Mystical Machu Picchu

Do you know that Hiram Bingham was the inspiration for the movie character Indiana Jones? Look at the similarities in the photos below. Even Indiana Jones' hat was designed to look like Hiram Bingham's. :) In 1911, while working as a lecturer in Yale University, Hiram Bingham, with help from the local people, discovered the ruins of Machhu Picchu. Later on, he became the governor of Connecticut and then a US Senator. Today, the train to Machu Picchu is named after Hiram Bingham.

Hiram Bingham at Machu Picchu in 1911 and Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.

We took the train from Ollantaytambo (link to previous post) to Aguas Calientes, which is at the base of Machu Picchu. Aguas Calientes is the last stop for all the Machu Picchu trains from Ollantaytambo and Cusco. From Aguas Calientes, the only way to reach Machu Picchu is by the Peru government run small buses (or you can hike fore few hours). This ride takes around 30 minutes and goes through narrow mountain roads with plenty of switchbacks (aka hairpin bends). The road is very narrow and in many places only one bus can travel. If another bus comes in the opposite direction, one of the buses have to travel in reverse for 50 to 100 feet until both reach a place where they can safely cross each other. It was fun backing up to the edge of the road :) 

The narrow bus road from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu hugging the mountain slopes.
This photo is from the web. Not mine :)

The buildings and terraces at Machu Picchu are spread over 5 square miles.
To get an idea about the size of the Macu Picchu ruins, zoom in to this map.

Mind blowing view from the Caretaker's Hut.
I don't have words to describe this scene. This must be experienced :)

Machu Picchu was well planned and built by the Inca engineers with an "Agricultural Sector" consisting of around 700 stepped terraces to grow crops and an "Urban Sector" with temples and houses for the Inca royals. The Incas also built a water canal that runs for around 2500 feet to the first fountain and then to 15 other fountains distributed throughout the area.

View of the Caretaker's hut from below. Water drainage system on the right.

The Inca house and the Sun temple on the left.
The Huayna Picchu mountain in the middle.

All the Machu Picchu buildings are believed to have had thatched roofs,
that didn't survive.

Close up of Huayna Picchu. There are more terraces and a Moon Temple at the top of Huayna Picchu.
The near vertical hike to Huayna Picchu is considered extremely challenging to those with fear of heights.
Everyday only the first 400 people  are allowed to hike Huayna Picchu

Huayna (pronounced as Waina) Picchu framed by an entrance.

Temple of the Condor. A condor's face is carved on the rock.
Since Condors reach very high altitudes, Incas worshiped them as the link
between the living and their ancestors.

The Machu Picchu mountains get an average of 76 inches of rain per year. Frequent land slides are very common in the area. Peru is also prone to major earthquakes. Machu Picchu was built at an altitude of 8000 feet above the sea level. All the needed stones had to be transported to this very difficult site.The Incas were fully aware of these challenges and had addressed each one of these issues. 

Today, civil engineers studying Machu Picchu have discovered a well-built foundation under the ruins and an excellent drainage system to handle the heavy rainfall. They have estimated that what we see above the ground is only 40% of what the Incas have done. The Incas didn't use mortar to construct the walls. Instead, they cut grooves and interlocked each and every stone. During earthquakes, the walls shake but they don't get damaged. 

Why would the Incas select such a difficult place to construct the "city in the clouds"? Incas had 3 reasons:

• The Incas worshiped the mountains since mountains connect the earth to the skies.
  Machu Picchu was built on a ridge between 2 mountains, Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu, which were worshiped by the Incas.

• There was plenty of water in the area with natural springs and the River Urubamba (considered the earthly equivalent of the MilkyWay) circling the  Machu Picchu on 3 sides. 

• The Incas also wanted to observe the Sun and the movement of the stars from this high elevation.

I have not written anything about the astronomical connections/constructions at Machu Picchu. That is the subject of the next post :)