Our Quest For Macchu Picchu!

With its beautiful mountain backdrop, cultural significance and incredible engineering, the Inca city of Machu Picchu deserves its status as one of the 7 wonders of the world. I became fascinated with the city years ago after seeing the iconic photos that fellow travelers had taken, and knew I had to make the trek. Now that the trip is over, I am even more impressed with what the Incan people accomplished and have an incredible admiration for the country of Peru. Michelle and I went to Peru to visit Machu Picchu, but we left having seen and experienced so much more than that.

Huaca Pucllana

Our first three days of the trip were spent in Lima, the capital city of Peru. We stayed in the oceanside suburb of Miraflores, which is known for its great nightlife and restaurants. Our first day started off doing what everyone should do on vacation: sleeping in! After breakfast, we made our way over to our first historical site of Huaca Puclanna. The site was centered on a huge pyramid made of adobe brick, constructed over several hundred years by the various pre-inca cultures who lived in the Lima area. Numerous bodies from sacrifices were found at the pyramid, which we were curiously all found to be female. Our tour guide told us that this was because the ancient cultures held women in high regard, which was necessary to make someone worthy of sacrifice. 

Murals in Miraflores

That night, we went into Miraflores to explore the city and find ourselves a stellar ceviche dinner. The cold, nutrient-rich ocean currents along South America's west coast provide an ideal environment for a rich marine habitat, and Lima is in a prime location to take full advantage of this. The seafood selection in the city was top notch, and the ceviche did not disappoint! After, we returned home for a quick night cap at the hostel bar. Hostel bars are probably the easiest place in the world to make friends because 1) many people are traveling alone and looking to meet new friends, 2) most everyone is from a different country and therefore is very interesting, and 3) most everyone will think you are really interesting because you are also from a different country. So we walk in, and within 10 minutes we have been given free shots, made new friends, and been invited to join our new friends on a walking tour the next day. Now that is a good time! 

Basilica of San Francisco

On the walking tour the next day, we learned some pretty cool facts about the Peruvian capital. Lima has an interesting law called Ley Seca, literally translated to "dry law", which requires all sales of alcohol to cease between 8AM on the day before an election day until 8AM on the day after. Don't drink and vote kids! Our guide also told us the story of how the Peruvians gained their independence from the Spanish in the 1820's. He then told us about the catacombs of Lima, a massive grave with over 25,000 bodies under the Basilica of San Francisco, which have since been uncovered and reorganized to display the remaining skulls and femurs. After a quick pisco sour, we returned to the Basilica for a tour of the catacombs. Even when you have seen thousands of Halloween decorations, nothing really prepares you for the sight of real life human remains.  

Walking the streets of Cusco

Our next day we left for the city of Cusco. We were especially excited to get there as Cusco is the former capital of the Inca Empire and had so much history to share. We were also a bit nervous, as we had heard stories of the altitude sickness affecting our fellow travelers. Cusco sits at a cool 11,152 feet of elevation, so it is no surprise that the thin air would cause you headaches, nausea, loss of balance, and lethargy. We heard stories of fellow travelers who had reached Cusco and subsequently experienced altitude sickness that forced them to return home without ever getting close to Machu Picchu. That was quite a scary thought! However, the mountainous terrain and historic buildings inspire awe and excitement that brings you back into the moment. Also, ibuprofen and coca tea can help quite a bit :).

Sacsayhuaman ruins above Cusco

There are multiple Incan cities surrounding Cusco in the Sacred Valley, and all of them have impeccable construction and an incredible history. The first ruin we visited was Sacsayhuaman (pronounced similar to 'sexy-woman') and was high above the city. We first noticed the common theme of the 3 levels that are represented by 3 terraces of the city. These 3 levels represented the 3 worlds: first, the world above where the gods live, represented by the condor. Second, the world of the living, represented by the puma. Third, the underworld dwelling of the dead, represented by the snake. History is always much more interesting when you can experience it right in front of you, and seeing these ruins was the perfect example of that.

Incan ruins above Pisac

The second Incan ruin we visited was Pisac. Simply getting to Pisac was an experience in itself. We had read online that it is much easier to catch a bus while in Peru rather than trying to book one ahead of time, so we decided to try it. Armed with the internet's wisdom, we walked to Puputi street in Cusco and looked for a bus. As we arrive, we look for a formal bus stop or some sort of signage directing us to a tour bus, but see only buildings and storefronts. As we begin to question our trust of internet travel forums, a short Peruvian man hurriedly asks us "Pisac? Pisac?" and we nod. He pushes us into a small driveway between two buildings where we are herded into a small white van. After successfully abducting us, we hand him our bus fare before he leaves to lure in other travelers. Once the bus was filled, we departed to drive across the hilly, curvy mountainous roads to Pisac. The Pisac ruins there are high above the modern city of Pisac, overlooking the valley below. We then hiked the 1,600 vertical feet up to the ancient ruins where we were able to check out the temples, houses, and agricultural terraces. Walking through the ancient city was incredible. The architecture, planning and function of all of the buildings within all the ancient Incan cities spared no detail. Stones were perfectly shaped to fit together with zero gaps and no mortar. Temples were designed to align architectural features with the sun during the summer and winter solstice. Retaining walls were constructed to create agricultural terraces, allowing them to grow crops along the mountainsides that they built their cities upon. Every detail of the entire city was reviewed and revised until perfection was achieved. 

Panorama of the Plaza de Armas (Cusco)

That night we went down to Plaza de Armas, the center of the historic region within Cusco. The square is home to two cathedrals, multiple restaurants & bars with a fountain in the middle of the square. It earns the title of a tourist trap. However, it was also a really fun place to visit. We found a great cafe, got some llama photos, and tried Alpaca steak for the first time. One interesting observation we made was regarding the art peddlers in the square. All one needs to do is wear a reversed flat bill cap with a graphic tee and sunglasses, and you are guaranteed to get an artist to close his suitcase portfolio and instead say "420 joints? smoke?" So for all you stoners - don't fear, you can put down the beer cause even here some weed is near.

Machu Picchu natives

Our next day was dedicated to traveling to our final destination: Machu Picchu! We had to take a bus to a layover city called Ollantaytambo before taking a train to Aguas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu where we would stay the night. The train ride was gorgeous. We followed the Urabamba river as it crossed between the west and east side of the Andes mountains. The terrain transformed from the desert landscape we had become familiar with in Peru to the dense forest that the Amazon is known for. Machu Picchu sits atop a steep mountainside at the western edge of the Amazon, 1,300' above the river below. After staying the night in Aguas Calientes, we woke at 5:30AM to prepare for our tour. You can hike the last several miles of the Inca trail up to the Machu Picchu Citadel, but if your tour starts at 7am, ain't nobody got time for that, so we rode the bus. Since this was the pinnacle of our trip, we decided to get a private tour while there. I think this was a great decision, because our tour guide was not only incredibly knowledgeable about Machu Picchu and great at speaking English, but she also knew how to take a good picture and was happy to be our personal photographer throughout the tour. She told us about how Machu Picchu was only discovered in 1911, how the agricultural terraces were fed by a natural spring that provided water to the top of the city year round, and described the design and function of the various temples. We followed up the tour with a hike of Waynapicchu, the peak hiding behind the city. The hike was as steep as it looks due to the 1,600 foot climb, but the viewpoint from the top was so worth it. Overall the Machu Picchu experience was exactly what we were looking for, and we definitely recommend visiting for all travelers across the world. 

Behold, the Charimoya!

On our return trip back towards Cusco, we stayed in the town of Ollantaytambo. This was one of our favorite locations, as it was built around the ruins of another ancient Incan city and was much less touristy than the other cities we had visited. While walking through the local market there, we found the fabled charimoya. Mark Twain dubbed it "the most delicious fruit known to man," and we needed to confirm his accusation. The outside of the fruit is green and scaly, a texture somewhat similar to an avocado. Breaking it apart reveals the fleshy white interior that houses flavor worthy of the gods. The delicious mixture of banana, pear and mango flavors convinced me that Mark Twain may have got it right. One thing is for certain, if you have not tried a charimoya, you are 100% missing out.

Salt mines of Maras

The next day was full of sightseeing. We hired a driver to take us around to several Incan sites on the return back to Cusco from Ollantaytambo, and it was well worth it. For 180 Soles ($45, cheaper than an uber to the airport these days) he spent 8 hours driving us from destination to destination. Our first stop was the agricultural terraces of Moray, where the Inca farmers experimented with various crops to acclimate them to different climates. The agricultural development here helped create the thousands of varieties of potato, maize, and other foods found in Peru. We followed that up with a visit to the salt mines of Maras. These mines are actually evaporation pools that are fed by a natural saltwater spring. During the evaporation process, the mineral-rich salt naturally separates itself into several layers with varying mineral quantities. The differential mineral content is what gives the sought-after pink Andean salt its flavor, similar to the more well-known Himalayan pink salt. 

Michelle feeding the mama Llama

Our final stop was the small town of Chincherro. Our driver guided us inside a small building without any real description of where we were going. Yes, it felt awkward, but we had begun to trust this guy. We were led to a llama and her cria (baby llama), where we were able to feed and pet them. The mama llama was happy to take the hay from our hands, but when I tried to pet her, she spat at me. Luckily, I was spared the full spit as her mouth was full of hay, but I definitely did not try to pet her again! After feeding the llama, a lady dressed in native Incan clothing asked us to join her for a demonstration of how the Incas created their textiles. She began with showing us how they used ginger to create a cleansing solution to wash the alpaca fibers, then spun the fibers into thread. Most thread would be dyed using various plants local to the region, but the most interesting dye came from a different source, little parasitic bugs that live on cacti. These bugs were picked from a cactus leaf then crushed, revealing a deep red color. Our instructor exhibited this by crushing several of these bugs in her hand, revealing the dye. She then explained how the insect juice was also as a natural lipstick by rubbing it on her own lips. She ended the demonstration by showing us a bone used for creating the cleansing solution and asked, "where do you think this bone comes from?" After several incorrect guesses, she told us the answer. "This is the bone of a tourist who didn't buy anything." We laughed uncomfortably, then followed her into the gift shop. 

Rainbow Mountain (Polcoyyo)

Our trip was coming close to an end, but we had one more adventure to complete: a hike of the Rainbow Mountains. These mountains were only discovered around 2015, as the snow-packed mountains of the Andes have slowly melted due to climate change. The mountains are located at about 16,000 feet elevation, which is the highest elevation we encountered. Driving there was an adventure by itself as the skinny gravel road was full of bumps, switchbacks, and even livestock. The local farmers needed to use the road to transport their herds, which meant the van had to stop on the side of a cliff while the alpaca, llama and sheep passed on both sides. Once we arrived, the mountains did not disappoint. The natural variation in colors along the mountains combined with the full Andes range in the background made for some spectacular views. For all you science nerds wondering when I will tell you the science behind it, here is your answer; millions of years of weatherization on the particular mineral composition of these mountains caused the marbling effects that we see, resulting in the incredible variation in color. The Rainbow Mountains are definitely one of those places that needs to be seen in person, because the photos will never be able to do it justice. 

That about sums up our trip. We returned to the U.S. with a newfound respect for Peru, the people who live there, and the ancient Incans. We created a lot of great memories and very much look forward to our next opportunity to visit South America!