Machu Picchu is perched on the side of a mountain some 8,000 feet above sea level and is reached via a narrow road that snakes around more than a dozen hairpin bends. It is completely hidden from below and was never found by the marauding Spanish conquistador when they looted South America of its treasures in the 16th century
Hiram Bingham Discovers Machu Picchu
Undisturbed for centuries, mysterious and beautiful, Machu Picchu was overtaken by the jungle and did not become known to the modern world until 1911, when Hiram Bingham was taken there by some indians, Since then it has been visited by thousands of visitors and is considered one of the architectural wonders of the world.
Brief History of Machu Picchu
At the height of its power the Inca empire covered what is now Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile and Argentina - an area as large as that of the Roman empire - and the Incas themselves were highly skilled engineers and mathematicians who calculated the angle of the earth’s axis and used stone sundials to predict the coming of solar eclipses.
The true function of this incredible stone city is unknown although it is thought it was religious or a royal retreat. One of the most widespread theories is that it was built as an enormous convent for a group of special woman known as ‘Virgins of the Sun’ whose lives were dedicated to worship. Contributing to this theory is the fact that archeaologists originally thought that ninety percent of the human remains excavated there were female and all of the gold ornaments were for female adornment. More recent excavations and study have revealed that the population was slightly more than fifty percent male.
Exploring Machu Picchu
The massive open-air museum known as Machu Picchu is evidence of their skll and determination. The enormous rocks used for the altars used for the altars, houses and stairways were cut from quarries and brought up the mountains by cables made from vines and leather from llamas. And except for for the straw roofs, it is all perfectly preserved. The Incas used no beasts of burden nor did they discover the wheel, yet they built cities in beauty with any in the world.
Walking around this ancient mountaintop city you can run your fingers across the huge stone walls and scarcely feel a joint. The stones are so perfectly wedged together they have survived earthquakes without even a crack.
One of the most interesting constructions is the Palace of the Princess. In some cases, the Incas built special houses for their nobles and it is thought that this one was for one of the princesses who served in the Temple of the Sun.
There is so much evidence of how capable the Incas were of surviving here. The great number of agricultural terraces cut into the side of the mountain were used to cultivate the more then two hundred species of plants used for food and medicine.
The Rarified Air of Machu Picchu
Be prepared for a shock when you first land in Cuzco. The thin, clear mountain air will set your heart pounding at the slightest effort at the slightest effort and most visitors succumb to ‘soroche’, the altitude sickness caused by breathing air at nearly 12’000 feet above sea level. The local cure for this is coca leaf tea - the same plant that cocaine us made from. But in this form it is harmless and does make you feel better.
How to Get to Machu Picchu
Today it is relatively easy to reach Machu Picchu. The early train from Cuzco climbs up through magnificent Urubamba valley to the tint whistle stop of Puente Ruinas where a bus continues the journey up the narrow winding road where the mountain falls away so steeply you hardly dare look out of the window.
Most visitors to Machu Picchu arrive from train from Cuzco - the only other way is to take the route Hiram Bingham took in 1911, the Inca Trail. Treks are organised from Cuzco and you walk 65 miles to Machu Picchu
What Happened to the Incas
The people who lived here so many thousands of years ago seem to have vanished without a trace. There is no real record of them having moved on to another place and there are many opinions as to what might have happened to them. Some historians think the population died without leaving descendants, as the women who were dedicated to the services of the great Sun God were all virgins.
Whatever the answer is, the mystery is all part of the excitement and wonder one feels in this Peruvian hideaway.
Cathy Smith - I have Miss McGinn to thank for my becoming a writer. I was in her class for only two years from age nine to eleven. In what we called ...
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