The day is finally here! Up early for breakfast to take a 7:00 bus up up up to Machu Picchu. Arrived 25 minutes later and got in the ticket line. You had to present your ticket as well as your passport to get in. Admil (our guide) took us into the city and talked for a while about the history of this sacred place. He showed us the sun temple and then we walked out to the Inca trail that we saw yesterday from w a y below at the hydroelectric train station. This trail can no longer be used - considered too dangerous. You can walk along the trail for a bit until you see the logs that were used as a drawbridge to stop undesirables from entering Machu Picchu. Whenever trouble appeared they simply removed the logs creating a impassable gap. Far in the distance is another sign that marks where you can walk to from the other side as well. It's pretty high (3,000 feet drop-offs) and a bit nerve wracking to walk this trail.
Here's the path to wards the Inca drawbridge. Petty scary looking but somehow I was ok walking out to the end. I think Gayle Rediker is out there at the end in the fog.
Here's a look at the Inca drawbridge - shot from the point where you have to stop walking.
When we first arrived the clouds were moving in and out.
Here's a pretty sweet image of Machu Picchu that I took this morning. We climbed up Huayna Picchu - that's the big mountain in the middle of the image. Great views back at Machu Picchu from a condor's viewpoint as they say!
Waiting at the gate to enter and climb - Note the Spanish name for Huayna Picchu.
You had to sign in and then sign out when you finished. Thus they would know if someone didn't come back.
Machu Picchu from Huayna Picchu.
Rich Rediker, Bobi Steingart and me up on Huayna Picchu! Awesome view....
WiFi real slow this evening - I can't stand to wait to load up more - maybe tomorrow.
The Inca developed a water circulation system that that culminated here at the Water Temple. Still flowing smoothly 500 years later from underground springs in the mountain. Amazing.
Here's a closeup of one of the water channels at the top of the Water Temple.
The Condor Stone.
Inti Mach'ay is a special cave designed to celebrate and observe the Royal Feast of the Sun. This festival was only to be celebrated by the nobility in the Incan month of Qhapaq Raymi and was associated with the December solstice. The festival would begin earlier in the month and would conclude on the solstice. Note the woman's face in profile.
On the way up to see Into Watana Stone. Note the stones on the right in the foreground. Not yet aligned with the stones on the left - This wall was in progress and never finished.
The Inti Watana stone is one of many ritual stones in South America. These stones are arranged to point directly at the sun during the winter solstice. The name of the stone (coined perhaps by Bingham) is derived from the Quechua language: intimeans "sun", and wata- is the verb root "to tie, hitch (up)". The Quechua -na suffix derives nouns for tools or places. Henceinti watana is literally an instrument or place to "tie up the sun", often expressed in English as "The Hitching Post of the Sun". The Inca believed the stone held the sun in its place along its annual path in the sky.
Closeup of the Inca stone work.
Nice walls in the residential district.
Long steep staircase.
Closeup of that staircase. Thanks Richie Steingart.
Great light! Again, Richie Steingart.
THIS DAY WAS AWESOME!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment