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This weekend we traveled to Machu Picchu and the small town of Ollantaytambo. We met at 6:15 am to catch the bus to Ollantaytambo and from there we took the train to the town of Aguas Calientes. Riding the train was an experience, let me tell you. We had to keep stopping because groups of people against tourism rip up parts of the track. Other than the frequent stops it was a beautiful ride. We went through the mountains along the Urubamba (Amazon) River and passed little farms where the donkeys and chickens grazed alongside the tracks. Even though it is the dry season here the rapids we pretty strong and we also saw the hikers who were doing the Inka Trail. Our director Edi used to be a guide for hikers on the Inka Trail and he did the four day trek six times a month. He even participated in a race to see who could complete the trail the fastest. He finished the entire trek in four hours and fifteen minutes! This man is a beast! After arriving in Aguas Calientes, we checked into our hostal and headed straight up to Machu Picchu. But before I get to the good stuff I want to describe our hostal- hotel room meets camp lodge meets jungle zoo. Our rooms were small but clean and smelled like cabins at a summer camp I used to go to. There was a kitten and a dog that constantly ran around chasing each other and playing. On top of that the tile floors and walls in the bathroom were always wet because of the humidity. This might sound unpleasant to you but I absolutely loved it. The best part about it was the name- Gringo Bills!
After checking in we dumped our bags and caught the buses running up to the actual Machu Picchu site. Once you step off the bus you hike up and around the side of the mountain and the ruins just materialize out of nowhere. I thinked I actually stopped breathing for a few seconds when I came around the corner. I still can't even come up with words to describe it! You just stand there in awe, trying to fathom how in the world these people built this beautiful city on the top of the mountain. According to Edi, who also used to be a tour guide for Machu Picchu, the Quechua (Inca) people recruited workers from other indigenous tribes to help build the city. Because of this there are five different types of architecture that can be seen around the site. Edi took us around the different areas of the ruins and showed us the rock quarry, the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Condor, and several other religious areas. After about two hours we split up and had the opportunity to explore on our own. Monica and I walked through the residental area and along the gigantic farming terraces where the llamas were grazing. Apparently the Peruvian government introduced llamas to Machu Picchu for tourist reasons because in nature they only live in the highlands area (around Cusco). It was so peaceful just sitting on the edge of a terrace that turns into a sheer cliff down the mountain and looking at the entire city. It still blows my mind how they even managed to move the rocks up there!
My favorite part of the city is in the Temple of the Sun. There is a huge slab of rock with a smaller square pillar carved on the top of it. If you place a compass on top of the pillar, the four corners of the pillar point exactly to the four cardinal directions. The four corners also point to four surrounding mountains that were holy to the Quechua people. And if that isn't enough for you, the Temple of the Sun is constructed so that the first rays of the summer and winter solstices enter through the one window of the temple and strike the pillar of rock perfectly. These people were atronomical and mathematical geniuses! Every building in the city is mathematically perfect and earthquake-proof. The base stones of all the walls don't have mortar in between them and are carved to fit each other perfectly and the walls of the temples have a trapezoid shape and are built with a fifteen degree angle. You can tell if a building or city is sacred and important if it is built with this architectural style. I am still in shock- I know I was at Machu Picchu and that I walked around and saw everything but my mind just won't accept it.
After coming down from Machu Picchu, a few friends and I went to the natural hot spring baths in Aguas Calientes and just relaxed for a few hours. The water smelled like chicken broth because of the sulfur though, so we felt like we were being stewed up for dinner. On Sunday morning we took the train back to Ollantaytambo and hiked around the town and the Inca ruins for the afternoon. Ollantaytambo means resting place of Ollantay, one of the Inca kings that ruled the settlement. The town is nestled at the bottom of tall surrounding mountains that are all covered in Tiahuanaco (pre-Colombiam) ruins. There are stray dogs running around everywhere and the people are so nice even though they try to sell you everything from silver necklaces to finger puppets. The ruins were amazing- once again I just couldn't fathom how they moved huge slabs of rock halfway up the mountain! No matter how many ruins I see and hike through I never get used to how magnificent they are. I think I can safely say that I could happily travel and explore ancient ruins for the rest of my life :)
CIAO!!!
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