Machu Pichu July 21 2007 - Page 1
Machu Pichu July 21 2007 - Page 1
Machu Pichu July 21 2007 - Page 1
Machu Pichu July 21 2007 - Page 1
Machu Pichu July 21 2007 - Page 1
July 21, 2007
The event we have been waiting for. The Spaniards never found Machu Picchu, even though they suspected its existence, thus the Intihuatana stone and its resident spirits remain in their original position. The mountain top sanctuary fell into disuse and was abandoned some forty years after the Spanish took Cuzco in 1533. Supply lines linking the many Inca social centers were disrupted and the great empire came to an end. The ruins of Machu Picchu, rediscovered in 1911 by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham, are one of the most beautiful and enigmatic ancient sites in the world.
It was a miracle that we go on the train..Our tour operator was not the sharpest tool in the shed and we ended up with no tickets..We finally got someone elses tix and took a cab, to the next station, and caught the train...Bollywood style
RS, posted 8/16/2007 8:56:00 PM
Our train made its way down the valley to MP. The scenary is beautiful...
RS, posted 8/16/2007 8:57:00 PM
We reach Aqua Caliente and then boarded a bus to Machu Pichu. There are no vehicles allowed on Aqua Cliente except for these buses.
RS, posted 8/16/2007 8:58:00 PM
Machu Pichu deserves to be on the 7 wonders of the world list...Imagine building a city, at this height, cutting rocks right out of the mountain
RS, posted 8/16/2007 8:59:00 PM
MP was one of the Inca's best kept secrets and luckily the Spanish didnt find it. It was discovered in 1911 by the American Yale professor Hiram Bingham
RS, posted 8/16/2007 9:07:00 PM
To cut rocks they made holes along the vein and stuck wet wood pieces in the holes. As the wood expanded it would break the rock into smaller pieces and then they would polish and shape them
RS, posted 8/16/2007 9:01:00 PM
Inca's worhiped the Sun and had an advanced knowledge of astronomy. These windows were used to predict seasons and track the Sun's movement
RS, posted 8/16/2007 9:09:00 PM
Locals claim that MP has survived for centuries in an earthquake prone region. But now due to vibrations from buses, some structures are beginning to tilt
RS, posted 8/16/2007 9:11:00 PM
Another example of Inca's mastery of astronomy. Tihs stone points exaclty North, South, East and Wast. This stone is not a quarried stone, but is part of the actual mountain....
RS, posted 8/16/2007 9:13:00 PM
Along with other things, MP was an agriculture experiment site. They pioneered science of terrace farming and grew 2000 different types of potatoes..
RS, posted 8/16/2007 9:15:00 PM
In the backgroud you can see the Inca brige. This bridge has been cut out on the mountain face...
RS, posted 8/16/2007 9:16:00 PM
We were on the last train heading out of Aquas Cliante and had the opportunity to just chill and take in MP....
RS, posted 8/16/2007 9:17:00 PM