 - neena and shreesh with MP in bkg.jpg) |
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At Machu Picchu at last! |
“Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty.” –WW
(Map this!)
Finally, almost 25 years after following Nancy Drew to Machu Picchu in the footsteps of no-gooders, we finally arrived in person at Machu Picchu. An incredible sight after an incredible journey. Machu Picchu does not boast the Incas’ most beautiful work; Cuzco, Sacsayhuaman and Ollantaytambo have more beautiful masonry. It is the location, the ring of exactly the right mountains, with Machu Picchu nestled at the base of the awe-inspiring Wayna Picchu rearing up in the clouds. (It takes less than an hour to climb it).
Tired and hungry, we reached there early after a beautiful morning walk at dawn. Machu Picchu seems oddly familiar after the many articles in the National Geographic and museum shows. The Sun temple. The temple of the Condor. The Sun Dial for astronomical observations. The granaries. Beautiful but oddly still. A very different place from the village in the foothills, Aguas Calientes.
Aguas Calientes was actually not as bad as the guide books make it out to be, as long as you expect a tourist trap. It is the home of the nasty biting flies. Its a place of rest for the weary, to recuperate after the spiritual silence of Machu Picchu. We stayed an extra day and tackled Wayna Picchu the next day. It is a short but extremely strenuous hike, clambering up rocks using steel chains most of the way up. The view is spectacular. From the mountain top Machu picchu looks like an hourglass.
The train is a nice way to get back. This must be the train that Nancy Drew took to Machu Picchu. It has a glass roof, but can in no way substitute for the trek. The mystery of Machu Picchu is felt the most on those long, steep trails leading up to a destination you will not see till the last day.
 - Machu Picchu From Inti Punku (2).jpg) |
 - Neena at Wayna Picchu.jpg) |
 - Ruins and Wayna Picchu.jpg) |
 - Shreesh on sacrificial stone.jpg) |
“Finally, almost 25 years after following Nancy Drew to Machu Picchu in the footsteps of no-gooders, we finally arrived in person at Machu Picchu. ” — Shreesh, I assume this is your writing about your personal experience here! I love this blog and how you set it up. More than that, I think that you and Neena are you doing something truly fantastic by taking time to make this trip. Not everyone can walk away from high paying careers and just do what they feel passionate about. Feeling passionate about something is even getting harder to do lately, for that matter. This is a great site to see, an inspiration and I for one will be visiting often!
I loved Machu Pichu and the city of Cusco more than any other part of Peru that my husband and I visited. I only wish I could have walked the Aztec Trail, but knee surgery kept me from doing so. It was a most spiritual experience to see and climb around the ruins.