Machu Picchu (a bit out of order -- we visited April 14)

One of the world's most famous views, early in the morning

I was prepared to be underwhelmed by Machu Picchu.  We've all seen the photos and the site has become as iconic as the Eiffel Tower or the Parthenon.  How could it possibly live up to its reputation? Despite iffy weather and a plethora of tourists, it was incredible!

The morning did not get off to a good start.  We awoke in Aguas Calientes, the sorriest tourist town I've seen in yet in South America, to a steady rain and dense fog.  We had bought Machu Picchu entrance and train tickets far in advance, so we had no choice but to wolf down breakfast at 7 and join the soggy pack of tourists lining up for the 20 minute bus ride up to the site.

Arriving at the parking lot at the top of the hill was like entering a mosh pit of visitors from all over the world.  As we conferred under an awning -- should we hike Machu Picchu mountain or not? -- I heard fellow travelers speaking Mandarin, Spanish, English, German, Japanese, French, and more.

We had arranged to meet a guide at 1 p.m., so we decided to climb the mountain and hope the clouds would part for a view.  Even though the lady at the gate said, "no vale la pena" to climb, we did so anyway.  Fortunately, the rain stopped just as we started.

The hike was two hours straight up well-preserved staircases built by the Incas, with orchids, birds, and the occasional glimpse of green, jagged mountain tops all around.  We heard the Urubamba river roaring below, first on the left, then on the right, as it snaked around the mountain.  (Sadly, a tourist died rafting the Urubamba the day after we were there.  With our Futaleufu rafting trip still fresh in our minds, we studied the river during the train ride from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes.  In our humble opinion, it looked mostly unraftable).

I'd be lying if I said the climb was easy.  Less than 10% of the 5,000 daily visitors to Machu Picchu climb the mountain.  The few who do so are quite fit.  A father/son duo from Bogota actually ran by us during our ascent.  In all fairness, and we checked the climber registry upon leaving, most of the hikers that day were in their 20s and 30s.  Ruby tied for youngest climber of the day.  And Alicia probably did the first ever backwards descent of Machu Picchu mountain -- perhaps starting a worldwide trend for folks plagued with knee issues (patent pending).

Machu Picchu mountain supposedly has a commanding view of Machu Picchu itself, as well as sizable mountains all around.  We shared the top with a straggly group of tourists and lots of clouds, but the experience was well worth it.  Because the weather was so lousy, many of the staircases at the top seemed to float in and out of fog.  It was mostly beautiful, and only a tiny bit terrifying.

Upon descending, we wolfed down the rest of our sandwiches.  We had only a few minutes to rest up before we met Chris, the archaelogist brother of Javier, the tour guide recommended by my parents.  Chris took us back to the top of Machu Picchu and we then spent the next three hours descending and exploring every nook and cranny.

What were the highlights?

1.  Getting a sense of the incredible planning that went into Machu Picchu -- 60% of the site consists of underground foundations, drainage, etc.

These terraces have held up over the centuries because of sophisticated construction techniques that layered gravel and soil to permit drainage.  

2.  Taking a close work at the different styles of stone work -- the finest reserved for royalty -- and learning how the Incas built walls to survive earthquakes.

This has been described as "the most beautiful wall in South America"

Amazing stonework evocative of marshmallows

3.  Given that archaeologists know relatively little about the Incas, learning about different theories and seeing how much is left to discover.

Hiram Bingham called this the "jail," but archaeologists now think it is a condor and has spiritual significance

 
To carve this torch holder (?), the Incas had to remove the stone surrounding it.  
They accomplished this without metal tools or wheels -- just stone on stone.

Incan mummies probably fit better than modern day 13 year olds.

Our day at Machu Picchu was exhausting, wet, exhilarating, and definitely hard on the knees.  Neil, Alicia and I rewarded ourselves with massages and a special cuy (guinea pig) dinner in Aguas Calientes.  The kids had screen time and hamburgers.