Machu Picchu!!!!!

Machu Picchu sits at a little over 8,000 ft above sea level. Much lower than Cuzco.  Because of its elevation and the mountains that surround the site, it's weather tends to be much nicer than Cuzco as well.  We went during the rainy season but recieved a beautiful sunny day.

Huayna Picchu is just over 1,000 ft taller than Machu Picchu. You can climb to its peak, but you have to get tickets early because they will sell out.  We did not get to go.  The Temple of the Moon is on Huayna Picchu.

It was "discovered" in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. There is evidence that at least 3 other explorers visited the site many years prior to Bingham.  He discovered it by asking around. A young Quechua boy showed him where it was. (Awesome fact, there were 2 families living in the ruins when he found them). Bingham is important because he brought the site to the attention of the world.  (But, he kind of stole some artifacts, took them back to the states and then wouldn't give them back to Peru. So, he's kind of a dick too). Bingham found Machu Picchu while looking for Vilcabamba.  Vilcabamba was the last Inca hold out when the Spanish conquered. Bingham had actually found Vilcabamba before he ever set foot in Machu Picchu. He thought that it was too small to be Vilcabamba. Turns out, he just didn't spend enough time there. Had he actually started archeologing, he would have discovered just how huge it really was. Silly Hiram.

Many believe Machu Picchu was built as a vacation home for Pachacutec Inca Yupanqui.  This is the most agreed upon and most widely recognized theory.  Some other theories included: Sacred Religious Site, living place of the Virgins of the Suns, (who were either priestesses or just holy virgins), re-creation of the Creation story of the Quechua and even just a site built to honor the sacred mountains.

Terraces were a vital part of Quechua life.  This was how they farmed.  There is evidence that they grew potatoes, avocado, corn and coca plants at machu picchu.  Terraces not just allowed the people to grow plants in different micro climates, but they also acted as a reinforcement to the structure of the mountain city, made the mountain steeper (ward off invaders) and helped combat erosion.

The Urubamba flows around Machu Picchu and flanks three sides of the site.  The site had a plumbing system!  There are springs nearby that made fresh, clean water accessible to the mountain.  There are also a number of fountains in Machu Picchu.

This rock is called Intihuatana.   (Inti is the Quechua sun god).  Most likely an altar of some sort, my guide book liked to refer to it as "the first example of truly abstract sculpture in the world".  I call bull shit.  Our lack of an explanation for this rock does not make it abstract art.  Stop trying to sound smart guide book.  Intihautana is translated as "tie up the sun". Wikipedia calls it the "hitching post to the sun", which sounds like a good explanation for the shape.  Wikipedia also thinks that is was built as a sun dial/calendar.  Other explanations are sun temple, sacrificial altar, and temple to the mountain gods. People like to touch the rock because it is supposed to imbue energy from the Pachamama (mother earth).

The trapezoidal shape of the doors and windows is done with purpose.   Peru is a very seismic country. Tiny earthquakes happen all the time.  As do big earthquakes.  Remember the one that I told you about in Cuzco?  In Inca architecture huge rocks are sanded down to fit perfectly with the rocks on and around them.  Because they didn't use mortar, when an earthquake happens the rocks just shift around and then settle back into place.  Trapezoidal windows allow the rocks to shift properly.

This is how all the buildings would have looked with a roof and a bunch of tourists.

 A rock carved to look like the mountain behind it.

Machu Picchu was built with an agricultural center (the terraces), an urban center and an industrial center.  It had royal housing and burial places.  Housing for priests, workers and prisoners.  A cemetery located outside the city was for commoners.  It had 3 temples including the Temple of the Sun and many sacred spots like the Intihuatana.  It probably housed around 300 people year around, doubling in size when the Inca came to town.

This guy was awesome.  I was trying to be sneaky in taking my photo.

Where's Waldo?

This is Punta Inca.  It is a drawbridge.  Don't just look at the logs. Look at the stone wall they had to build for this bridge.  Pretty incredible.  Also, very smart.  If the logs are taken up, the bridge is impassable.  It is a nearly 2,000 ft drop to the rocks below when the logs are taken up.  This bridge leads back to the Inca trail which is the Inca built road that links Cuzco and Machu Picchu.