Highlights from Peru: Machu Picchu

Above, a photo from the back of the train through the Sacred Valley on our way to Machu Picchu.

 

The high, steep peak directly behind Machu Picchu (in the two photos above) is Wayna Picchu. I also hiked to its summit--below is a picture of the view of Machu Picchu down from Wayna Picchu.

The hike up Wayne Picchu was extremely strenuous and steep, but the stunning 360-degree views were well worth it.

Above is a shot from inside of the Temple of the Moon, which is a steep ladder-aided descent down the backside of Wayna Picchu.

Above, a prime example of the amazing stonework and masonry skills possessed by Incans. Despite multiple earthquakes which have destroyed much of Peru since the Incan period, walls like these are still standing hundreds of years later, looking relatively equal to how they were originally constructed. No mortar was used in Incan construction, meaning all the stones had to fit exactly, making it all even harder to believe.

Often, the views of the sunlight, clouds, and rain coming in over the surrounding mountain peaks was just as breathtaking as Machu Picchu itself.

Archaeologists first thought flat stones, like in the photo above, found throughout Machu Picchu, were used to grind corn and other crops. They now presume they were used to hold water and then the reflections of eclipses were watched in the water, serving as a type of mirror (enabling them to watch the eclipses, which are usually harmful to watch with the naked eye).

Above, in the bottom left, is the Temple of the Sun, considered the holiest spot in the Machu Picchu complex. The stone construction of the Sun Temple is the finest example of the Incan stonework.

Due to surrounding hotel development, there is no longer running water throughout the entire Machu Picchu complex, but during the Incan's reign there was a constant flow of water to all sections--from the agricultural areas to the temples and living spaces.

The above stones supposedly represent a condor (flying with its wings outstretched). Condors were an extremely holy animal in the Incan culture.

Above and below are views of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate. The Sun Gate was one of the two guarded entrances to Machu Picchu and is where the Incan Trail arrives, offering trekkers their first early-morning views of Machu Picchu after 4 days of hiking.