Machu Picchu- One of the 7 Wonders of the World!

Machu Picchu is one of the 7 wonders of the world for a very good reason. It is absolutely “wonderful”. It is a “wonder” how they built it and how it has survived 100’s of years of forest overgrowth and earthquakes. I use to think that Rome, Italy, with all its ancient ruins and city mingled together, was my favorite place on earth, but it is now in spot #2. Machu Picchu, including Lima and Cuzco are my all time favorite. It is hard to put into words the stunning beauty, the advanced technology that was used to build the still sturdy walls, the technology used to mark the exact day of each new season, and the placement of the city itself. The history of Machu Picchu, or at least what they know of it, is so interesting.

Leaving Santiago, Chile for Peru with Emilia

I am getting ahead of myself. I traveled with Emilia to Peru for 7 days the end of Jan 2011. Two days in Lima, 2 days in Cuzco, 2 days in Machu Picchu, and 1 last day in Cuzco. Let’s start with Lima. Lima is a very beautiful city. It actually looks a lot like Rome the way the modern city is mingled with 250 ancient archeological sites. There are many Spanish and European churches, architecture, and buildings mingled with modern glass and steel ones. It was a Spanish speaking tour, so I don’t know any of the names of the places I saw, but they were beautiful, and I took lots of pictures. I couldn’t understand any of the history or stories of the place either. That was a bit frustrating for me. We descended into the catacombs of a cathedral and saw lots of human bones. I bought and ate a new fruit called mamey that looked like a potato and tasted like a cross between a peach and a melon. Emilia and I don’t like to spend much time in Cathedrals and Museums. So we shopped all morning and did the city tour thing in the afternoon!

A Monument in Lover's Park in Lima, Peru 

One of the many cathedrals we toured. I love the birds in this photo. 

There were lots of human bones down in the catacombs.

A wonderful new taste for me called "Mamey"

Cuzco is a 2 hour flight from Lima. We were now at almost 12,000 feet in altitude! At the hotel, they gave us Coca tea for altitude sickness. As it is made with the herbal leaves that are the base of cocaine, Emilia chose not to drink hers. I drank both of them  (It’s just herbal tea)! Out first afternoon was spent at the Mercado buying souvenirs for friends and family. That was FUN! We were picked up later that night and taken to a special dinner and show. The show was original Andes/Inca music and dancing. The food was OK, if you like llama, lamb, fish with heads and eyeballs, but the salads were very good; more new foods and exciting tastes. I had a medium headache this first night in Cuzco due to the altitude. Our second day in Cuzco was even busier and at a higher elevation. Now we are almost near 13,000 for the archeological tour in the morning. We visited awesome Inca ruins and fantastic archeological sites. We were given one hour for lunch, so some of us searched for a totally local joint with typical food and low prices. We hit the jack pot! I ate the local food and drank the local brew and paid with very few Soles (the Peruvian money is a Soles). The exchange rate is about 2.8 Soles/$1. 12 Soles is roughly $4. We even had live local music. It was a wonderful experience. This is what traveling is all about; experiencing the real Cuzco food, music and drink.

An ancient Inca dancer! 

What fun this night was with traditional dancing and food! 

Inca Ruins site

The afternoon City of Cuzco tour was beautiful, but boring. Again, I didn’t understand anything being said. All cathedrals start to look the same. I am tired and I had a VERY bad headache. It was alarming to me. I knew it was altitude related. The minute I got into the hotel room, I let the hot water of the shower pound on my head, neck and shoulders forever. I went straight to bed by 7:30 pm! If I even stood up, I would get dizzy! Time for more coca tea!

The doors and windows are slanted to withstand great pressure.

The stones are fit together so tight like a jigsaw puzzle. 

Another Inca Ruin Site 

This is 12,352 feet 

Please, take a picture! Are you sure? Yes! OK, thanks!  Give me money now! Run, Emy, Run! 

Typical narrow streets of Cuzco.

Our wake up call for Machu Picchu day was 4:30am! Armed with a big jug of Coca tea and no headache, I was very excited for this day to begin. We took a small van to a big bus (30 min), a big bus to the train (2 hours), the vistadome train to another bus (2 hours), and finally the last bus up the switchbacks to Machu Picchu (30 min). It’s quite the adventure to just get there!

Local soup and drink. Chicha is made from corn and yeast.

Emilia boarding the Vistadome train to Machu Picchu. 

This time I was prepared for the cold with a coat!...And shoes!

Ah, the beauty. It’s breath taking. Peaceful, and full of unknown secrets. The construction of Machu Picchu is stunning. No cement was used between the stones. They were carved to fit together so perfectly that a knife can’t even fit in the crack. Oh, and I was given an ENGLISH SPEAKING guide! Yes! He was wonderful! I learned such history and heard such stories. I learned of three important animals to the Incas and their meaning: the condor represents the soul or the spirit, the Puma represents the body, strength and health, and the snake represents the intellectual mind. All three elements need to be present and in good balance for a person’s happiness. I have heard other versions of this in other cultures and it is very true; balance in soul, health, and mind. If any one of these is hurt or weak, peace is not found. My three elements are doing very well :).  I am truly blessed.

Emilia and I above Machu Picchu 

The Sun Temple where they mark the first day of each season perfectly.

My own health was great this day. The Coca tea I sipped on all day helped a lot, but poor Emilia became quite sick by nightfall. Poor baby. Emilia and I were at Machu Picchu all day while most of the group left after a few hours. First we had the guide and the tour, then we ate a great lunch, then we explored and hiked until the last bus left at 5:00. It was pouring rain and we were exhausted and very happy.

This is called the three windows. 

More beautiful Machu Picchu!!

It took most of the day to travel back to Cuzco the next day. We arrived there after dark to the same hotel and just went to bed because we had to go to the airport in the morning. They put a special stamp in your passport at Machu Picchu. My passport is getting quite stamped up: Out USA Dec 16th, In Chile Dec 16th, Out Chile Jan 25th, In Peru Jan 25th, Out Peru Jan 31st, In Chile Jan 31st, Out Chile Feb 17th, In Argentina Feb 17th, Out Argentina Feb 22nd, In Chile Feb 22nd, Out Chile Feb 25th, In USA Feb 25th, Out USA Feb 26th, In Uganda Feb 27th! Whew, that’s a lot of in and out, and this is only through March!

A curious falcon. 

When the Incas wanted no visitors, they removed the wooden bridge on the cliff path. 

No, I didnt eat the Cuy. I draw the line at eating Guinea Pig!

In summary, I feel very blessed to have seen with my own eyes this most amazing wonder of the world-Machu Picchu, Peru. It is truly a place of mystery, history, and much wisdom. The Inca people were very blessed with technology, abundant food and water, safety from attack, and such spirituality. Machu Picchu is thought to be a spiritual retreat or a place for others to come to learn the religion. You can feel it. The spirit of peace is there. This will always remain a highlight of my life!

Yes, Rotary is present everywhere, even in Lima, Peru!