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Sunday, November 19, 2006

Inca Ruins

From Machu Picchu

Anne and I reached Machu Picchu at the end of last week after a 4 day biking/hiking trip. It's a beautiful place, in large part due to its surroundings. And although it's impressive, I think a lot of the hype is due to the mythology surrounding it. What was it used for? Why did the Incans build a retreat in the mountains? How could it have been lost - to the rest of the world, if not locals - for 400 years? But in the end, villages on terraced mountainsides exist worldwide, and the stonework is far from the most impressive that the Incans constructed (more on that later).

I actually found Huayna Picchu the more worthwhile part of the trip. It's a set of terraces and temples built on a nearby peak - an optional 1 hour climb that starts from within the grounds of Machu Picchu. The structure is so steep that when descending the shallow stairs you have to lean against them to stop from falling. How the Incas ever managed to construct the buildings on that peak I don't know.

It's unfortunate that Peru has a monopoly on Machu Picchu sites worldwide because they price it accordingly. Want to hike the 4 day Inca trail? You're looking at $300/person. Maybe you just want to see Machu Picchu. Train + entrance runs around $90/person. Our trek was somewhere between those numbers. I'm glad to have been, but the cost makes a return visit highly unlikely.

During the hike Anne and I were attacked by mosquitoes which left the itchiest bites (warning - ugly foot picture) I've ever had. I've often wondered in summertime if wiping out mosquitoes would damage some part of the world's ecosystem, or simply provide a huge relief to humanity in general, and me in particular.

After returning to Cusco, Anne and I visited Sacsayhuamán, Q'enqo, and Pukapukara, all sites within 15 minutes drive of Cusco. Out of all the sites I saw, Sacsayhuamán is easily the most impressive. It's an amazing example of the expertise Incans had with stone. Constructed out of enormous blocks, fit perfectly together, no one today yet understands how the Incas worked the stone. And with evidence suggesting they didn't use the wheel, nobody has a compelling suggestion of how they moved the huge pieces either. It's incomprehensible to me how a stone like this ever could have been shifted without the use of modern machinery.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great pictures, and interesting reading as always.

Lol, M