Exploring Machu Picchu (Part III)

Unfortunately we were running out of time and we still hadn’t even explored the city yet! We entered through the main stone gate and we could immediately feel the ancient and powerful energy of the giant stones surrounding us. The Incans somehow were able to carve and move these massive stones and then piece them together perfectly like a puzzle. Furthermore, their architecture honored and highlighted the power of the existing stones, so many times the structures were built around or incorporated the natural stones of the mountain. As I mentioned before, it is this harmony and respect for the power of nature that makes this place so awe-inspiring. We explored the temples, we found the stone that was carved to be a sundial of sorts to determine the time of year to plant the crops and perform religious ceremonies and we ducked into rooms and alleyways.The city is a maze of stairs, terraces, walls and windows that were all intentionally engineered and created for some special purpose. One of the most remarkable things about the city is that the drainage system is was so perfectly designed that it still works today and we say the little streams of water running throughout the streets. We also came across an incredible rock face that was believed to look like a condor (just like in Ollanta). The condor was the spirit animal of the sky world for the Incans.

Every view and every aspect of the city is stunning, so we found ourselves alongside the rest of the tourists snapping pictures left and right. However, because its not tourist season and it was raining, there were definitely a lot less tourists than I expected. At once point, Bekah followed a path under a door and around a corner. There she found a little pedestal or rock podium that faced out to the mountains. She stepped up on to it, stretched out her arms and closed her eyes. Once again, she felt that strong spiritual energy pulsing through her. The city may have been abandoned, but there is something very powerful and magical that lives on in this sacred place that can only be experienced when feeling the ancient stones beneath your feet and the mist caressing your face. When humans and nature exist harmoniously together, each accentuating the beauty of each other, there is something sublime and deeply spiritual that occurs. I have never felt this so strongly as I did when I was at Machu Picchu.

The Mystery and Power of Machu Picchu

No only is Machu Picchu of the seven wonders of the modern world, but it is also one of the great mysteries of the world. People are still debating about whether is was a city built for a ruler, the Incan elite, religious ceremony or as the final destination of the Inca Trail pilgrimage from Cusco (which was the capital of the Incan Empire). They do know that it was built around 1450 and was never completely finished; work ended a century later at the time of the Spanish conquest. Bekah and I decided not to have a guided tour to both save money and have the freedom to explore on our own. Therefore, I still do not know a lot about the actual history of the site. However, my experience there has inspired me to investigate on my own and we ended up having a really fascinating and unique experience that we never would have had with a typical guide.

After taking in the view, we decided to explore the path headed away from the city and we found the llamas and alpacas that live at Machu Picchu. These lucky guys get to roam free and are probably the most photographed and lucky animals in all of Peru! I was then curious about the terracing along the mountainside and approached one of the park rangers nearby to ask him. He told us that the terracing below the pathway was to built to hold up the Inca Trail and above was for agriculture. We ended up talking to this guy (who was named Oedy) for a while and after hearing that we wanted to walk to the “la puerta de sol” (the sun gate) he offered to accompany us along the trail. Little did we know that this guy had spent years working on the Inca Trail and knew a lot about the history and wildlife of Machu Picchu. As he picked up garbage that people unfortunately litter (Peruvians are the worst litters!) he told us the names of the orchids, the trees and flowers and we even saw a hummingbird and a butterfly.

The most incredible part of the experience was when we came to a large, beautiful stone with dramatic black markings on it. He told us that it was a place where the Incas, and people today continue to make offerings to Pachamama, Mother Earth, who was a very important spiritual part of the Incan culture. We could immediately feel that there was a palpable and intense spiritual energy in this place and Oedy then offered us three Coca leaves each, the traditional offering to Pachamama, to place below this stone. He told us that we should sit and meditate and clear the mind to feel the energy. It’s hard to explain exactly how it felt, but as I sat there, I felt embraced by the earth and I felt a strong thirst to be connected with the earth. Especially after living in a polluted, dry and crowded city, I realized that my body and soul were starved for nature and I felt a strong desire to reconnect with nature. It was incredible that this sacred place still has such a powerful energy. As we walked along, we realized that we were retracing the pathway that the Incans who were walking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu would take.

When we finally reached the Sun Gate, we looked back and had the most incredible view of the whole valley, mountain range and the city in the distance. This ruin is where people walking the Inca Trail first get their first glimpse of the city and sun rises between the windows of the structure. As we sat eating our snack, we could see how the clouds and the mist would quickly sneak in and hide the whole view, but then just as quickly disappear again exposing the view. Oedy then lead us down about 15 minutes of the “Real Incan Trail” and we could see the pathway zigzagging its way along side the mountains in the distance. This Trail has become extremely popular with tourists and I’m sure its not as magic as it used to be, but as we were walking along it, Bekah and I both found ourselves hoping that maybe one day we will return to Machu Picchu, but this time via this 4 day intense hike through the Andes. By this time it was raining steadily and we hiked back to Machu Picchu to finally explore the actual city. We said goodbye to Oedy, and thanked him for his time, knowledge and wisdom. Bekah turned to me and asked “How do you make friends with everyone everywhere we go???!!” I told her that often its because I ask lots of questions and people in Peru are so used to Americans who can’t communicate in Spanish, that they are excited to ask me questions too! However, I have also discovered that the most meaningful experiences when traveling for me happen when I make new friends, talk to new people and therefore gain an insiders perspective on the place and culture. The stories of those people always stay with me and become part of me.

We found a little overhang to escape the rain and we ate our bananas. I was determined to get a photograph of me eating a banana at Machu Picchu, which may seem like a strange goal but when my father was in Peru, my mother took a great photo of him eating a banana in the Andes and I wanted to recreate the moment for them! Besides, bananas are a great snack after a day of trekking the Inca Trail!

Our Journey to Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu was “discovered” in 1911 by the Yale professor Hiram Bingham and I can understand now why he had to go off the beaten track to find this “lost city.” The only way to access Aguas Calientes, the city located in the valley below the site and that only recently has been created to house the thousands of tourists that come through, is by train. And because you have to take a tourist train, it’s very expensive. In fact, don’t get me started about how expensive the trip is to Machu Picchu, because it makes me frustrated about what a rip off it is compared to everything else in Peru. However, it is one of the seven modern wonders of the world and I can say that its 100% worth the money and effort to get there. However, Bekah and I were especially aware of how much we were getting ripped off, after living in Huaycan where everything is super cheap. My Spanish certainly came in handy though and I think I impressed a number of Peruvians who are used to tourists who are clueless when I opened my mouth and could communicate easily in Spanish. Anyways, our train ride through the valley was stunning; the mountains became taller and taller and the river rushing by because more turbulent. Machu Picchu is actually located in the jungle, so the plants and trees changed and the air became thick with heavy clouds and mist. In the distance, we saw a rainbow arching over the mountain tops but it disappeared too quickly to even snap a photo. The town of Aguas Calientes was a bit of a let down after gorgeous Ollantaytambo; it felt artificial and extremely touristy. It took us a while to find an inexpensive “Menu” dinner for 7 soles. Menu is the cheapest way to eat in Peru- it usually includes a big bowl of soup, a drink and the choice of a main course such as grilled chicken, omelets, or meat.

Furthermore, we stayed in a grungy backpacking hostel and we shared the dorm with a group of guys. However, one of them turned out to be from Mexico and I had a blast talking with him about how much we miss Mexican food! Early the next morning, we awoke and prepared for our big day. To tell you the truth, both Bekah and I didn’t quite know what to expect. After seeing so many tourists and totally falling in love with Ollanta, we figured Machu Picchu would be cool but would be too crowded to really feel the magical energy of the place. Thankfully, we were proved very wrong! Anyways, as the bus climbed the side of the mountain to the site, our jaws dropped and we could hardly contain our excitement; it finally dawned on us what was actually happening! The views of the mountains and the valley below were unbelievable.

When we arrived at the summit, a steady rain was falling and we were very glad we had picked up the hideous colored ponchos for 2 soles each. After walking down a path crowded with tour groups, all of a sudden, BAM there was the famous, iconic view of Machu Picchu down below. It was more beautiful than any photograph, poem or movie could ever capture. What makes it so breathtaking is that the Incan city was engineered to rest on the top of a mountain located in the middle of a spectacular range of mountains and that it was constructed to beautiful harmonize with the landscape. Furthermore, the constantly shifting mist and swirling clouds make you feel like you are at the top of the world...or maybe that you have even reached the heavens.

The Magic of Ollantaytambo

After a crazy weekend filled with a field trip to Lima with the kids, a huge Christmas party for families and lots of tearful goodbyes, it was time for me to pack my suitcase and say farewell to Huaycan. However, although I had to say goodbye to my students and dear friends, I didn’t have to say goodbye to Peru quite yet. Bekah, one of my fellow volunteers and I set out on a whirlwind 5 day trip to Peru’s most well known destinations: Cusco and Machu Picchu. Two of our close friends from Huaycan accompanied us to the airport to say goodbye and as I said goodbye, I found myself promising that I would return to Peru again one day. It is much easier to say “hasta luego” (see you later) than adios (goodbye).

Embarking on this journey was quite ambitious considering that we wanted to do so much in such a little time and it turns out that its much more complicated to get to Machu Picchu than most people realize. However, I love a good travel challenge and thanks to my trusty lonely planet guide, we were able to navigate the whole trip on our own and find the cheapest options possible. Bekah and I were great travel companions because I was able to take control of the planning and she was perfectly happy to go with the flow and try anything. As we soared over the Andes mountain range on the way to Cusco, I already knew that it was going to be an incredible experience. All around us, big puffy clouds swirled and down below, the towering mountains were blanketed with green and etched with curving rivers. Once we landed in Cusco, we immediately set off for Ollantaytambo, a small village in the sacred valley between Cusco and Machu Picchu. Our eyes were glued to the window of the car as we saw the sun set over the Andes and donkeys and sheep grazing by the side of the road. When we arrived in Ollanta, we immediately felt like we had found ourselves in a different world. The town had been continuously inhabited since the time of the Incans and the streets are still paved with the smooth stones that the Incans set down more than 500 years ago. Small mounts of water carry streams of rushing water through every street and above the small town, the stars sparkled and the moon highlighted the silhouettes of the looming mountains embracing the town. We found our way in our hostel, called “hostel de wow” and immediately fell in love with the cozy, welcoming and magical hostel. The bunk beds in our room were made of pine logs, a beautiful dream catcher hung from the ceiling and outside our window, we could hear the water gurgling by. We slept very soundly that night!

In the morning, we awoke to the sound of tweeting songbirds and we immediately threw open the curtains to see the view- and it was more incredible than we could have imagined! On the mountainside we could see the ruins of the Incan fortress and down below us in the street, women wearing traditional hats and shawls. We had a delicious breakfast and sipped some coca tea (the coca leaf helps with the affects of high altitude and is also a big part of traditional Andean rituals and culture.) I fortunately did not feel the affects of the high altitude very strongly, accept when it came to hiking up hill and then I did feel short of breath. Wow, one of the owners of the hostel who grew up in Ollanta and is very connected to the culture and magic of the place, then offered to tell us about the legends of the mountains that surround the town. While we only saw beautiful rock faces, the Incans saw the shapes of the animals and faces that we so important to their folklore and religious practices. The condor is the animal that represented the sky world and in the one rock face he pointed out the shape of a condor. Well, it took a lot of squinting and point for Bekah and I to see it, but it was really cool to see how the Incans based so many of their legends on the natural world around them. He also pointed out a frog holding up a face, the mother earth (Pachamama) figure and a man holding up the sky with his huge fingers.

He also told us about how Ollanta was called el corazon de la tierra (the heart of the earth) because the water runs through the city like blood runs through our veins. The city of Cusco was called the bellybutton of the earth, because it was the center of the Incan empire and the life force. Finally, Machu Picchu was the head of the earth and the empire, because it was the center of power and wealth. Hearing him tell us all about this folklore in his calm voice was very special; we never would have felt this kind of connection to this place from a guide or a book.

For the rest of the day, we explored Ollanta and hiked up the side of one of the mountains to a ruin. The view was absolutely incredible and worth getting out of breath for. As we looked over the town, you could see the narrow alleyways, the tile roofs, the cornfields and the beautiful landscape beyond. We also did some shopping and found a store that sells traditional woven products made through a non-profit artisan cooperative. Through the organization you can learn weaving and volunteer- something to keep in mind if I return to Peru in the future! In the afternoon, we packed up and said goodbye to Casa de Wow, sure to leave a drawing and thank you in their big guest book. We were sad to leave and both Bekah and I felt like we could live there for a long time- relaxing, rejuvenating and getting to know the wonderful people. However, Machu Picchu was calling and we had a train to catch!

Thanksgiving in Peru!

Celebrating your culture's holidays can be a lot of work when you are in a foreign country, but there is something special about it that makes you rethink and appreciate where you are from. A couple weeks after I arrived in Peru, all of us American volunteers were already discussing how we wanted to cook a huge Thanksgiving feast here. Meg, a vegetarian, even suggested that we buy a turkey chick on Quince (the main street in Huaycan where you can buy anything), raise it on our roof and then kill it for our turkey dinner. However, this idea was quickly vetoed after we began naming this potential turkey (Pablo, el pavo of course) and realized how expensive it would be to feed. However, considering that there are chickens living on our neighbors roof it wasn't such a crazy idea. Anyways, we did attempt to find cranberries in Peru and discovered that its impossible to buy them. Anyways, we were not discouraged and decided to invite our Peruvian friends to join our Peruivan version of thanksgiving. Following in the tradition of playing football in thanksgiving, we started off the day with a game of Peruvian football- soccer and then volleyball. We each signed up to cook a dish and all of Thanksgving day, we took up the tiny kitchen boiling potatoes, cooking veggies and whipping up all sorts of delicious dishes (without the use of an oven!)

It definitely requires a lot of creativity and hard work. I mashed my potatoes by hand with a fork, Natasha made stuffing on the stove top and Bekah made cheesecake with a double boiler. The most impressive was that Sam made a pumpkin pie with Zapallo, the big yellow squash that they sell in the market here. However, she did have the help of her boyfriends oven! Kendra made a delicious broccoli salad that her grandmother makes, Veronica made a beet stir fry, Adriana made sweet potatoes, Elle made her grandmother's banana pudding and green beans...every single dish was special and delicious! To top it all off, we bought rotisserie chicken (pollo a la brasa) which is very popular here to add a Peruvian twist. To decorate out classroom, we put sheets on the table, flower bouquets from the market and spread out of feast.

We weren't sure what our Peruvian friends would think of the spread, but they all loved it and it was so special to share it with all of them! About 25 people showed up to join the feast! I decided I wanted to make a speech to thank everyone and explain what the holiday means to us. I was a bit nervous to give an impromptu speech in Spanish and I definitely stumbled on my words, but I think I was able to convey my general feelings of gratitude to our friends here for welcoming us and making our experience here so wonderful. Sonia, one of my adult students and a close friend of Elle's also talked and thanked God and us for everything. As usual, we all ate too much food, but we had some yummy leftovers for the next day. After the dinner, some of our friends joined us for a game of Mafia (a fun group game where you have to figure out who the "murderers" are.) And that is the beauty of holidays- is that they can be adapted and celebrated in new ways, but the spirit of appreciation, friends and family stays true. I definitely gained a new appreciation for the value of celebrating your cultural holidays away from home and sharing the spirit of the day with new friends in new places. I hope everyone else had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!

La Huaca de la Luna

On our second day of our visit to Trujillo, we visit the archeological site of the Huaca de la Luna (temple/ tomb of the moon) which is a pyramid that was constructed by the Moche people that lived in the area before the Chimu civilization of Chan Chan. The Moche civilization lived in a valley outside of Trujillo between the 1st and 8th centuries AD and built two huge pyramids (the other one is the Huaca del Sol). When my parents visited in the 1980s, they saw two impressive and massive mounds covered with dirt, but they had no idea what lay hidden beneath them. Archeologists began excavating the Huaca de la luna in 1991 and uncovered incredible murals with the images and paint still intact, as well as incredible pottery and treasures. The pottery from the moche civilization is especially fine and unique and a beautiful museum was opened two years ago that holds many of the pieces found at the site. Many of the pots have very accurate faces sculpted on the top of them; there are sculptures of animals such as warrior ducks and priests chewing cocoa leaves with big puffy cheeks. In moche culture, artisans and specifically potters were very valued and considered higher in status then other workers. After visiting the museum, we took a tour of the site with a very knowledgeable guide who told us a lot about the culture of the people who lived there as well as the process of excavating and conserving the site. They site has received many grants from foundations to create a structure to cover the pyramid to protect it from the elements because unfortunately the government does not have money to support the site. The pyramid is unique because each generation of rulers not only built another new layer on top of the structure, but also built over the entire pyramid so it is like a layered onion. (The photo below is of the back of the pyramid that abuts the volcanic mountain and where human sacrifices took place.)

On top of the pyramid the priests would perform the ritual sacrifice of warriors, mix their blood with the juice of fruits and they even think that the ruler would drink this blood to show his power. Gross stuff, but common in pre-colombian cultures. Inside the pyramid there are many images of what they call "the god of the mountain" or the "god of decapitation." The image of this god is pretty crazy - he looks like a scary monster so no wonder they felt obligated to sacrifice their best men to him! The funny thing is that the murals depict him with different expressions- happy, mad, sad...and it seems like they definitely wanted to stay on the good side of this crazy creature of their imagination.

There are many mysteries that still exist about the moche culture, for example an incredible creation mural on the outside of the pyramid. However, without the funding its very difficult to continue this very costly research. The Huaca del sol which is even larger, is only excavated for 2 months out of the year because of lack of funding. The more Pre-colombian sites I visit, the more I realize how much we still have to learn about the incredibly complex and fascinating cultures that lived in the Americas. There are so many more cultures than just the Aztecs, the Mayas and the Incas and the Moche is definitely one of the most compelling.

(Above is an image of the murals on the outside of the pyramid which depict dancers, spider gods and a serpent.) Unfortunately no photography was allowed inside the museum because I really fell in love with the Moche pottery. I feel very lucky to see this mysterious and magical place and I found myself wishing I had a time machine go back hundreds of generations, but only if I could be a potter, not a warrior because I wouldn't want to risk getting sacrificed to the mountain god!

Chan Chan

After exploring Huanchaco, we took the bus to Chan Chan, an archeological site that was inhabited by the Chimú people from 850 AD to 1470 AD when it was conquered by the Incan Empire. It is considered the largest adobe city in the world and was extremely impressive because of the detailed architecture and decorative carvings. When the bus dropped us off at the entrance to the site, when found ourselves on a long winding road in the middle of a giant dessert with huge adobe walls towering over us. There were no signs or markers, so we began to think that were lost in the giant ruins with no signs of life anywhere around us. However, shortly we saw some European tourists walking towards us and we let out a sigh of relief! It turns out that Chan Chan has many enclosed adobe palaces that were each constructed by a different ruler each generation. We took a tour of the best preserved palace with a guide and learned a lot about the city! The funniest thing that happened was that about 5 minutes after we started the tour, someone came over and asked if we would be willing to be interviewed for a TV program about Chan Chan! We said yes, but when they asked us what we liked and what we had learned...we didn't have much to say! There is no way of knowing if we were actually on TV but it was our little moment of fame! Anyways, the walls of the adobe city are covered in carvings of squirrels, fish, birds and other natural symbols that were important to the Chimu people. The fish design was particularly interesting because archeologists think that the pattern of the fish swimming on the wall is supposed to depict the ocean currents in the pacific ocean by Chan Chan.

Other walls of the building were constructed in the design of a fish net with diamond shaped windows. Many of these walls have been worn down by weather over hundreds of years, but it is incredible to see how this delicate design has survived.

Inside this city, there is a main plaza, storage rooms for grains and other products, special rooms for the priests and rulers as well as tombs. Very tall walls- once all about around 15 feet tall surrounded and protected the city. The biggest surprise was that right in the middle of the fortress was a marsh with green plants growing, water and ducks!

What a surprise to find life in the middle of this dessert city! This is where the Chimu dug for a freshwater well and performed rituals. As in all of the other pre-colombian ruins that I have visited, the life and culture of Chan Chan circled around appeasing the gods and therefore the cycles of nature. What I really liked about this site was how it the streets and rooms inside the fortress felt maze like; it really felt like a miniature city. Furthermore, the carvings were so beautiful and distinctive; the repetition of the patterns almost has a modern aesthetic to it. The incredible thing about this site is that it is so massive; I can't imagine what other treasures lie beneath the desert sand.