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WOW! About sums up our experience of this amazing Inca Ruin... Pictures cannot capture the essence of Macchu Picchu, it is one of those places that you need to feel in order to appreciate in all its grandeur.
So in anticipation of really experiencing macchupicchu we realised that the 4 day trek was not available to us due to the rainfall making the trail dangerous, the government decided to close these trails to allow for a thorough annual clean-up operation.
We were on a budget and there were so many agencies trying to sell their packages, we researched a little and booked a train from Ollyantytambo which is half way to our destination, we caught collectivos which are designed to take 5 passengers in a car, rather than trying to squeeze on a fully loaded bus with the ticket operator trying to cramp more people on! SO a very spacious ride to the town of Ollyantytambo where we stayed for 5 hours before boarding the train to Aguas Calientes (otherwise known as Hot water) due to the hot springs dotted around the town.
We prepared ourselves for the 1 hour steep walk up to the ruins for the next day, setting our alarm clock for 4am, hoping to be out for 5 am to be able to watch the breaking of dawn from a very spiritual place. The following morning we rose as predicted but came to find that the weather would not permit our ascent to Macchu picchu, Maz was obviously very disheartened at this point, knowing how much she loves her physical hardships, Dal on the other hand organised a cosy ride via bus to the ruins ( this site is so very accessable, that any persons of any age can visit and experience the greatness of this site).
The clouds did not shift for another 4 hours, so we didnt get to see the sunrise, but this didnt dampen our spirits, it actually made it more magical. We invested in a tour guide at 6 am in the morning....very dedicated!!! Who explained important areas of the site, the site is so magnificantly large that it would probably take a whole day to explain everything in detail. It must be mentioned that this site was discovered by a historian from the USA in 1911.
There were no records of this site, so there are many theories of its existance. Our guide believes that this was a centre for higher learning., where they sustained themselves via large agricultural areas employing locals to tend the crops. There was also a large emphasis on religion, there are many temples found on this site and sacrificial stones. Many artifacts were taken by the explorer Hiram Bingham back to the USA, which left the Peruvian government and excavaters with little to page the history of this beautiful city together. It was an inka settlement, abandoned not too long after the Spanish inquisition. They were found to be contaminated with Syphillis which was bought over by the spaniards directly affecting their life span. Many bones show that young adults lived in this settlement, as we explored the sites we found that it would be very fatiguing for the elderly and children as the length of this place is so very large, the oxygen low and the steep steps too physically demanding.
After our guided tour we went on to trek the Huanyapicchu which is a large mountain dominating the surrounding landscape, it was a very steep climb and incidentally found out later that 2 days previous a Korean traveller had died at the summit. It was an 1 hour exhausting climb, the benefit of awarding us with beautiful views of the ruins, the day was glorious, clouds having departed basking the ruins in sunlight. We sat in contemplation for hours, just taking in the sights...not wanting to return to the steep climb down!
Its an individual experience for every person, sometimes people are clearly taken aback by the magnifience of the ruins, others feel a spiritual connection, others in awe of the architecture and others in the historical circumstances of this site. We were clearly touched by this place, more so after hearing the history, these people were intelligent, deeply spiritual, dedicated to knowledge and learning, understanding the ways of mother earth and religion. Macchupicchu is a caption of this time, lost to the jungle for several hundred years, thankfully discovered , allowing its history to educate and highlight the ways of the Inkas.
On arrival at 6am it was completely covered by a thick mist so we couldnt see a thing but slowly like a curtain unveiling it revealed itself in all its glory
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