The Road to Machu Picchu...through the Sacred Valley

The Inca trail is a picture at every turn. This is a picture looking down into the Urubamba Valley, the valley and river which Hiram Bingham followed to find Machu Picchu. In these hills are singular Inca storage houses, rocky burial caves, and grand Inca estates.



This view of the Urubamba valley is spectacular. We had stopped at a roadside market--well, it was supposed to be a place to take pictures, but of course, there was a fairly good size market along the road. We bought ceramic water whistles and some inexpensive jewelry.


Margaret had read about the Pisac Market and really wanted to see it. The Hursts and Dad and I visited the market in 2006 as part of our guided tour from Cusco to Machu Picchu and thought it was amazing--bags of corn, beans, many varieties of potatoes, herbs and seeds. The food stuffs were at the beginning of the market which seemed to stretch across 100 yards. There were stalls of sweaters, rugs, toys, and touristy memorabilia, fine jewelry, silversmiths, etc. This trip the Market was not part of the tour because it was not set up in Pisac. After the March floods, the villages held their own markets like the one we only looked at as we were walking toward the ruins of Ollantaytambo. I managed to shoot this picture as the van was pulling out of the congested parking lot.

This is the official flower of Peru which looks suspiciously like the copiahue flower of Chile. Ofelia, our guide, said it is from the same flower family. The trumpet vine Grandpa had growing in the backyard of the house on 11th Avenue and at the St. George house must be from the same family.

The Inca used terraces for farming and for grazing llamas. You can see the construction of the terraces clearly here. We also learned that pre Inca cultures used terracing as well. In the Lake Titicaca pictures, there is evidence of pre Inca terracing. Those pictures will be in a later blog.

We stopped at an Inca burial site and storage houses built into the hillside. This was the beginning of the trail which led to the storage houses high in the hills. Emma and Margaret are standing on the narrow path not far from the boulder.

This picture is looking down into the Urubamba River and valley. Some die-hard hikers hiked the Inca trail through the valley and along the river to reach Machu Picchu. I think I read it is a 4-6 day hike. We preferred the vans, train, and bus.

These steps Ted is descending date back to the 1400s. The Inca built steps on the outside of their walls.

This is a close up shot of the terraces used for gardening. They are more than 500 years old. Look to the upper right of the picture--the holes are burial caves. More than a 1000 mummies were found in excellent condition because of the burial practices of wrapping in a heavy woven material and placing the bodies in the fetal position for travel to the next life.

This is a cemetary! You can see countless holes or burial sites over the entire hillside.

While Dad and the Jeffries hiked to the storage houses you can see at the top and middle of the picture, I stayed on a lower path and took pictures. Each one of these terraces has a micro climate of its own. The Incas fertilized only the top terraces and allowed the rain to carry the nutrients to the bottom terraces.

I took this picture of Ted photographing this massive boulder which blocked one half of the already narrow road. The van barely made it around the boulder. Ofelia said it has been there since the heavy rains in March because there is no way to move it or dispose of it. Go figure!

Ollantaytambo is spectacular. This was a royal Inca stronghold, a fortress of magnificent size and area in the Sacred Valley. It connects strategically with the Inca Road to Machu Picchu, and it is about 2 hours from Cusco. The scenery is breathtaking and no camera could do it justice--high mountains still covered with snow, verdant hills, and a lovely valley of homes. Ollantaytambo is a living city which depends now on the tourist trade. The town offers guided bike tours and trails, fishing trips, hiking, and rock climbing.

Ted, Margaret, and Kids are on one of the terraces in the center. They climbed the stairs to the top and came back by the same stairs. We lost track of them and thought they had taken a narrow trail across the mountain.

The Jeffries are in just below on the staircase on the left. At the top are several homes and storage buildings. This site dates to the 1400s. To the right is a fountain which I thought I had a picture of. The fountain is four-sided. Water is collected from the streams and funneled through narrow aquaducts into four distinct natural fountains. I commented to Dad that I wished we could have such a water feature in our back yard. The Incas knew how to harness water, to channel sunlight, how to tell time by the sun shining through trapezoidal windows in their houses and temples, and how to use moonlight to plant and harvest.

SACSAYHUAMAN

Sacsayhuaman is an Inca fortress built about 1450 by Pachecutec, the Inca governor who consolidated the Inca Empire. There is also evidence it was used as a place of learning, possibly a university for the nobles. Our guide, Ofelia, did not tell us about the university. We learned that when we were in Cusco in 2006. We had a private van. Our driver took a narrow, steep, scenic road just out of the city limits to reach the site.

We entered Sacsayhuman from high above the stone walls. Actually, we entered through a stone cave, at one point quite dark and disarming. We exited onto what seemed like a broad playing field. The view down to Cusco was really beautiful.

This is just one small section of the massive wall of stones. There is evidence the wall was much higher and, like other Inca structures, this wall has no mortar. The stones are fitted perfectly together. The stones incline or lean into the center. The inclination of the stones strengthens the wall. Ofelia had pointed the inclination out to us at the sites in Cusco.

From this side of the great stone which weighs about 20 ton, the upper walls are visible. It is one of the upper walls that was washed out in the heavy February and March rain storms.

One wonders how they moved such a stone into place or for that matter hoisted the other stones to fit so snugly. Ofelia said there is evidence they used logs to roll the stones from the quarry which was up on the upper ledge. But how they lifted them in place is somewhat of a mystery. There was some kind a pulley system, one guide told us.

Ofelia pointed out the angles of the stones, somel 12 sided. Notice the varied shapes.

Emma saw the Utah stone first. Of course, we had to have our pictures taken in front of it. A few minutes later we found another even more pronounced Utah shaped stone.

This picture is deceiving. The walls look short and close together. The truth is we are on the high bluff overlooking the walls. Where we are standing has been recently excavated and developed. We walked down a mountain-side of stone steps to reach the field and the great stones. When we were there in 2006, this area was under excavation.

We were on our way out of the site when Ofelia offered to take this picture. You can see the city below and the end stones to the great wall.

While we were standing on the upper plateau, this man, who looked very much like a North American Indian, walked past us, settled himself against one of the terraces, and began to play music which sounded very much like North American Indian music. The sound of his recorder echoed off the stones. It was hauntingly beautiful and a little distracting because it was hard to follow Ofelia's history lesson.

We appreciated Ofelia so much. She led us to this rock slide so the kids could have some play time. Throughout the 10 days, we recognized the value of having private guides and vans because we could do some fun or side things we couldn't have done if we had been with a busload of people.

Spencer and Kate were ready to race down the stone slide. The ride is not a short or smooth one. I didn't consider sliding. Even Margaret and Stuart were happy to let the kids slide. But Ted...he went up to sit with Kate and slide with her. What a guy!

Emma, Spencer, and Kate decided to race together. The close up gives shows the cracks clearly. The slide was not smooth even though they chose a shorter, seemingly smoother part of the slide.

The Beautiful City of Cusco, Peru

On Wednesday evening, the 11th of August, 2010 , we arrived in Cusco after a long drive from Puno . The drive was pleasant because we stopped at the pre-Inca and Inca sites, a Quechua family's home, and Inca stomping grounds overlooking a beautiful lake.

We were struck with the beauty of Cusco, its well maintained buildings, narrow, one car streets, fountains, and monuments. The Inca laid out the city in the shape of a puma. The puma represents this earth life. Cusco is the historic capital of Peru and the main tourist attraction because of its role as the center of the Inca Empire which stretched from Ecuador to Chile. Javier Since, owner of Moroni Tours, recommended the Inca Grill for lunch. The balcony where we are seated overlooks the Plaza de Armas and the two massive cathedrals that anchor the square.

One of our stops was an artesania shop where the work of local artisans was displayed. Each article--bags, place mats, table runners, table cloths, glass cases, etc., includes a picture of the woman who wove and created the article. The shop is really set up as a foundation which assures the weaver/artist she will be paid the worth of her work. This woman was quite shy but she allowed us to take her picture. We paid her. It is expected and appreciated.

A former cathedral is now the Koricancha Museum, a museum of Inca walls and rooms found in tact. The Inca used no mortar. The stones are honed to fit so closely together, a piece of paper could not be inserted between the stones. The Spanish used the massive blocks of stone as foundations for their cathedrals, churches, and palaces. In this doorway you can see the Inca blocks of stone and the Spanish door and embellishments on the stone. The monastery still functions today but we were not allowed to visit there.

The head of the Puma is at the upper left of the photo. The road just left of center forms the body of the puma. The tail comes to the point in the city where two rivers come together.

The roofs create a uniform pattern of brick red throughout the city. Cusco, the gateway to Machu Picchu, depends on the tourist trade. Three massive, important, and beautiful Inca sites are within minutes of the city. The architecture is a mix of Spanish Colonial and mixed with the ancient sights of the Inca Empire.

On Sunday we went to Sacrament Meeting in a chapel a few blocks from the hotel. The building was behind a massive iron fence. The architecture of our chapels, whether one story or two, is distinctive. They are attractive additions to the city.

We rested in the afternoon. About dinner time we ventured out to find a place to eat and ran into a Catholic celebration of the Virgin Mary. Notice how big the statue is. More than a dozen men were carrying her through the streets to the cathedral. A ragtag band followed playing the same eight bars of music over and over.

We toured the Catedral de Cusco which is more an art museum than a place of worship; however, services are held there. The main altar is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Our guide pointed out the 15th Century religious art, the gold altar, and the side chapels of silver. The story is that the Spanish looted the silver and gold and built their cathedrals over the Inca temples. We could see three centuries of stone work in the buildings and surrounding walls.

This picture really belongs with the other Inca stone work in the basilica and monastery. This cathedral, one of three) was also built over the Inca walls and rooms. The great blessing is that the Spanish conquistadores didn't tear the temples down. They just built over the existing temples and sacred Inca sites using the massive blocks for foundations.

This picture was taken from the balcony of the Inca Grill. One of the things we enjoy about Peru is how the locals use their parks for gatherings. They are always well maintained and safe. You can see the two main cathedrals that flank the square.

This is a side view of the Koriancha Musium and the monastery. We were not allowed to go beyond the cloisters and garden.

This picture of the main cathedral was taken the first day we were in Cusco before we went to Machu Picchu. There were fewer people walking around that day. Sunday the plaza and cathedral were congested. Selling jewelry or any other memorabilia is against the law in Cusco, but the vendors are hard at work from the first light and into the night. One lady approached me on the side steps to the main cathedra to sell me a piece of jewelry. I had seen a llama pendant I liked earlier in the day so I looked her tray over and didn't find what I wanted. She said she would get it from me but I didn't see her again which was a relief, actually. We figured she had been chased off the cathedral steps by the police.

You can see the cobblestone and brick road in this picture. Also you can get a better sense of the size of the cathedral.

The balcony of this building is where we sat to eat lunch at the Inca Grill. In spite of still being in winter, the flowers were just gorgeous. We learned that there are 132 ecosystems in the world and 82 of them are in Peru. Cusco is warmer than Lima and sunny almost every day.

From this aerial view, you can see the main square and the three cathedrals.

The Peru flag is the red and white flag and the Cusco flag is the rainbow flag in the background. Jewelry made by local silversmiths reflects the colors of Cusco--the rainbow Inca cross, for example. Each color has meaning and corresponds to the life cycle. The Inca believed in pre-earth life, earthlife, and the life beyond. Our guide told us the reason Pizarro and his men were readily accepted in the beginning was because the Inca believed Pizarro was the great white god they expected to return some day.

Jungle Living is Not for the Faint of Heart

The mototaxis met our plane at the Puerto Maldonado Airport. Little did we know then that they were symbols of our last sight of civilization or at least transportation by any other means than on foot or boat.For the seven of us and our two guides, we needed four mototaxis. We thought was funny that the taxis passed each other. Kate kept leaning out of the taxi she was in which worried us some. I think if she could have ridden on top, she'd have loved it.

This is the view from the mototaxi. Notice there are no cars on the road, only mototaxis and motorcycles.

The muddy Sandoval River is just behind the refreshment shack. We bought the last 8 bottles of cool water the owner took from the refrigerator, a camping ice chest. Javier, our Quechua guide and owner of Moroni Tours, bought us all gaseosas or soda pop as well. Then it was goodbye to civilization and life on the river and in the jungle. Margaret wanted a jungle experience but even she had no idea how rough it could be. How could any of us have known?

This picture puts a new meaning to the family car. We passed other families on motorcycles but I was able to get this shot from the mototaxi.

We traveled about two hours on the Sandoval River until we reached the lake entrance to the Mehia Family Lodge. This is the dock where we left the boat to hike into the lodge. Javier had told us it was a 45-minute hike--yeah--for teens and seasoned hikers. We hiked twenty minutes to a way station, a kind of visitors' center, where we registered and read about the flora and fauna. Then we hiked another two hours on heavily rutted roads caused by heavy rains.

On the last day on the Sandoval River we traveled upriver about two hours to a reserve where a North American and bought some property and created an educational center and reserve for rehabilitating animals, mostly abandoned wild monkeys, tapers, macaws, and other large birds. One of the most fun things was this canopy reachable by a rope ladder. Even Dad, he who is afraid of heights, climbed the ladder and walked above the jungle--200 feet up and across.

This is a picture of Ted on the canopy. Everyone but me did the canopy. I stayed behind in a chair hammock and slept. I didn't even miss the family! It was a consensus of Dad and the guides that I shouldn't attempt the climb or the canopy because of my ankle. I really appreciated the hour-long nap.

This was our view for the two-hour ride up river to the animal reserve. Actually, we passed several gold mining barges, some more sophisticated than others. The least sophisticated was the one-man operation diver who panned for gold just off shore. We wondered if he was aware of the caymen, the pirahnas, and sting rays that hang out just off shore...

These pictures are not quite in order. This is the beginning of the path to the mouth of the lake where we boarded another boat. Our guides paddled probably 45 minutes to reach the dock to the lodge.

I love this shot! Hernan, our Quecua guide, who knew these parts well, is at the back. Emma's face reads a bit of "when will this boat ride end. We all were a bit apprehensive on the ride to the lodge. What did make the trip interesting was the water birds and shore scenery.

One of the days we tied up to a dock for a walk into the jungle to see the largest tree in the forest. It was a short, wonderfully interesting walk. The next few pictures are shore shots.

You can see the bird just to the right of center. The bird looked like a turkey buzzard, but it was not. I wish we had written the names of all the creatures we saw. No one had a pen or paper handy.

When we first boarded the boat which really reminded me of "The African Queen" at Puerto Maldonado, Hernan gave us all lunch made by his wife, a rice tamale filled with a chicken mixture and wrapped in banana leaves. It was really flavorful, but the amount of rice in each "package" could have fed a family of four.The brightly colored, hand made hat is from the hotel in Puno. Was I ever glad I bought that!

Spencer asked Hernan to catch a pirahna for him. No problema! Hernan and Javier put meat on the end of a piece of twine, dropped it into the water just off shore and in five minutes Spencer had his fish. Mean looking thing for sure, but Hernan assured us they don't attack swimmers in a frenzy. He says that's "Hollywood."

Speaking of mean looking things, look at all the spider nests at the base of this tree. I took this picture from the boat and was happy we weren't on shore. When we were walking through the jungle at the reserve, Hernan coaxed a tarantula out of it's hollowed out log nest with a long flexible stick he made after stripping off the leaves. The tarantula was as big as my hand and very hairy. He was also perturbed to have been disturbed.

This is one of the birds we saw from the canoe. We saw whole families of turtles hanging out on drift wood or tree trunks which protruded into the lake. They were hard to get on camera because the dropped into the water at the first sign of man or paddle.

This is one of the two huge trees we made a special stop to see. Spencer is standing against a root of the tree.

You can barely see the large ants hard at work. There is an ant under this leaf which the have somehow scissored off. Another ant is along for the ride.

This is a better shot of the ants hard at work. Notice how big they are. They are poisonous, but they are also edible!

Hernan and Javier led us into the deep jungle from this path to show us macaws and other in the wild.

The ride up the river to the lake was really scenic. One island was just big enough for one person and maybe a pup tent. We wondered if it were for sale. Probably it was owned by ants and tarantulas who wouldn't want to sell property to man.

We're none the worse for wear here as we travel out of the jungle to return to Puerto Maldonado.

Both nights we were at the Mehia Family Lodge, Hernan and Javier took the kids, Margaret and Ted and Stuart cayman hunting. I stayed behind because the stairs down to the water were rickety enough in the daytime much less at night. I was using a walking stick by then and was keenly aware how easy it would be to fall. My ankle was really stressed by the time we got to the jungle.

Everyone was directed to shine their flashlights against the shore. Green eyes shone back at them. Hernan paddled over to the shore, stuck his hand in and brought up a cayman by the nape of his neck. As long as he had the cayman by the back of the neck, it couldn't lash out at him. The kids loved it.

We loved being out on the canoe late in the day when the shadows were long. This is a scenic shot we passed going on and coming from side trips.

We shot this picture to have an example of the large canoe we were on while at the lodge and on the lake. We traveled upriver on Hernan's larger boat.

This is the trecherous path from the lodge to the river. You can see how hard it would be to navigate it by night.

Bless Ted! He walked me up the steps the last night. We were all dragging.

This is the point at which we enter the jungle. We are with Javier, our guide and owner of Moroni Tours located in Cusco. He joined us in the jungle because he loves being there. We flew from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado in 35 mintues. He took an overnight bus to save money!

This man passed us at quite a clip. He had provisions for the Mehia Family Lodge.

Javier and Hernan had tied up the canoe and were on their way up to the lodge for dinner. About the lodge--I don't know why I didn't take pictures of the screened building where we ate breakfasts and dinners. The sleeping cabins were just that--two single beds against two walls, mosquito nets over each bed, a candle and matches. No nails or hooks to hang coats or clothes on. The bathrooms were one-room, one potty shacks. The shower was so dirty we didn't shower for three days. The grounds were dirt and plants, actually not bad. The family lived in a shack at the back of the eating hall. We think the chickens we ate were running around earlier in the day. We don't know where the beef came from. The meals were simple but good. We were worried about the limonada offered, but the owner assured us the water had been boiled. We drank hot herb tea morning and night, really delicious and comforting.

Stuart and I are sitting on the parasite plant or roots. Eventually this "tree" will strangle the massive one above us. I guess it's an example of the survival of the fittest in the jungle.

This is a fun Jeffries Family foto. Emma, Spencer, and Kate climbed all over these roots. One tree had a thick vine that they swung from just like Tarzan.

Behind Margaret, Ted, and Kids is the departing point into the jungle and up the river to the Mehia's. This picture was taken the day we left the jungle. The two hour hike out to the river seemed much longer than it was the day we walked in. Oh, by the way, on this tributary, we saw a dead sting ray. Anyone want to go swimming?

One of the big birds was hanging out on the path to the lodge.

The jungle debris on the dirt dock had to be swept each day by a young fellow who looked an awfully lot like a North American Indian. It wasn't too far upstream we saw the dead sting ray,

This is the first picture we took entering the narrow water way to the lake. What could lie beyond, we wondered. Well, we had a true jungle experience, not the easiest, the conditions not the best, but it was a fine adventure. We all wondered if Walt Disney had stayed at the Mehia Family Lodge before creating his Jungle Adventure for Adventure Land.