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!