MUNGO EATS Latin America

We awoke this morning to the sound of a VERY steady rain, so we were unsure if we were going to hit Machu Picchu or not.  Within an hour though, it had slowed to a barely perceptible drizzle, so we decided to continue on with our plans to visit the site.  I am sure most of you have at least seen pictures of Machu Picchu, but if you are like me, you do not appreciate how large a site it is until you see it.  Large, large, large.  From the pueblo, you have to take a bus to the archeological site.  This really amounts to climbing switchback after switchback as you gain about 1000m of elevation.    

We decided to hire a guide, because we knew very little about this magical place.  Our guide, Gloria, turned out to be quite informative.  She initially took us high above the city, so that we could appreciate the whole site.

Then we were led back down into the town to investigate more closely.  We learned a lot, but  one of the most important things we learned, was that not all Inca walls were built as precisely as we are led to believe.  Only the important religious, royal or ceremonial walls were built without mortar with the famous interlocking, carve rocks.

The everyday, common folk built their walls with regular rocks, and mortar as well.

There are examples of each present. 

The city has many houses, some of which have been restored.

There are many religious elements.  This is the temple of the sun, and the windows present in the curved wall admit the light of the sun, at sunrise, during the summer and winter solstices.

Nearby are temples dedicated to the earth, air and water.  There are other altars at the site as well.  There is a representation of a condor, part of which, uses a natural rock formation as the wings and the body is a separate carving located on the ground below the wings.  See if  you can get what I am talking about from the photo.

Not so easy to see, is it?  Here is a detailed view of the “body” part. 

This is called the ceremonial rock, and apparently it is supposed to represent a guinea pig.  See it?

The head is on the right.  Sometimes I think these archeologists chew a little too much coca leaf!! 

Anyway, let’s just finish off with a few more pictures.

Yep…WORTH IT!

Tomorrow, we begin the trek back to Cusco, hope the roads are okay!!