Machu Picchu

I have been so looking forward to this day since I booked my entire trip. It started badly, though. We were at the station when the hotel called the driver to tell him they forgot to give me my entrance and bus tickets. So, we flew like bats out of hell back to the hotel. If I hadn't been so nervous that I might miss the train, I may have been scared to death. The city is filled with speed bumps for a reason, but my driver heeded only those. In between, it was free fall down steep alleys and around winding curves, passing every other vehicle. I have to give him credit, he got me back to that station (which is in the neighboring town) on time!

The train was an adventure in itself. It was a four hour ride to Aquas Calientes. I really need not fear about being alone. As my mother always pointed out, I never knew a stranger in my life. Aah... so true. The people (family) I was sitting directly with were from Mexico. They spoke English well, and they were hilarious. They were enthralled with the Nook, which I ended up not needing because we were in the happy hour carriage it seemed. Everybody was walking around, greeting everybody else, etc. The father and daughter across from me were from Madison, Wisconsin. This is where Joy and Mila are from too. Weird, huh? The father is the superintendent of the Madison school district, and Samantha teaches Spanish in Colorado. We chatted about education for hours (literally). In the meantime, the scenery was gorgeous! Just when you think you've seen every mountain peak, there are some capped with snow. Then, there's the river, which is low in this season. You'll turn and see a bridge, turn again to see a waterfall, and yet again to see beautiful valleys and greenery.

Once we arrived in Aguas Calientes, we immediately found Mario, our guide, and headed onto the bus. We were a very eclectic group: Australians from Melbourne, a Peruvian/Canadian named Maria (who took my picture for me several times), another Canadian, a father and his son from Texas, a mother and daughter from California, a couple from China. Word of advice: Although it may be a safe assumption that somebody who is absolutely terrified of heights may not be visiting Machu Picchu anytime soon, those skittish people should sit on the left hand side of the bus on the way up the mountain. For everyone else, sit on the right -it's beautiful and adventurous, especially when the bus whips around the corners. Silly me making friends again; I was chatting with the Chinese girl and missed the first sighting of the ancient city. Do not make that mistake - keep your eyes peeled to the right once you go around like the 20th curve.

Then, there it was -amidst about 200 tourists. I thought I was going to cry. It is beautifully stunning. The city was built starting in 1450 and finished 70 years later, with the help of 20,000 farmers. Only the nobles, mainly priests and priestesses, actually lived in the city. It housed about 700 people in its heyday. It was actually built using the rock of the mountain. When Hiram Bingham discovered it in 1911, it was intact. The Spanish had never reached it, mainly because it had been abandoned by then. However, only 70% of it is uncovered; about 30% still lies under greenery and will be unearthed through UNESCO within the next 10 years. Machu Picchu itself not only refers to one of the mountains near which the city resides but also the 80,000 acres around it. Bingham soon discovered that there are 70 trails leading into the city from all over the Andes, and about 80 towns around the area where the commoners lived.

There is only one entrance into the city, and the city is oriented to the sun. The windows of the houses face east. The trapezoidal windows withstand earthquakes, which Peru gets about 2 to 3 a year. On one peak in the city is a sundial that is perfectly aligned with the four cardinal points. If you rub your hands together and place them over the sundial (but never touch it!), your hands will feel warm and tingle from the magnetic force. The Incans also carved out rock formations throughout the city in the shape of the surrounding mountains for positional orientation. They stored their grains and foods (including dehydrated potatoes) outside the city walls. There are various temples that pay homage to the three sacred animals - the condor, which represents the world of the gods, the puma, which is our current state in this world, and the snake which represents our souls, our inner worlds. The Incans would meditate and offer coca leaves and such before the condor in order to obtain the wisdom of the gods. But, the idea of the snake is that there really is no death because we always remain part of this world. Therefore, they mummified their bodies and positioned them sitting up, ready for the next adventure. In fact, coincidentally, we were there on August 1, which was one of the most important days in the Incan calendar. They called it the Day of the Mother Earth, during which they would make offerings to Mother Earth with promises to always honor and protect her. The Incans would be amazing Green Party candidates today! Their temples are built near mountains because the mountains represent "apu," the Quechuan word for life. There are 300 different species of orchids that grow in the area, and 400 different species of birds. The irrigation system still flows with fresh water from a canyon high on Machu Picchu. It truly is a gift to the world.

Some advice for future travelers: 1) Wear sunscreen and shorts would be okay; it's very warm; 2) Bring bug spray if you will be there after 2 pm; 3) Take it slow; the numerous stairs will cause you to feel out of breath; 4) Go now because one year from now UNESCO is limiting the number of daily visitors which will require you to book your trip one year in advance; 5) Take a guided tour! That's how I learned so much as I walked around taking notes (Says the guy from Texas, "You must be a teacher." You bet, buster!); 6) Be prepared to get a bit dusty and prepare yourself for the heights - the views are stunning but most staircases have no railings; 7) Wear shoes with good traction. Not everyone is as sure-footed as a llama, such as myself or my friends to the left here. 8) Bring water to drink! Also, a good book - there are tons of little nooks in which to sit and read.

Okay, enough of that. I just loved it so much. I still cannot believe I was actually there. Some odd things happened, however. I was leaving the city when I hear my name being called. There are Joy and Mila! We took a picture together, shared experiences, and made our final final goodbye. Then, on the train back the people who work on the train (stewards? porters?) put on a fashion show of alpaca wool sweaters. It was hilarious! There was loud music piped in, and they walked down the aisle like it was a runway. They even grabbed up the girl next to me, a new friend - Danielle from Tampa, Florida, who was traveling here with her Greek relatives of all people-to model a sweater as well (which her uncle then bought for her). Then, when I arrived back in Cusco I found out that Sara, another volunteer, had been on the same train! It is truly such a small world.

So, here I am in Peru for my last night (kind of). Not only have I enjoyed seeing the sun the last couple of days, but I adored seeing the Southern Cross tonight. It is such a peaceful evening here in Cusco, and I am sad to leave this place, this country. Thank you to all who have been following this often lengthy blog. I will see many of you soon!