{"id":11952,"date":"2018-11-20T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-20T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=11952"},"modified":"2018-11-19T20:28:19","modified_gmt":"2018-11-20T01:28:19","slug":"the-incan-citadel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=11952","title":{"rendered":"The Incan Citadel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a9 2018 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Set high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, above the Urubamba River valley, lies an Incan citadel…<\/p>\n

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Machu Picchu.<\/p>\n

A destination on so many’s bucket list, it had topped mine for a long time.<\/p>\n

Finally, my day had come.<\/p>\n

Leaving our larger backpacks at our Aguas Calientes hotel, we packed only the necessities in our travel packs and set out into the dark to make our way to Avenida Hermanos Ayar for the start of an exciting day.<\/p>\n

5:00 am…a line was snaking its way down the street.\u00a0 Taking our place, we looked back a few minutes later to see the line had grown significantly.\u00a0 \u00a0Soon, a person came by to verify our bus tickets and our entrance tickets.<\/p>\n

5:25 am…the first of the buses began to position themselves for their first riders.<\/p>\n

5:35 am…we were on our way.<\/p>\n

The half hour journey followed the Urubamba River until reaching a bridge crossing.\u00a0 Here, we began the back and forth climb to the top of the mountain, passing the occasional groups that decided to forego the bus and make the hour and a half climb to the citadel.<\/p>\n

\"\"As we disembarked and made our way to the entrance, there were many guides seeking to assist visitors.\u00a0 Although we had originally thought we would hire a guide, when we finally made a decision on one particular person, someone hired them before we could.\u00a0 We finally decided to tour the premises on our own, a decision I realized would probably benefit me more than my husband.\u00a0 When I am trying to capture a place photographically, I always feel a bit disrespectful when I am shooting while they are speaking, however, if I don’t capture what I want to and we quickly move on, I feel a bit cheated.\u00a0 Since, it would have been just him and I, it would have been more evident that I was only half listening than when we were part of a group.<\/p>\n

Walking the paths onto the grounds with no map, we followed the masses trying to decipher which way to go…and there it was…our first glimpse of the ancient Incan citadel.<\/p>\n

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Built in the 15th century, Machu Picchu was renowned for the complicated building system of huge stone blocks that fit together intricately with no mortar.\u00a0 With deep foundations and tight formations, the buildings are earthquake prone and for good measure…Machu Picchu sits atop not only one, but two fault lines.<\/p>\n

The citadel was built high in the mountains offering panoramic views, though its exact use remains a mystery.\u00a0 Some historians believe that Machu Picchu was constructed during the rule of two great Incas, Pachacutec Inca Yupanqui and Tupac Inca Yupanqui, with it being built as a royal estate for the former.\u00a0 Used only for 80 years, there is the possibility that the inhabitants died suddenly from disease.\u00a0 \u00a0When Hiram Bingham III stumbled upon the ruins in 1911, he was actually in search of the city of Vilcabamba and he spent most of his life arguing that the cities were one in the same.\u00a0 Not the first to discover the ruins, however, Bingham was the first scientific discoverer to bring international attention to Machu Picchu and undertake major clearing and excavation.<\/p>\n

Some visitors to Machu Picchu come to honor the sacred temple and others are fascinated by its historical significance.\u00a0 Still, there are others that hope to benefit from the powerful energy believed to emit from the ruins.<\/p>\n

Me?\u00a0 I was here for a check on my Bucket List and amazing photos!<\/p>\n

\"\"As we made our way up the Cultivation Terraces, we found our way to the City Gate and then on to the Cemetery, Funerary Rock and the House of the Guardians, finding that some amazing views of Machu Picchu can be had here.<\/p>\n

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Taking a trail through the brush, we hiked for a while, gazing down the steep drop offs to the river below as we sought out the Inca Bridge.\u00a0 Finally, after about a thirty minute hike, we found the bridge, some old boards, spanning a gap alongside the cliffs.\u00a0 No access was allowed, with a locked wooden gate barring any entry to the area, but noting the poor ancient construction, I was happy to maintain my distance.<\/p>\n

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Turning, we made our way back the way we had come.<\/p>\n

\"\"Half an hour later, we returned to find an even greater number of people on the premises, making descent to the lower portion of Machu Picchu difficult.\u00a0 Spying llama nearby, we used them as a distraction for a while to rest up for the fight down the stairways.<\/p>\n

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Finally, after our descent, we encountered the Urban Area and parts of the complex including Nusta’s Bedroom, Temple of the Sun, Royal Tomb, Ritual Fountains and The Royal Palace.\u00a0 Though many of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed to give visitors a better idea of how they originally appeared, only about thirty percent of the archaeological area has been restored with renovation continuing.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Following the crowds, we made our way past the Temple of the Three Windows, the Main Temple and the Main Square with park directors keeping everyone on the path and moving in one direction.\u00a0 Eventually, we made it to the Sacred Rock and noticed the entrance to Huayna Picchu, the starting point to an arduous climb to the soaring pinnacle.\u00a0 Though we had had the opportunity to purchase tickets for the climb, staring up at this peak and the minuscule figures making their way up the steep paths, we were glad that we had skipped that part.\u00a0 Though I am not afraid of heights, I couldn’t image making my way up to the top…I was having trouble with the lack of oxygen in the higher altitudes on some of the simpler paths.<\/p>\n

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Heading back in the direction of the main entrance, we made our way through the Houses of Factories, the Industrial Zone and the Prisoner’s Area, stopping occasionally to snap photos of the ruins and the nearby peaks, that were making themselves more visible with the clearing skies.<\/p>\n

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Eventually, all good things must come to an end and the path did just that…<\/p>\n

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Stepping out of the authorized grounds, we took the opportunity to utilize the facilities, stamp our passports with the official Machu Picchu stamp and grab something to drink while taking in the large numbers of visitors continually arriving and departing.<\/p>\n

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Our wait wasn’t long for the bus back to Aguas Calientes and we were soon winding back and forth down the mountain.<\/p>\n

Back in town, we found a nice place along the river to have lunch and enjoy cuy for the first time since we had arrived in Peru.\u00a0 Not the full fledged roasted affair, this one was prepared fried and was extremely delicious!\u00a0 As we enjoyed our meal, the skies opened up, making us extremely glad that we had departed Machu Picchu when we did.<\/p>\n

Had we actually done it?\u00a0 Yes, we had made the long arduous journey all the way to the center of the mountains of Peru and visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site that many aspire to.<\/p>\n

Thinking back to two conversations that I had had with friends who had once visited, I wondered if I had missed something critical.\u00a0 These friends both intimated that Machu Picchu was life changing<\/em>.\u00a0 I understand that everyone’s definition of the terms is subjective and dependent on other things they have experienced in their lives.\u00a0 I asked my husband, “Did you think this was life changing?”\u00a0 Though he agreed with me, we were extremely happy with our visit, for us, we didn’t equate the definition with our experience.<\/p>\n

After a lifetime of saying he would never set foot on the African continent, my husband not only ventured there, but enjoyed it so immensely that he continually talks about returning.\u00a0 That is life changing<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Not to take anything away from Machu Picchu or anyone else’s adventure, we have to admit that the Incan citadel is a trip that everyone should take during some part of their lives.\u00a0 A beautiful ancient civilization, it’s setting far away from modern life lets everyone stop and imagine how simple yet complex life once was.<\/p>\n

Life changing?\u00a0 Yes, for the Incas.<\/p>\n

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.<\/p>\n

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Machu Picchu<\/strong><\/p>\n