Monthly Archives: August 2014

Wednesday night – Machu Pichu

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What an amazing day! Diana and I woke at a 3:45 this morning so that we could have breakfast and be early in the line for buses up to Machu Picchu. We got there around 4:15 And already there was a line. By half hour later it was longer than I could see. Diane and I were able to get on one of the first two buses.

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That meant they were only 60 people there when they open the gate. We were able to see everything with almost no other people.

And there was Machu Picchu, looking just like it has in every picture I've ever seen in every book… But we were there.

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We spent the next two hours exploring the ruins mostly on our own. There were other people there but the place is so big we have lots of time by ourselves. If my camera is to be believed, I took 479 pictures today just on my phone. We are too tired to go through them right now. So I'm just going to post a few. I promise I'll go through them and pick some out.

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We had read several guidebooks, and had Maps, guidebooks and an audio guide with us. With all that, it is still surprising how much of the function of this amazing place is still unknown. I'd say it's is likely to have been built by aliens as some of the other things that I heard.

Seriously though… You have to be amazed by the vision, engineering capabilities and artistry. To build such an amazing place in such an inaccessible site.

One thing that did keep catching an art year was the notion that Hiram Bingham discovered Machu Picchu. As the buddy guidebooks point out, the place was never really lost. The local people knew its location and it had been in agricultural use for as long as anyone could remember. Maybe just a little bit of Cultural hegemony ?

About 8 o'clock we had seen most of the site and the park was starting to fill up. We headed up to Machu Picchu mountain and made the long hike to the top. Views were amazing. It was scary for me because we had several sheer cliffs. But diane was able to coax me up.

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Then it was a long hike down from the mountain, back out to the buses… And down back to Aguascalientes. It had been an amazing visit. It far surpassed my wildest imagination.

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Unbelievably dirty, hot, it's Wendy by the time we got back to our glass. We desperately needed a shower. First order of business though was to drop in on gringo bills, a hotel that is run by our friend Julie's and gus's mom. (And mom in law. ) Margarita. Was out of town, is there. It was great getting to meet him. We talked for a while about life, Julie outdoors. He was a great guy. He even let us take a shower there, which we desperately needed and will never forget

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We managed to get an earlier train back to Cuzco, which was great because it meant it was still light. We had a pleasant ride talk to some nice folks (Pat and Camille) and enjoyed the food drinks and entertainment on Peru rail. That is a well-run company. They even had entertainment and a fashion show !

Now were at cuzco , settling in for a next adventure. More on that tomorrow.
Must sleep now.

Night all, night Sam
–me

 

Tuesday evening – aquas calientes

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Diane and i are sitting in the styleish El Mapi bar drinking our Pisco Sours waiting for our 6p m dinner reservation.. I know.l unfashionably early.. But were waking up at 3:45 to get up to machu pichu…along with the other 2000 folks in town ..

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We left Ollanta this afternoon after a lovely , lazy morning.. Its been such a great place to hang out. We really recommend the Apu Lodge for anyone looking for a nice quiet place i n an amazing setting

We said goodbye to the view from our room and the beutiful grounds of the hotel

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We took a last look around ollanta.. Then headed to the rail station for the trip to machu pichu

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The trip on peru rail took about 2 hours.. It was through a beutiful canyon running along the ururbamba river..

We sat across from david and suzanne.. A nice couple from arizona

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I tried getting a few pics from the train.. But it was a bit hard by phone

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Here's Suzanne
 
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They served us drinks and food.. I just love perurail.. They were so helpful with ticketing and their service is amazing.. We even had table cloths

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We passed several small villages.. A woman sellign flowers and several small ruins..
 
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Then we were in Aquas Calientes.. Or Mach pichu puebla. Its hard to describe..its 100% comemrcial.. Only about tourism, tacky, cyrass.. And in its own way .. Very welcoming. Our hotel folks met our train and walked us the short way tot he hotel. Diane and i spent a few hours walking every street.. Its very much like the airports i spend time waiting in.. Lots of folks fromall over the world, waiting for soemthign, with nothing to do.. And money to spend…. Its all resturants. Discos, hostels and trinket shops.. All in brick and rebar.. I love the people watching !

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We walked up to to the edge of town to check out the thermal baths.. We didn have our suits.. So we just gawked.. Very fun
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Heres a group of kids that came on the trin before us.. 'Cannonball'. ,!
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Then .. We took one last look around before retreating to the hotel to pack.
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Ok.. Off to dinner.. Trying to be asleep by 9

As if… 🙂

Machu picho tomorrow !

Nite all, nite sam

-me

 

Monday night – foot power

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Today was our first foot powered only day and we loved it. We bagan with a very quick walk before breakfast down to the train station just to see where it was..

 

Around 8 we headed up to the biggest ruin here in Ollanta.. The one locally known as 'the fortress' we spent several hours climbing around and seeing the place before the crowds got pretty big. Its a beutiful site withsome great views of the valley. It has been in use for many hundreds of years. Its most famous use is as the onetime headquarters of Manchu Inca during the war against the conquistadores in the 16th century. The workmanship was amazing.. The stines were cut so finely that you could not fit a knife blade between them.. And small aqueducts still carried water through the site. It was the most amazing ruin i think ive ever seen.. And ive seen quote a few !

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Again they used these cool stair rocks to get between terrace levels
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The site was surrounded by thorny cactus.. Like living barbedwire
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These structures looked very much like the granerys we visited yesterday across the valley
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These bumps evidently had some sort of astronomical alignment significance. This part of the temple of the sun.. Whcih most experts feel was never completed.. Many of the stones from the temple were quarried on a hill more than 4km away across the river. How in the world were they moved ? Evidently, know one really knows !
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These 't' shaped channels evidently were alingned between stones and filled with motlen bronze to hold the stones together
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The stone carving all over was unbelievable.. And with very few tools. I need to show our friend chris some of what we saw.. And gabe too.. They are both stone cutters.. They would love this place.. Its clear that the stonecutter was big man on campus here
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Thats mount veronica in the back.. Snowcapped all yearn
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Look,at how these huge stones fit !!!
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We ran in to a group of school kids doing their visit.. They were really friendly and cute

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Speakingof school.. Gabe started uvm today.. And we had hos uvm water bottle with us to show support !

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After the fortress we stopped at a chocolate museum.. It was dedicated to ecological production of chocolate.. They did all the processes themselves.. So cool and so tastey

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From there we headed back tot he hotel.. Admiring the many cute and well behaved stray dogs

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At the hotel we got on our hiking clothes and packed a lunch and headed out for the 7-8 mile hike to Pumamarka and back.. It was. A beutiful trail.. We only say abotu 4 other folks on the hike..

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We saw these folks making adobe bricks

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Tons of political campaign stuff everywhere even up here
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Our directions were to 'turn at the blue water tank' they never mentioned it was next to another beutiful ruin.
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The trail went through many groves of trees, terraces and small ruins.
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With beutifull views of the valley
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Much of the trail followed this amazing aqueduct full of clear rushing water.. It fed all the terraces..adn i think the water that flows next tot he streetson Ollanta
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We arrived at pumamarka in the heat of the afternoon.. And were the only ones. There.. It was small, but impressive.. It was a lookout point guarding the valley

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We ate a quick picnic..but hado to keep moving as the byting flies were fierce !

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We called this guy 'fort spongebob' see why ?
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Then it was time to head back.. As always, the trail seemed differnt in the other direction.. Another really nice hike in the hot sun. We had to walk up and around to avoid this guy who was standing in our way

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There was a small ruin on this outcrop.. See it ?
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And then we were back to the trailhead..
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I got nailed on the hesd with one of the 'phillips head' acron things.. Ouch !
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The guys adobe had dried a bit and theyd. Made soem progress
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Just as we rounded the corner to our hotel, diane spied this door open.. And the basement filled with cui.. The guinne pigs that are a regional delicacy

All in all we walked for 8 hoirs and must have done at least 10 miles.. Our boddies are now pretty used to the thin air, i think..

 

Good thing.. Because tomorrow we head to aquas callientes and amchu pichu..

 

More from then..

 

Nite all, nite sam

-me

 

Sunday. Night – the granery

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Fantastic day today we woke at 6:30 and just layed in bed staring at the view… .. We had a great breakfasthere at apu lodge… Then wandered down to the town square to meet Lenin
 
Lenin took us on an amazing backroad to Moray.. The views were absolutely stunning
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It was mostly one lane all the way… Meeting things like this were an interesting challenge
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We came around a bend and there was the amazing view of Moray.. Its a serioes of three terraced pits . The story is they were used by inca scintists to explore plant growth.. But it looked so much more significant than that.. Moray was over 11,700 feet high.. We were hunting for oxygen molecules with tweezers 🙂
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The workmanship was really cool.. Very precise
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And all eith this stunning andean backdrop
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The terraces all had these clever stair stones.. A long step.. But very handy
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We left a samstone just outside the park
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Then we headed to the amazing salt pits at Salinas
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These terraced pools have been used for centuries to dry the salt from a spring that comes out of the top.
Lenin told me that It takes 3 months for the water to completely evaporate from a full pan.
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From there we made a quick visit to Chincheros .. A nice town with another ruin and a very cool church. The church was closed.. So we couldnt see the art thats in there.. But the settign and ruins were very nice
 
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Check out this workmanship !
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Then we were back to urubamba… Where we stopped for lunch at a nice buffet place.. Great ceviche
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We got back to ollanta at around 3.. Lenin told us the wind would start up at 3:30.. It started at 3:26
 
After a quick change of footware We decided to hike up to see the granery.. Runis right behind the hotel. It was an steep climb… The ruins and views were worth it though.
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The sun was setting .. And we saw it through this ancient gate.. We laughed that the inca sceintists had built this gate just so the sun would set in it on august 24th every year 🙂
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The granery was used to dry corn and potatoes.. It was crazy to think they had to carry all that food. Up this steep scramble
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Ok.. Weee heading out to dinner now…

Before i go, I want to give a shout out to Gabe and all the other kids that are starting their first day at UVM tomorrow.

Good Luck Gabe.. We love you so much !

Note all, note sam

-me