Two Day Update

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

The Lost City of the Incas - Day 1

No wifi in Machu Pichu so this post will have to wait till we get back to Cuzco. I was also informed that we may have some new comers to this blog - friends and/or relatives of our fellow travelers. Welcome and please note that the photo albums are clickable on the left sidebar.  All comments are welcome just click below the post.

First, I will start with last night's dinner.  Finally tried the Alpaca and could have done without it.  I think it just wasn't cooked good.  Nobody really liked their food too much so we were all a bit disapointed.  Up until then the food had been great.  Ok enough of that.
Inca St. in Ollantaytambo

WOW! What a day.  It started for us about 1am when we both got hit with some sort of nasty bug.  All I can say is "Thank God for Cipro."  I won't bore all of you with the ugly details.  We did manage to have an extraordinary day even though we are a bit weary and very drained.Skipped breakfast, needless to say, and boarded the bus for a 2 hour ride to Ollantaytambo. Once there, Benito handed out our lunch boxes for the train ride up to Machu Pichu. Left our stuff in the bus for a short tour around this fascinating town.  We walked down the narrow Inca streets, visited an Inca home, and learned more about the culture and lives of the Inca. We were fortunate that the sun was out and it was warming up.

From here we took another van to the train station where we had about an hour to kill.  I finally had one of my protein bars and was feeling a bit better, so I grabbed some pix of the group and Bruce.  Bruce is from another OAT group and we sat with him on the plane over. He's from CT.  A real sweetie.  The train ride was amazing and extremely comfortable.  We sat and ate our lunch as we watched the Urubamaba River roll by.  This is the head water for the Amazon River, which happens to be the largest in the world.  Larger than all the US rivers put together.  We will get our shot at it next week.  The ride was about 1 hour or so long.  The sun kept teasing us - going in and out.  It would rain then it wouldn't then it would.  Ce la vie!

The Lost City of the Incas

Reached Machu Pichu and we all kept pinching ourselves that we were actually here. This is truly an awe inspiring place that one has to experience for themselves.  Words can not do it justice. The Incas were an amazing civilization. Machu Pichu was built as the King's summer get-away. You can be nothing but in awe of their archecture.  The giant stones so perfectly cut and positioned.  There was also a sundial that was positioned exactly between Machu Pichu (old mountain) and Wayna Pichu (Young Mountain) - and between Vericona Mountain and Puma Sillu Mountain.  A stone compass was also found with each corner pointing N,E,S,W. Benito put his own compass down and it read true north. The sun went in and the rain came out, aimed at theSouthern Cross.  But not much deterred us from pressing on.  The one good thing about going in the rainy season is that there are very few tourists, so at least they don't clutter the photography.  We walked up to the guard house which sits as a look out between the Inca trail and the trail going up Wayna Pichu. This is the highest point on Machu Pichu.  We have a great group and everyone did fine.  We stayed until the closing bell, trekked down and got our passports stamped with the Machu Pichu stamp.  Very cool.

Back in the bus and back into town to check into our hotel.  Everyone else went out to dinner tonight.  Geoff and I are staying in eating saltines!  I think our bodies need the rest.

Tomorrow we go back for round 2.  We were going to trek up the Sun Gate for some spectacular views but without the sun it probably won't be worth it.  So we voted on touring the lower part that we missed today.

This just in.... If you recall Stephanie, who lost her luggage, was not given a seat on the plane, and was bopped in the head with a ski pole getting off the plane, got bopped in the head again on the bus coming back from the mountain,  Hope this is the end of her misgivings there is a lot of time still left.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Lost City of the Incas - Day 2

Leisurely morning before boarding the bus back up the mountain.  Benito and Eddie took us on a tour of the lower Machu Pichu sites.  When we arrived the fog was moving in and the feeling was just overwhelmingly mystical. It was a sight you really don't see in the postcards. Going down beneath the Temple of the Sun, where they kept the virgins. We continued to a large opening where the people would gather for ceremonies.  Here, there once stood a great monolith with a hole for the sun to shine through.  However, within the last 8-10 years, the king and queen of Spain had it removed for their helipad.  Another interesting note we learned today - there was never any evidence of gold or silver found at Machu Pichu.  Only one gold bracelet was found by an American geologist while studying the drainage system of the terraces. This was found by the tree that sits in the middle of the site (put there only 20 years ago or so). On to the entrance for the Wayan Pichu Trail and then to the houses built from 2 stones with windows that looked through to each room and up to the Temple of the Three Windows. Eddie showed us to the mirror pools that they fill with clean water and they would reflect the stars. This was their astronomy tool.  Down to the Temple of the Condor. Looking closely you can see the two wings.  The head is on the ground.  There was, as always, the sacrificial altar.  Along the way, we passed not only some orchids, wild ginger, and a couple andean chincillas - not to forget the little millepede.  The rain, nothing new to us now, starting come down pretty hard and it was close to lunch.  Went to a very nice restaurant in town - had the chicken soup, trout, and to top it all off, quinoa mousse - which was to die for - have to get the recipe for that.

2000yr old pre-incan bowl

Back on the train to the bus which took us to one of the most beautiful ceramics shop I have ever seen.  We were fortunate enough to meet the owner, Paublo Seminario, internationally famous for bringing back customs of Incan and pre-Incan ceramics along with his contemporary works.  We were given a wonderful tour of the workshop studios, Where artists work among the flora and fauna and a parrot that says Hola!  All were thoroughly impressed, and bought lots souvenirs.

Right now, I am writing this on the bus ride back to Cusco.  We made one photo-op stop to get the glaciers of Mt. Vericona and Puma Wanka.  This is our last night in Cusco.  We are up at 5am tomorrow to catch an 8am plane to Quito, Ecuador.  The Amazon awaits.

BTW - Stephanie lost her luggage once again.  Happily she has gotten it back.  What will happen next in the adventures of S?

Next time..... Quito, Ecuador