Recently recognized as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu doesn't disappoint. It is advertised in countless postcards, documentaries, books, it is breathtaking, mesmerizing, and full of wonder. But it's important to know that it's only one of many ruins across the continent.
I knew that I had ample time to spend in Cusco. So naturally, I devoted the first 2 days for going out (it was a weekend) and wandering around the city. And as I found out the next day, the first available tickets for Machu Picchu wasn't for another 5 days (a new rule, only 2500 ppl per day). This was great as I had a lot of things I wanted to see around Cusco.
I had been reading a pretty comprehensive book on the Incas called
The White Rock by Hugh Thomson for a few days now so I was really excited to see the ruins NOT called Machu Picchu. A bit of a history lesson: The Inca civilization really came into its own in the 15th century whe Pachacutec took the reins. He is most likely the figure that ordered the construction of Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo, Saqsaywaman among others. He also started expanding the empire from now-Argentina to now-Equador. But contrary to popular belief, the Incas were not the only empire that conquered South America, just the LAST before the Spanish Conquistadores arrived in the mid 16th century.
With the German guy I met in Puno, we did a self tour of the 4 closest ruins to Cusco. Of these, the most important and interesting is the Saqsaywaman (or Sexy Woman as people like to call it), the imposing fortress overlooking Cusco atop a hill. When the Spanish first arrived and saw this wall, they thought that it was a land of giants. What really makes the Incas stand out from other civilizations is their masonry. They perfected the art of carving polygonal stones that fit absolutely perfectly between other carved masterpieces. Much of their most prized architecture is built without anything between the stones.
Saqsaywaman also has historical significance. After the Spanish takeover, Manco Inca was crowned as the new Inca to appease the people. Although he was only supposed to be a puppet king, he secretly gathered troops and started a revolution. After setting fire to much of Cusco, he and his troops came to Saqsaywaman to fend off the Spanish. Knowing that he would be defeated without action, the leader of the Conquistadores, Francisco Pizzarro, made a gamble. He led his troops to the top of the hill and faced the giant fortress. Though outnumbered by thousands, the superior-armed Conquistadres vanquished the revolution, but Manco Inca was not finished yet...
The next day, I did the full day Sacred Valley Tour. Interesting ruins, absolute shit tour. For some reason, in a city of thousand gringoes and thousand tour operators, I got on a tour as the lone English-speaking person. The first stop was Pisac and its fortress/village Intihuasana. First example of an Incan structure that precisely takes advantage of the geological terrain. But the second stop was the real gem of the tour - Ollantaytambo. Multi-functioning as a fortress, temple, and agricultural terraces, this Inca ruin ceases to amaze tourists.
Back to the story of Manco Inca. After his defeat at Saqsaywaman, he and some of the troops managed to escape and set camp at Ollantaytambo. Knowing that the Spanish will follow them here, they devised a plan to send the Spanish back. Naturally, the Conquistadores arrived at the base of Ollantaytambo, riding their mighty horses. However, as soon as they arrived, the Incas opened the thoroughly built irrigation system and flooded the base while "hired" jungle tribes shot poison arrows from behind. The Spanish retreated, and the Incas won their first battle! ...Only to be demolished a year later when more Conquistadores from Europe came overseas in search of gold. Manco Inca again escaped and had to find a new home for the Incas. This continued for a few generations until th last of the Incas were captured.
Unfortunately for visitors, most of the ruins near Cusco are 80% restored. That is, except Machu Picchu, which was largely unknown to the world until Hiram Bingham "discovered" it in 1911, exactly a 100 years ago. The Spanish Conquistadores had a practice of burning everything that was owned by the people they conquered. But the Spanish did not know about the existence of Machu Picchu.
When Machu Picchu was publicized by Bingham in 1911, it was depicted sa a religious sanctuary without much evidence. As The White Rock makes clear, there is a wide separation between explorers and archeologists. Bingham was more of an explorer. He was led by a local boy who know of a stone ruin on top of the mountains. When the ruin was being inspected, many of the rooms were named by Bingham from the "feel" of the place (like the Room of Princesses), and the whole Machu Picchu was sold as a religious temple, which is still being touted by tour guides. Although it may have had religious purposes, a theory also states that it was a winter pleasure ground for the nobles. The evidence are as follows:
1. As everybody probably knows from pictures and videos, it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL up there. The location is more for aesthetics, fitting for Inca kings.
2. Machu Picchu has a milder climate in the winter than Cusco.
3. It is possible to obtain high and low altitude crops at Machu Picchu, and the Inca nobles were gluttonous people. The emperor would sometimes order his people to fetch the freshest fish from the sea and bring it back to him, walking 1000 km. So much so that the Spanish were absolutely stunned at the variety of food that was stored in Cusco.
4. Machu Picchu was abandoned before the Spanish came. If it were a religious center, it would be much harder to leave. As Pachacutec's pleasure center, another one would be built by the new Inca emperor as was customary (Around the Plaza del Armas in Cusco used to be lines of huge burial grounds, one for each emperor. The emperors did not like hand-me-downs).
5. The Spanish did not know about it as the locals did not know about it. If it were a religious ground, everybody would've talked about it.
6. Looking at the skulls found at Machu Picchu, there seemed to be a lot more girls than boys - maybe as sacrificial virgins. But upon further research, it was found that these smaller craniums belonged to nobles whose head binding customs prevented heads from growing. Inspection of pelvic bones revealed an equal proportion of boys and girls.
As I was reading the book and listening to tour guides, you really get a sense that there is so very little known about the Inca civilization. So much so that when a friend of mine went on an obscure tour to an obscure site, the guide remarked, "Come back in 40 years, this will be the new Machu Picchu." That's the thing about Machu Picchu and a lot of Peru. I felt like Machu Picchu is just one of many incredible ruins, and I only scratched the surface. It's just that it's the m ost famous, most recognizable. And although the scenery and the setting are gorgeous, the ruin itself is no more spectacular than say, Pisac or Saqsaywaman. And I didn't even go to Choquequirao or Llactapacta. And considering how relatively young the archeology in South America compared to Europe, Egypt, or Asia is, who knows how many Machu Picchus there are! I mean, the terrain of Peru is insane.
So how did I get to Machu Picchu? You can pay $300 for the luxury train from Cusco. Or $120 backpacker train. Or a bus for $90. Or like me and the rest of the cheapos, you can spend $20 round trip. Here's how for future reference.
1. Wake up at 7am
2. Catch bus towards Otallabamba.
3. After an excruciating 6 hours, get off at Santa Maria.
4. Take a collectivo to Santa Teresa Hydroelectric plant.
5. From here, there's a train to Aguas Caliente (aka Machu Picchu village) for $18. Or, it's a pleasant 2-3 hour walk along the train tracks. It's a beautiful stroll.
I got on a taxi to the hydroelectric plant with 4 Argentinian girls. We started walking together along the tracks, just chatting, taking pictures. But what happens when you put 4 South American girls and an American guy on a walk? Needless to say, I got fed up with their pace and after about 90 minutes, I left them and went on my own. It still took 3 hours (on the way back, I was by myself and with a bit of jogging, the same walk took 1.5 hours).
With the 2 Brazilians I met at the hostel, I woke up to go to Machu Picchu at 4am. We got in line at about 4:30am for the bus. We got on the 3rd bus and waited for the entrance to open at 6am. We hired a guide who showed us the site - some of the "facts" believable, others not (this stone is a puma. See the tail? NO. If they were such great masons, they would've made a much more realistic puma). I spent 5 hours up there, but most of the time was spent picnicing at the top with the Brazilians - eating chorizo, cheese, crackers, chips, drinking beer, chatting like old friend. Once in awhile, you look up and realize that you are at one of the 7 wonders of the world. Some people come to enjoy the view. Some the stonework. Some the tours. But I think I'll enjoy Machu Picchu as the Incas once did - eating, drinking, enjoying life above all existence below.
- Ryoji
