a long-time dream. I flew straight to Cusco and settled in in
preparation for a two-day trek into Machu Picchu. This was no easy
thing as Cusco is at 11,000 feet - which I felt acutely as I gasped for
air walking up hilly streets and at night when the most intense
headaches I've ever felt took grip of my skull and brain. Ouch!
Despite a startling lack of Spanish, I had a wonderful and easy time
on this trip. This part of Peru is over-run with tourists from all over
the world and of all ages, even during this, the "low season." On the
one hand, I was definitely in a foreign country, facing language
barriers, different food, and confusion about currency conversions,
but on the other hand, everyone almost always knew a little English,
were accustomed to the needs of gringos, and there were always
other tourists to look to for help. And, I lucked out by experiencing no
rain during what's supposed to be the rainy season!
There's much to see and do in and around Cusco, which is the
traditional jumping-off point for trips to Machu Picchu. There are a
number of different Incan ruins in the area, as well as some of the
most beautiful and picturesque scenery I've seen in a long time.
Add to that the eye-catching and colorful handwoven clothes of the
local peoples, and you've got a recipe for a magnificent cultural
experience.
Machu Picchu was introduced to the West by Hiram Bingham in
1911, a Yale anthropologist raised in Hawaii (he went to my high
school, believe it or not). It was incredibly overgrown, so the pictures
you see today are the result of considerable work and restoration. It
is believed to have been built in the 1400s by the Incans as a rest
stop of sorts for nobles. The incredible walls are composed of
stones fitted together without mortar and with hidden "female" and
"male" interlocking grooves within them. This, in addition to
trapezoidal (and not rectangular) window and door openings and
walls at a slight slant (as opposed to being exactly perpendicular to
the ground), enabled the structures to withstand major earthquakes.
Many Incan structures follow the mountain and hillsides, and it is
quite a wonder to figure out how they carried such large stones up
such steep rises, and how many people died in the process!
Another amazing thing is that all the stonework was done without
the use of iron. Other stones were used to "cut" and polish the
rocks. I'm utterly flabbergasted by how it could have been done.
Incidentally, "new" Incan ruins are still being found throughout Peru.
Ruins previously forgotten have been rediscovered as recently as
2002 and 2003!
I have much to say about this trip, but will summarize by saying
simply that this was one of the best trips of my life, and so I highly
recommend it! It's not as intimidating as it sounds.
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