10/25: The Magic of Machu Picchu Including a Double Rainbow!

As we’d reserved about six months ago two of just 250 spots leaving at 10 to hike up the Huayna Picchu Mountain overlooking Machu Picchu, we were up at the crack of dawn to scarf down some breakfast at the hotel before walking down through the town to catch the bus. We’d never heard of hotels’ breakfast hours beginning at 4:30 and ending at 7:30 and guests having to check out by 9! That was the norm, though, at all the hotels in MP Pueblo, however, so tourists could enjoy a full day up on the site.

The bus took about half an hour to wind its way up the switchbacks to the ruins before dropped everyone off at the entrance gate where tickets were checked and women at least took advantage of the ONLY bathroom facilities in the entire site!

Our first glimpse of Huayna Picchu, the mountain overlooking the archaeological site that we'd soon be climbing looked more than a little daunting in the early morning cloud cover.

The plaque honored Hiram Bingham who discovered Machu Picchu in 1911.

We opted not to get a guide as we thought we wouldn’t need one with all the information I had printed off from travel books in advance. We figured, wrongly as it turned out, that the info coupled with signs, would be all that we needed. It was incredibly surprising that the signs at the many, many sites that comprised the Machu Picchu archaeological complex were very few and far between for some reason. That made our experience less than ideal which was unfortunate. But I am getting ahead of myself again so I apologize.

MP, as I will refer to the site from now on, has to be seen to be believed and even though there is an enormous flow of tourist traffic through there daily, it still retains an awe-inspiring grandeur. Even if no Inca city had been built there, the horn-shaped, forested peaks of Huayna Picchu swirling in the mist at dawn or gleaming in the sun at midday, along with the 300 meter drops from cloud forest to the Rio Urubamba would be breathtaking enough. Add the genius of Inca architecture, build in perfect harmony with earth and skies and it was no surprise that MP was among the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Adding to the wonder of MP is the mystery surrounding it. Nobody knows what the city was originally called or its precise purpose. I was amazed to learn the name Machu Picchu, which translates as ‘old peak’ in the Quechua language, doesn’t even refer to the city but rather to the large mountain that overlooks it.

The latest theory about MP’s original use, which has gained widespread acceptance, is that it was a winter retreat built by Inca Pachacutec in the mid-15th century. MP’s status as a sacred site is due to the number of shrines and probably a house for the Incas’ chosen ‘virgins of the sun.’ Its primary purpose was likely to indulge the pleasures of the Inca leader and his family who could use it to escape the rains of Cusco and hunt in the surrounding jungle.

We weren’t sure if what we were seeing ahead was Hiram Bingham’s Caretaker’s Hut or the Guard House? Because of the absence of signs, we weren’t sure for the longest time!

Our first views of the agricultural terraces easily lived up to our expectations of what the site might look like.

Because the hut was one of the highest points in MP, the caretaker was able to see a large stretch of the Rio Urabamba in addition to the main entrance from the Sun Gate. The house was built in the wayrana style which meant one of the four walls was left completely open to allow ventilation.

From there it was easy to understand MP’s basic layout. A large grassy square divided the city into three areas. On our left were the Royal and Sacred Areas which were probably reserved for the Inca emperor and his court. On our right was the Secular Area where the agricultural workers had lived. 

The sanctuary of MP, located at 2,430 meters or about 8,000 feet high in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, was probably the most amazing architectural achievement of the Inca Empire at its height.

Below the lookout itself was the Agricultural Area. There were more than one hundred agricultural terraces that faced the sun year- round and were used to grow multiple crops. The terraces used fertile earth brought from the valley below. 

The earth’s porous quality drained water efficiently so, despite the region’s wet climate, MP’s terraces weren’t prone to flooding. An archaeologist took samples from the terraces and was able to determine the Incas cultivated pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, peppers and other indigenous tubers, such as yacon, used to treat diabetes.

The Caretaker’s Hut:

A carved slab on one side of the Caretaker’s Hut was called the Funerary Rock. It was a large, white granite altar with carvings of three steps and a large, flat bed on top. There was also a ring pointing in the direction of the solstice, but its significance is unknown. The Funerary Rock was surrounded by many other rocks found in quarries far away from MP. They were thought to have been left over from Inca offerings.

The iconic shot of Machu Picchu in my opinion:

Even though it was still so early, the large tour groups and masses of people made passing them very slow going and difficult.

Machu Picchu's Puerta Principal or Main Gate was a gigantic entrance door with locks on its inner part used to close the city. The gate was where the Inca rulers would have entered the city with great ceremony.

Once through the gate, we had a view of Huayna Picchu in the background that we would be climbing soon!

Seeing the swirling mist and clouds at that early hour made us glad we'd chosen the 10 am slot to start our hike and not the 7 am one!

As we continued on, there was a building with many doors on the first floor. The ground floor was likely used as a meeting area while the second floor was a storage area where produce was dried by ventilation.

The main Quarry of MP was on the hillside just past the Main Gate. There were some houses there that probably belonged to the workers. One of the highlights at the quarry was the Serpent Rock which was etched with snake designs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a clear shot of it.

Credit to Norman from his Années de pèlerinage blog for the following information: Machu Picchu was built around 1450 AD on a mountain ridge roughly 2,420 meters above sea level using simple tools. Roughly 200 structures survived throughout the ruins – all of them lost their wooden, straw-thatched roofs over the ages. But the decay stopped at the perfectly cut granite stones. These remain impeccable and showcase the unbelievable skill of the Inca masons. The technique of fitting stones without mortar is known as Ashlar. The Incas refrained from using mortar because the loose fitting was more resistant to earthquakes and the whole Urubamba Valley was prone to experiencing them.

The most amazing part: Steel and other hard metals were unknown to the Incas. They cut the stones using bronze tools and harder stones from nearby quarries. Judging from tool marks left on the stones it is most probable that the Incas pounded the stones into shape and not really cut them.

The Inca citadel was, quite apparently, never finished. The heavy stones, some weighing more than 50 tons, were hewn right out of the rock. There was no need to transport them over long distances. Given MP’s elevated and secluded location, that would probably not have been possible anyway. Smaller stones were transported to the various construction sites by llamas, while larger stones were pulled with ropes and levers. The Inca never invented the wheel as we know it.

The stone blocks were almost all finished on site, following the demands of the Ashlar technique. On some bigger stones were smaller indentations to secure ropes or for workers to get a better hold. Adobe and bricks were not used in Machu Picchu.

 Most residential houses probably had a light finish consisting of ground stones and sand. It is not known whether the walls were painted afterward. From other sites, we know that religious structures often featured golden panels, while normal houses sometimes were painted.

The square known as the Sacred Plaza had major buildings on three sides making it one of the more important ceremonial areas of MP. 

As we entered the plaza, the main attraction was the temple known as the Temple of the Three Windows.

The building on the western side of the Sacred Plaza was the Principal Temple and was composed of enormous horizontal stones carved from bedrock. The temple, which faced MP hill, had an enormous altar on the back wall. 

Some scholars believe the temple was dedicated to Pachamama or Mother Earth. Above the altar were very high niches where ceremonial items were placed. One of the walls was collapsing, due to insufficient foundations. That fortunately was an uncommon issue at MP where an estimated 80 percent of all stonework was underground and used to store up the buildings on extremely steep and uneven ground.

Directly across from the Principal Temple was a rustic house believed to have been the House of the Priest. On one side of the patio was a large door presumed to have been the entrance to the Inca leader's bedroom. There were a few other rooms including a bathroom with its own drainage system and a cooking area.

As we left the Sacred Plaza, we encountered a small building known as the Sacristy. It was the only room in the city that had the beautiful Inca imperial style and wasn’t either a temple or a palace. We noticed there were no rectangular windows with right-angle corners and understood the Incas knew that irregularly-shaped windows would help their structures withstand earth tremors. They must have done something right as regular earthquakes have never destroyed the buildings.

When we looked closely, we saw the anti-seismic construction using bedrock, keystones and the famous 32-sided stone.

Not far from the Principal Temple, we climbed a staircase to Intihuatana pyramid, the highest point in the urban area. 

A shot looking backwards:

In the middle, the Quarry again:

The centerpiece was the fascinating four-sided sculpture, probably considered the most sacred in MP. It was given a Quechua name by Hiram Bingham which translated to ‘a place to which the sun was tied.’ Some believe it was used as a sundial; other theories include a solar observatory, sacrificial altar or a temple aligned with the surrounding mountains and their resident apus or gods. Whatever its use or meaning, the Intihuatana was a deeply spiritual work of art, and perhaps the world’s first abstract sculpture.

In front of the Intihuatana was a stone on the ground that looked like an arrow and which pointed directly south, similar to a stone found on Huayna Picchu.

Walking toward the Sacred Rock:

We learned this was just a rock, not the Sacred Rock as we thought after I asked one of the many, many guards who were always on the lookout for people walking where they shouldn’t be, touching items they shouldn’t be, etc. It was like we were back in elementary school and constantly hearing the teachers’ whistles out at recess! Unfortunately, there had been NO signs, let alone information, by any of the sites we'd seen so far throughout the entire complex. Steven and I couldn't understand why one of the greatest archaeological sites in the entire world was so very tourist-unfriendly.

The immaculate, grass lawns on the Main Plaza unfortunately were no longer accessible to visitors.

At last, the Sacred Rock, which was identical to the form of the Yanatin Mountain in the background. Before this rock was protected a few years ago, hundreds of MP visitors every day would spread their arms across it to feel its energy.

The Rock was flanked by sacred wayrana buildings like the ones we'd seen earlier.

Just minutes from this spot was the entrance to the timed hike to Huayna Picchu that we'd needed to reserve so many months ago. That trek will be the subject of my next post.

After spending the last three hours hiking up and down Huayna Picchu, we enjoyed a well-deserved apple break back at Sacred Rock while deciding what other sights there were still left to see AND that we had the energy for!

 

It was cute seeing the llamas. As you can see from the following photos, they were obviously used to tourists!

As we walked toward the Sector Urbano or Secular Area, we noticed this open plaza with channels for drainage.

The Secular Area was where hundreds of workers and servants for MP lived and worked. The area was divided between the living compounds for the clans or Inca elite. 

It was hard to imagine this area as the bustling, populated part of the citadel where most people lived and worked.

After this narrow entrance, there was an open area with two enormous buildings that probably functioned as great halls and used by workers for celebrations and doubled as large rain shelters.

The following photos are all part of the Secular Area:

A typical sign at Machu Picchu – i.e. useless or non-existent! We found our experience at MP challenging because of the absolute lack of signage throughout the massive site and couldn’t understand why it was like that.

Every second niche or window was blocked off. We didn’t know if that was done recently or long ago and had no idea why it was like that.

A view of Huayna Picchu in the background:

We thought this was likely a ceremonial area in the Secular Area but didn’t know for sure because there was no sign.

We overheard a guide say these were Wishing Wells.

Two-story qollas or storage areas: 

The large rock was an altar.

We wondered why there were holes on either side of the entrance or doorway? Likely for drainage and access, we figured, after seeing similar storage structures at Ollantaytambo a few days ago.

We walked on to the entrance to the Temple of the Condor. 

There we could see a sculpted rock on the ground known as the head of a condor, a bird still revered by the Andean people.

Directly behind were the wings of the impressive Andean bird which in real life has a wingspan of over eight feet. 

Below the wings was a cave with stairs and niches on the wall believed to have been a tomb. In 1975, the cave was excavated and bones of llamas and guinea pigs were found. Experts believed the flat rock outside was used as a sacrificial table.

At the base of the wall in this two-story building were small holes that were used to farm cuy or guinea pigs. 

We decided next to head to the Temple of the Sun and the Royal Tomb, both areas we hadn't had time to visit in the morning before our ascent of Huayna Picchu. That meant we had to leave the complex altogether because you could only walk one way and not backtrack. Luckily, the entire complex was connected by perfect stairs, some of them quite steep, but still in good shape. 

We had to climb all the way up back to the entrance but at least we were then able to see the roofed huts as none of the other buildings we saw had any roofs. The roofs would probably have been very steep - about 60 degrees – because of frequent, heavy rains. 

Lichen was growing on the thatched roofs.

A fabulous view of the Agricultural Area and the Temple of the Sun from the Secular Area:

It was a longish hike out but it meant that we could use the facilities again so it was a blessing in disguise as there had been none since entering the park before 8, about seven hours earlier!

The Royal Tomb was the most important area of the city as it was likely where the mummy of Inca Pachacutec was stored even though no remains were ever found. The stonework and overall design of the building made it one of the Inca’s most famous and elaborate constructions. All Inca construction was oriented toward the sunrise. During the summer solstice every June 21st, the sun’s rays come through the window at the top.

The rocks were perfectly fitted into the contours of the natural cave, an ideal example of the Incas using carved stone to enhance the beauty of natural stone. The tomb contained three long niches and one smaller one which had its own altar. One of the niches in the mausoleum was for the Inca Pachimama, also known as Mother Earth or Earth Goddess.

The other window was designed for the winter solstice which occurs on December 21st so the sun from the Sun Gate aligns. Because these windows created rays of light inside the temple during those sacred days, the temple was considered a solar observatory.

The Inca stone stairs led to the Temple of the Sun but tourists could no longer use them. The Temple of the Sun was made into the bedrock part of the mountain out of the finest quality stone for the Inca leaders. The Temple, located above the Royal Tomb, was unmistakable thanks to its perfect circular walls which leaned inwards for stability.

These were bedrooms with niches on either side of the wall.

 

When the temple was excavated to strengthen the walls, three niches were discovered which were covered with glass to protect them.

The smooth rock on the right side of the Sun Temple's wall indicated it was for the nobles and elite members of society while the ordinary stones on the left side indicated they were for everyone else. The difference between the two was quite striking.

What looked like a window was actually the doorway on the second level.

We were now on the second level of the Sun Temple which was connected to the Royal Tomb; the circular building on the right was part of the Tomb. This area was thought to have been the house of either a princess or a high priest. 

We overheard a guide explain the niches were shelves or possibly to allow for the expansion and contraction of the walls. The protrusions above the niches wwere used to hang items. He told his group that everything was done for a reason and was functional and not for any decorative purposes.

The outside ledge was used to hang the roof, according to a guide when I asked about them.

Nearby were buildings known as the Royal Palace because it was here the Inca leader and his family must have lived while visiting MP. Another view of the posts for the roof:

A guide said this was likely a bathroom for the king as it contained a drain on the floor and there was some privacy there! All other people had to go far away to use bathroom facilities.

The bed area, again for the king:

A rainbow was the perfect touch to a magical day!

We took refuge from the rain in one of the impressive and natural caves that dotted the complex. One of the over 100 rangers or guards monitoring tourists' behavior throughout the archaeological site joined us there for a few minutes. He said video cameras were in use throughout the site as unfortunately some people choose areas like the caves for hanky panky!

Sorry, more rainbow shots! It was so special we could hardly tear ourselves away from the idyllic views.

Seeing the double rainbow, even if faintly, was like the ultimate prize at the end of the day.

On the way back to MP Pueblo, I read that because the phenomenal beauty of MP attracts about two million tourists a year and was built on a man-made mound of earth, the ground is comparatively soft and the site is actually sinking, although very slowly. Some of the Inca stonework was already showing signs of damage and we spotted evidence of soil erosion and damage to vegetation. 

We had to wonder what the experience will be for future tourists visiting the legendary Machu Picchu as current plans call for three marked paths and time limits at each part of Machu Picchu to keep the flow of people moving. We were very thankful to have been able to visit when we could move relatively freely within Machu Picchu, even if it were in only one direction later in the day!

A visit to MP is many visitors’ main motivation for coming to Peru, or even in our case, traveling to South America. The place had a vibrant, spiritual feel and is probably the world’s best example of architecture integrating with the landscape. Lonely Planet wrote that ‘it is in some respects the Incas’ lesson to the Western word, teaching us how to build our world around nature and not against it.’

The road to MP Pueblo was so narrow that buses had to often back up or wait for others to reverse so that buses could pass each other! We were back in town just 20 minutes later after enjoying a great day discovering the wonders of Machu Picchu and hiking Huayna Picchu.

A shrine on the hilly path near our hotel:

Next post: Visiting towns in the Sacred Valley en route to Cusco.

Posted on January 5th, 2018, from Littleton, Colorado.