at the site, you have to struggle to find a window without other tourists behind you, the area being extremely crowded even in the early hours of the morning.
They are two different aspects, yes the ruins are extraordinary and there is nothing inferior to the pictures, but the tourist experience is one of a dozen.
As I wrote before, some people have a projection very different from the historical truth about South American civilizations, including the Inca. Some yes, they are shrouded in strong mystery, being very old, as we later found out in Caral. But Inca is neither old nor lost nor so mysterious. Not to be confused with the Maya, the Olmecs or the Caral culture. The history of the Inca is quite well known, the Inca being the name of those who conquered this area, subjugating the tribes in the area to be conquered by the Spanish conquistadors who took advantage of the differences and dissensions between the populations of the new empire.
All I can say about Machu Picchu is that it is impressive. Let the pictures speak for themselves.
A little throwback:
In the summer of 2019 I went on an intensive tour of western South America. Passing through five territories of the continent took me through fascinating places, unique in the world. I stood by the Hand of the Desert, looking up at the southern night sky of the Atacama desert, and drove the largest dunes in the world and the paths of desert valleys with such a different appearance that people gave them names like the Valley of the Moon or the Valley of the Planet Mars. I took night pictures near the Three Sisters in the Valley of the Moon. I gazed westward into the Pacific Ocean, out in the open, alongside the stone statues of the vanished civilization of Easter Island—the eastern tip of Polynesia. I had lunch in the middle of the Bolivian salt desert and at night I photographed my reflection in the water mirror of the flattest and whitest place on Earth. We stayed in a villa made of salt and cactus wood. We went to the cactus island of the salt desert. I listened to the stories of the astronomers from ALMA – an observatory located at over 5000m altitude, but also to those of the native inhabitants of the floating islands of Lake Titicaca. We drove fast on dirt desert roads to see the flamingos at sunset. I went to Macchu Picchu. I went to Cusco. We saw the oldest pyramids in South America, the over 5000 year old ones from Caral. I went to the witches market in La Paz and saw the singing fountains in Lima.
It was a monumental trip in just one month, parts of which could be monumental trips in themselves. The pretext was the few minutes of solar eclipse, the third solar eclipse for me. The rest of the trips and the fascinating things experienced concentrated within a month make me wonder what I do with my time at home when week after week, month after month goes by without discovering anything notable. And I miss leaving again.
The tour was organized by the SARM Romania astroclub, of which I am a member. The official name was SARM Romania Expedition – South American Eclipse 2019, extending from June 25 to July 22, 2019.
Given the intensity and extension of the trip, we have divided the story into 9 parts, presented in chronological order as follows:
- Buenos Aires;
- Chile – Introduction to Chile and The Solar Eclipse 2019;
- Easter Island;
- Chile – Atacama Desert, Valley of Death (or Mars) and other amazing places;
- Chile – Moon Valley and the Flamingo Birds;
- Bolivia – Salar de Uyuni or the Salt Desert;
- Bolivia – La Paz, Tiwanaku and other amazing places;
- Peru – Machu Picchu and Cuzco;
- Peru – Lima, Nazca and the Caral Pyramids.
Peru
July 15 – Monday
One week left of our South America trip.
The fatigue is already felt, being an extremely dense trip to different places, at great distances between them, events, astrophotography nights.
But we still have Peru to see. At this point it was as if I had already returned home and left Peru for another time. But I also did Peru and went straight back to work after the trip. I don’t know if it’s good that way, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, but that’s what we did, a very dense trip, cheap relative to what we’ve seen and full of amazing landscapes, places and happenings.
Early Monday morning I left Puno for Cusco, on the Road of the Sun.
Then we passed through the la Raya pass in the Andes, located at 4335 m altitude, towards the Inca city of Raqchi.
On that day we also stopped at a a Llama and Alpaca reservation / heaven. Alpaca’s were there to pet and play with. Although they were kind of fed up with tourists I might say.
Raqchi
According to recent research, this thousand-hectare complex was built in different periods. In addition to the gigantic wall that protects the park, there are some constructions such as aqueducts, underground tombs and pre-Inca enclosures, One of the sectors was built during the reign of the Inca Wiracocha, according to the Inca chronicler Garcilaso de la Vega. Later, another part was built between 1439 and 1471 during the reign of Pachacutec, and finally, the third stage was built by Inca Tupac Yupanqui between 1471 and 1493, according to Cieza de León.
Archaeologists have divided it into 5 main sectors which include among others the Wiracocha temple, the main Inca temple and an artificial water storage reservoir along the temple.
The main Inca temple is a unique construction, being a large space with a rectangular base, 92 meters high by 3 meters, made of deeply carved stones and adobe finishes. The temple had communicating doorways with columns supporting a gabled roof that rested on 11 cylindrical columns on each side. Only one of the 22 columns is still preserved now. Only the foundations of the side walls can now be seen after excavation work by the Spanish mission in the late 1960s.
Many centuries after Cieza’s visit to Raqchi, at the same time when excavations were made in Cusco, they found a stone head and the representation of a body made of the same material. Manuel Ballesteros and other experts say these are the remains of the Wiracocha statue, which was taken to Cusco for a while, destroyed and buried as part of the idol extirpation policy. The head is now preserved in the American museum in Madrid, and the body is in the Inca museum in Cusco.
Another important sector due to its architectural quality is the area of houses or dwellings. This area has a total of 22 houses that are highlighted by their fractured walls with abundant trapezoidal niches and their distribution. 12 of these houses are lined up in pairs along almost 250 meters. This group of edifices is distributed along a series of terraces of almost square shape.
Other circular buildings, called Colca are located next to the enclosures and are separated by small fields of rectangular frames. They are impressive due to their number between 120 and 200.
After this visit, we arrived in the evening at Ollantaytambo (near Cusco) and stayed at Hotel Sol Natura.
________________
July 16 – Tuesday
Machu Picchu
Although Ollantaytambo is also worth visiting and is one of the entry points to the Inca trail, due to lack of time we chose to visit only the famous Machu Picchu.
Therefore, Tuesday was dedicated to the Machu Picchu highlight. I scheduled the entrance in the morning, first thing in the morning, to be able to visit this tourist attraction at leisure. I took into account the fact that according to the new regulations you are no longer allowed to stay for more than 4 hours, but I opted for a ticket extended to 6 hours with a visit to Huayna Picchu, a mountain peak with stairs and ruins along the way and at the top.
I went to Machu Picchu in a kind of small car. I left my luggage at the hotel and took the 05.05 train that arrives in Aguas Calientes at 06.35 (the sun rises at 06.13 and sets at 17.38), from here we took the bus to the entrance of Machu Picchu (about 30 min.) . Thus, from the morning I was already in Machu Picchu where I stayed for about 6 hours.
In the morning we leave the luggage at the hotel at the luggage room. At 05.05 we take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, we arrive at 06.40, until 07.30. we have free time through Aguas Calientes, at 07.30 we take the bus that takes 30 minutes to the entrance to the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. We will have two guides with us. We have scheduled the entrance to Machu Picchu for 08.00 for 2 hours in Machu Picchu and 2 hours-2 1 hour for Huayna Picchu, those who do not want to climb can stay two more hours in the archaeological site.
There is much to tell about Machu Picchu. Although the ruins are indeed breathtaking, fascinating, the experience itself is strongly touristic. To take the bus to the site, you have to stand in a huge queue, which nevertheless moves quickly. Once at the site, you have to struggle to find a window without other tourists behind you, the area being extremely crowded even in the early hours of the morning.
They are two different aspects, yes the ruins are extraordinary and there is nothing inferior to the pictures, but the tourist experience is one of a dozen.
I think it helps a lot if you choose to do the Inca trail, those who prefer the authentic, the nature, the silence, so that you can face the armies of tourists from all over the world, only in the site itself.
Machupicchu National Archaeological Park is a cultural and natural area inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. With more than 37,302 hectares, it is one of the most biodiverse areas in Peru and is home to more than 60 archaeological monuments connected by a complex network of Inca roads. The most important monument of the park is the city of Ilaqta or Inca Machu Picchu, which was planned and built around 1450 AD. during the reign of Pachakuti. The work required the participation of specialists in architecture, engineering and astronomy, as well as a large part of the workforce. More than 50% of the effort required in its construction was used in the preparation of the land, the foundation and the drainage system.
The construction had to respond to the need of the Inca state to have a religious, political and administrative center in a sacred space, considered the link between the Andes and the Amazon. Ilaqta de Machupicchu was abandoned in the second half of the 16th century; however, it was never lost as it was occasionally visited and inhabited. There are colonial documents that refer to Inca Ilaqta Machu Picchu as “The Settlement of the Incas” or “The Old Inca City called Guaynapicchu”. In 1874, engineer Herman Göhring issued a cartographic document showing “Machu Picchu” and “Huayna Picchu” for the first time. In 1911, Professor Hiram Bingham visited llaqta and was impressed by its beauty and majesty. The following year he returned with a multidisciplinary team of professionals who carried out excavations and research in the area.
Since the 1930s, the Peruvian state has promoted the research, conservation and valorization of the Historic sanctuary and Machu Picchu valley, which represents a masterpiece of art, architecture and engineering in perfect harmony with nature and is one of the most important legacies of the Inca civilization offered to humanity.
As I wrote before, some people have a projection very different from the historical truth about South American civilizations, including the Inca. Some yes, they are shrouded in strong mystery, being very old, as we later found out in Caral. But Inca is neither old nor lost nor so mysterious. Not to be confused with the Maya, the Olmecs or the Caral culture. The history of the Inca is quite well known, the Inca being the name of those who conquered this area, subjugating the tribes in the area to be conquered by the Spanish conquistadors who took advantage of the differences and dissensions between the populations of the new empire.
All I can say about Machu Picchu is that it is impressive. Let the pictures speak for themselves.
I can also say that I also climbed Huayna Picchu, a not difficult climb for those who do trekking or hiking. From above you have a Windows-like panoramic view of the entire site, if you can find a free place to look quietly.
Some arrive at the site after a multi-day trail through the jungle, ticking off other sites along the way. If you have the time, it seems like a much more inspired choice.
At 16.22 I had the return train to Ollantaytambo from where I then took the bus to Cusco.
________________
July 17 – Wednesday
The flight from Cusco (Cuzco) to Lima was at 17:15, so in the first part of the day we had time to visit the city.
CUSCO
In the morning we went to visit Saqsaywaman and Q’enqo (in Inca belief this was a place of interference of the three worlds, the upper world, our world and the world below).
I also had free time to walk around the city, before the transfer to the airport.
Sacsayhuaman (Saksaywaman or Saqsaywaman citadel/temple complex, meaning “Royal Eagle”) is located on the northern edge of the former Inca capital, Cusco. Built during the reign of Pachacuti (1438-1471 CE) and his successors, its massive and well-built walls remain today as a testimony not only to Inca power, but also to the skills of Inca architects in their approach to harmoniously blending their monumental structures into the natural landscape.
The whole city of Cusco is full of ruins or constructions with Inca foundations. We stayed in a hotel that had low Inca walls, those with smooth joints without joints between them.
The citadel in the north of Cusco, however, was the largest structure built by the Incas. It was built on a high rocky promontory facing the marshes north of the Inca capital of Cuzco. Ceramic research indicates that this site was previously occupied by Inca residents.
Started during the reign of the great builder of the Inca empire, Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, or perhaps his son, Thupa Inca Yupanqui, in the mid-15th century CE, the project was entrusted to four architects: Huallpa Rimachi, Maricanchi, Acahuana, and Calla Cunchui. The first structures were made only with earth and clay. Later these elements were replaced with stone, very finely cut polygonal blocks, with a height of over 4 meters and a weight of over 100 tons. To complete such a massive project, 20,000 workers worked on this project, 6,000 of them in the stone quarry. Huge blocks were cut and shaped using only harder stones and bronze tools.
The markings on the stone blocks indicate that they were struck rather than cut. The blocks were moved by cables, logs, poles, levers and earth ramps (marks can be seen on some blocks) and some stones still have carved spaces that were used to help the workers grip the stone. That these stones were cut in quarries and then reworked to their final destination is clearly indicated by unfinished examples left at the quarries and on various routes to the sites. The cutting and fine laying of the blocks on site was so precise that mortar was unnecessary. Finally, a finished surface was provided using grinding stones and sand. The Incas also ensured that their blocks were interconnected and the walls were sloped to maximize their resistance to destruction in the event of an earthquake. Over time it has proven its effectiveness, as 500 years of earthquakes have done very little damage to the remaining Inca structures in their complete state, and Sacsayhuaman is no exception.
If the theory that all of Cuzco was thought to depict a puma form when viewed from above is correct, then Sacsayhuaman was its head. The citadel has three distinct terraces that mutually recede one over the other. The walls, each reaching a height of 18 meters, are arranged in a zigzag pattern, and stretch for a distance of over 540 meters, so that each wall has up to 40 segments, which allows the defenders to trap the attackers in a crossfire; a result also given by the general curvature of the entire facade of the fortress. In addition, Inca architects often sought to blend their structures harmoniously into the surrounding natural landscape, and the outline of Sacsayhuaman was similarly constructed to mimic the contours of the mountain range that runs behind it. This is especially evident when the sun creates deep triangular shadows between the zigzag terraces, just as it does in the mountain area with its peaks and valleys.
In another respect, there is only one small door on each terrace that allows access to the inner buildings and towers on the hill. Information provided by Spanish eyewitnesses describes a four- or five-story circular tower centrally located in the citadel, and its foundations (along with those for two others) can still be seen today. Behind the complex, in an area known as the Suchuna (slide), there were several terraces, annexes and a water supply system, including cisterns and aqueducts. Finally, there is a stepped embankment area cut into the side of the Rodadero hill, which is believed to have been a religious shrine, probably dedicated to the earth goddess Pachamama, or a viewing platform for the Inca ruler to watch ceremonies, or a place for astronomical observations. When completed, the fortress is said to have had a capacity of at least 10,00 warriors, but was rarely needed as the Incas did not suffer invasions from enemy states. Probably for this reason, Sacsayhuaman was designed more than a fortress.
The complex included temples, notably one to the sun god Inti, and was used as a location for Inca ceremonies. Sacsayhuaman was also a major storehouse for the Incas where weapons, armor, foodstuffs, valuable textiles, ceramics, metal tools and precious metals were kept. Sacsayhuaman functioned as a fortress during the Spanish conquest of Peru in 1532 CE.
The Spanish, led by Francisco Pizarro, conquered Cuzco shortly after killing the Inca ruler Atahualpa in 1533 CE, but then faced a siege organized and supported by an Inca army. Pizarro sent his brother Juan to attack the Sacsayhuaman using cavalry and then scale the walls with ladders. The offensive was successful, even though Juan died during the attack. After the collapse of the empire and the European invasion, most of the stones of Sacsayhuaman were reused in the colonial buildings of Cuzco. The ruins were covered with earth by the Spanish to prevent their use by rebel Inca forces and the site was not rediscovered until excavations in 1934 CE. Today, the ruins of the citadel are the location for the annual Inca renewal festival, Inti Raymi (festival dedicated to the Sun), which takes place at the winter solstice.
In Cusco we also visited Qorikancha, a complex of ruins located near the hotel where we stayed.
The ruins are the base of the colonial church and the monastery of Santo Domingo. Once this was the richest temple in the Inca Empire, all we see today are just the stone walls. The temple was built in the mid-15th century during the reign of the 10th Inca king, Túpac Yupanqui. After the conquest, the temple came to the Dominican monks, in whose possession it remained. What we see today is a bizarre combination of Inca and colonial architecture, covered with a glass and metal roof. In Inca times, Qorikancha was literally covered in gold. The walls of the temple were lined with 700 gold sheets, each weighing about 2 kg. There were life-size gold and silver replicas of corn that were “ceremonially” planted in agricultural rituals.
In one of the cathedrals there are the remains of a famous conquistador, Francisco Pizarro.
There are also said to have been solid gold altars, slats, as well as a replica of the sun. But within months of the arrival of the first conquistadors, this incredible wealth was looted and melted down. Other religious rituals took place in the temple Qorikancha was also an observatory from where the high priest monitored the celestial activities. A perfectly mounted curved wall 6 meters high can be seen from both inside and outside the area. This wall withstood all the violent earthquakes that toppled most of Cusco’s colonial buildings.
Once inside the archaeological site, you enter a courtyard. The octagonal front in the middle was originally covered with 55 kg of solid gold. The Inca rooms are located on both sides of the courtyard. The largest, to the right, is said to be the temple of the moon and stars, and was covered with sheets of solid silver. The walls are perfectly connected upwards and with their niches and doors they are excellent examples of Inca trapezoidal architecture. The fitting of the individual blocks is so precise that in some places you can’t tell where one block ends and the next begins. In front of these rooms, on the other side of the courtyard, are smaller temples dedicated to thunder and the rainbow. Three holes were carved through the walls of this section facing the street, which scholars believe were leaks, either for chicha given as ofranda (fermented corn beer), blood or, more likely, rainwater. Another feature of this part of the complex is the floor in front of the rooms: it dates back to Inca times and is carefully paved with pebble mosaics.
Colonial paintings outside the courtyard depict the life of Saint Dominic and contain several depictions of dogs holding torches in their jaws. These are the watchdogs of God (dominicanus in Latin), hence the name of this religious order.
The Cathedral
The cathedral is now part of the Viracocha Inca palace, the cathedral was built using blocks stolen from the nearby Inca site of Saksaywaman. Its construction began in 1559 and lasted almost a century. It adjoins the Iglesia del Triunfo from 1536 to the right and the Iglesia de Jesús María 1733 to the left.
The cathedral is one of the city’s greatest repositories of colonial art, particularly the works of the Cuzco School, noted for its decorative combination of 17th-century European devotional painting styles with the color palette and iconography of indigenous Andean artists. A classic example is the frequent depiction of the Virgin Mary wearing a mountain-shaped skirt with a river flowing around her, identifying her with Pachamama (Mother Earth).
One of his most famous paintings is the Last Supper painted by the Quechua artist Marcos Zapata. Found in the northeast corner of the cathedral, it features a ceremonial Andean food dinner.
We also find a precious crucifix, called El Senor de Los Temblores (Lord of the Earthquakes), can still be seen in the niche to the right of the door leading to El Triunfo. Every year, on Holy Monday, the Lord is paraded, and followers throw him flowers – drops of blood representing the wounds of the crucifixion. Legend has it that under his skirt is a white lily.
Plaza de la Armas
In Inca times, the square, called Huacaypata or Aucaypata, was the heart of the capital. Today it is the central square of the modern city. Two flags usually fly here – the Red and White Peruvian flag and the rainbow colored flag of Tahuantinsuyo. This is often compared to a gay pride banner but in fact it represents the four parts of the Inca Empire.
There was an amazing artist in Cusco.
He makes amazing music, with traditional instruments I don’t know the name of.
He is also a very very good showman. Or maybe an emperor. Of his own mind.
There was also a bank holiday, a large holiday that we benefited by chance:
There were also performers on the street, dressed in traditional clothes, accompanied by baby alpacas. One can take a picture with them for a modest amount of money.
At 15.06 I had a flight to Lima. I arrived at 16.38. A coach took us to Huacachina, an oasis in the desert surrounded by gigantic dunes. We stayed at the El Huacachinero hotel.
Huacachina is a village in southeastern Peru, built like an oasis surrounded by sand dunes. The number of inhabitants is very small, it does not exceed one hundred residents. What is impressive about Huacachina is that when you travel through the desert you don’t expect to find water, but especially such a peaceful locality that is a draw for visitors and adventurers.
In the 1940s this place was popular among the wealthy people of Lima, who frequented it for the benefits it offered. In the 1950s, the popularity of the place declined, and the oasis in the middle of the desert flourished only in the 1990s. Huacachina is highly valued by the country’s inhabitants, so an image of the place is present on one of Peru’s banknotes, the 50 nuevos soles.
At the same time, environmentalists are worried about the long-term survival of this place from the cause of diminishing water resources. According to the Peruvian Times, landowners in Huacachina have installed several wells in the area, drastically reducing the water level of the oasis, which greatly affects its ability to replenish itself naturally, thus requiring water supplements from outside.
The National Institute of Culture of Peru has declared the oasis of Huacachina a cultural heritage, which means that they want to keep this much admired and mysterious area intact.
Huacachina is located quite close to the city of Ica, ten minutes by car to be exact.
Tourists choose this place due to the fact that sandboarding can be practiced very easily on the sand dunes, but also for the trips that can be organized on the high sand dunes.