Machu Picchu - Part II

UNESCO in 1981 determined that Machu Picchu was a Cultural and Natural World Historic Site.  And I can affirm it is the most interesting historic sites on my journey.

Back on Machu Picchu....this picture of the Watchman's Hut.  It is often argued what was the purpose of Machu Picchu....was it a Ceremonial Center?  A Citadel?  An Administrative Center?  I don't think the question has been resolved among the scholars.  It did have a place for high raking individuals - that was known.  

The Temple of the Sun...

And the breathtaking beauty as it sits high in the Andes....

Note between these two buildings the even lines of the exterior structure...the roof was attached to those round poles exposed on each side of the building.

Inside this home for a high person or chief....the openings on the wall were for artifacts....not windows.

The windows were trapezodial....and very finely carved....

This is but another view of the remarkable stone work...

...the lines of the stones are so straight....again....15th Century.....

The irrigation that carries water thru Machu Picchu.....and it is fresh cold water too!

These are cultivation terraces on the East side.....

A door passage from the home...

Sitting in one of the shelters and looking out to the East....

Check out these roof line....is that not just amazing?

A look at the terracing from below...

These next 3 photographs are from the West side.  This is the location of the quarry where all the stones were extracted and carving began before being moved to their desired location.  I have to say once we reached this side of Machu Picchu the wind was very noticeable...whereas on the East side it was very calm.  

There was no evidence of how these stones were moved nor of the tools used in the carving....only the imagination can come up with many answers...

Every once in a while a beautiful flower was exposed in the rock or on the path....

These are the walls of the three homes of the most high persons on Machu Picchu

These were the homes behind them looking up the mountain....

I found these little guys on the side of one of the buildings.  They are rabbits who live in the rocks.  They are similar in fur to the chinchilla...

I took this photo above the Temple of the Sun...no one is allowed inside the temple...but it will show the window on the left side where the Summer Solace will penetrate and shine on the slab just below the window.....that slab is thought to be in the 50 ton range....

Looking out across the terraced fields and common areas to the Watchmen's Hut....

I was just enthralled with Machu Picchu....worth the trip for sure.  I would recommend the journey to anyone.

Now back down to Aguas Calientes....I did not take any pictures on the way down...I just pulled the curtain of the bus window....hoping the brakes would hold!!

This is the view out my hotel balcony of the Urubamba River....and the village of Aguas Calientes - note the train runs right down the main street!

This was a hoot!  On the train ride back to Cusco...which was about 3 hours....we were entertained....not only by this jester (for sake of a better word)...but also with a fashion show of clothing offered for sale on the train.  Most of it Alpaca....very nice stuff....Some of the passengers had a few too many beers or too much wine and decided to join in the dancing and fashion show...the journey was memorable!!

Photo of the day....well this sort of reminded me of "Sampson"....well sort of...close your eyes and imagine Sampson separating those walls...then peek out at this picture....I said "sort of"....

Machu Picchu - Land of the Inca- Part 1

I left the Sacred Valley via train at the Ollantaytambo railway station for the journey to Aguas Calientes which is some 1600 feet below Machu Picchu.

It is about a two hour ride up to Aguas Calientes and also about 2,000 feet below that of Cusco.  The train follows along the Urubamba river which eventually flows into the Amazon river....but the river is not the only beautiful sight along the way....

Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes we transfer the luggage to the hotel and board a bus for the climb some 1,500 feet to Machu Picchu.  Believe me....when I tell you this bus ride was not one of my favorites!  It is a very narrow road to begin with - gravel mostly - with few barriers on each side....and often another 'BUS' is coming down when you are going up...so someone must back up to a space to make room.  I learned very quickly.....do not look out the windows...and if you do...do not look down!  Now that I have set that up...here is the little town of Aguas Calientes.

This is before I wised up...I not only looked down...I snapped these photos....the first is a hotel....way...way....below...

...and this one where you can see the river and just make out the train that I had just arrived on at the station below!!

Look up Bobby...look up....and see the beautiful Eastern Andes....

Finally....arrival at Machu Pichu the most recongnized symbol of the Incas.  It was thought to be constructed in the 1500's, but not discovered until an Hiram Bingham, an American, did so on July 24, 1911- 100 years ago.

This is not a picture of what he saw....when discovered the village and ruins were engulfed in thick tropical brush.  When uncovered...it was true beauty...

The watchtower....

Built at the top...facing the East....an entire Inca population lived and cultivated their living on this site...

It is truly difficult to imagine the amount of time it took for construction...or how it was 'really' conceived and built.  These stones used for homes and other buildings - some weighing in the 50+ tons....but the craft-manship that it took...is beyond belief.  This is the 1500's....think of what tools they must have used...to do this...and not a sign of any mortar to fuse the stones together...

This is a storage place for grain and has the typical type of roof that was used on almost all the buildings....

Inside...there was adequate ventilation to prevent the grain from mold or rotting....

...this is one of the windows...check the thickness of the walls!

These photos are looking down and out at the ruins that were frozen in time....

This is a photo looking out across from one side of Machu Picchu to the area to give some perception of how vast these ruins were...

The symmetry of the buildings....just brilliant....

The temple of the Sun....a most remarkable temple.  Not only is the stone rounded...yes rounded....but it's construction also affords the Inca people the ability to know the coming of the Sumer and Winter solace.....but the placement of the widows in such a fashion that when June 21st came the sun would penetrate the Temple through the window to a fall on an slab of granite inside the temple.  The same was true of another window for December 21st...

These were homes thought to be of high priests or members of the elite....

There were only 3.  Interesting to note that there was not sign of cooking in the homes...all of that was taken communally in one area of Machu Picchu.

Water flowing form an underground spring flows throughout Machu Picchu..
it was also used for cultivation of the crops....

These are the steep slopes of Machu Picchu terraced for cultivation of crops.  The terracing improved fertility of the land and reduced erosion while ensuring a rational use of the natural water sources.  Terracing continues to be used extensively to this day in Peru for cultivation of crops.  

Okay...that is just part 1 of Machu Picchu....I have another part that will follow.  

Photo of the day?  Sure....this photo depicts what I have observed in travel around the World.  Children on their way to school....in very poor countries....often with and entire family of 5 to 8 people living in 2 rooms...walking to school or to catch a bus to school...in beautifully colored school uniforms that are spick and span....what a beautiful site.....education at work!