We recently returned from a trip to visit The Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu in Peru (country #69). Below is information and photos from our trip.
Peru has its history grounded in the Inca Empire, and was referred to as “the last culture.” There was a Rebellion in 1537 in which 30,000 people died, after which there was a 40 year revolution. We were told that there were many different cultures before this, and the Incas picked up the best parts of the other cultures to create their own (e.g., astrology, arts, etc.). The culture reflects “Pachamama,” which is “Mother Earth,” and August (the first month to have good luck for the rest of the year) is the month of Pachamama, during which Peruvians make an offering of produce, candy, wool, animal skins, and more. Many times, they will reportedly sacrifice black animals, which are a positive sign in Catholicism
(White Christ)
In the 1980s, 90% of Peruvians were Catholic; nowadays, they reportedly have an open mind for new religions. Some believe in and worship Mother Earth (including thunder and other nature, including the mountains), some only believe in Catholicism, and others believe in both, making it a combination of Andean (which reportedly dates back 6000 years) and European culture. In the photo above, the middle cross represents Jesus Christ, and the other two are the thieves. In May, locals come to this area for the Festivity of the Crosses. The large statue of Christ (Cristo Blanco) above was a gift from the Palestinian community in 1944. It is at 3600m (11,811ft) above sea level, is 10m (33ft) high, and is similar to the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, which is over 30m (98ft) tall. The Basilica (facing the square in the photo above) took 120 years to build and is reportedly the most impressive in South America, as it contains paintings in gold and silver. We were told that they just discovered the largest lithium mine in Peru, and will start to mine it in 2020 or 2021. In addition, we were told that land for a house in Cusco City is approximately $1300 to 1500USD per square meter.
60% of Peru is the Amazon Basin (which is behind the Andes mountains; this is an area that was apparently not conquered by the Incas), 20% is the Andes, and 10% is Coast, and the political distribution follows these lines (i.e., coast, highlands, and jungle). There are reportedly 45 different dialects spoken in Peru. Lima is the second biggest city built in a desert (behind Cairo, Egypt), and apparently has the third worst traffic in the world (we were not told which two cities are worse, but I have some very solid guesses…). The north part of Peru is close to the equator, so, it is summer there year-round. We were told that Peru is second in diversity of birds behind Colombia. In addition, they use Eucalyptus trees to build houses, particularly the roofs of the houses, and Cusco was the third largest producer of Eucalyptus in Peru at one time.
Alpaca and Gnocchi
(Organika Restaurant in Cusco)
Two million people visit Peru every year, and 90% go to Cusco, which is the gateway to the Sacred Valley, which includes Machu Picchu. Most tourists this time of year (December/January, which is start of the rainy season) are from South America. We were told that it rained the previous two weeks before our visit, but we had no rain while in Peru, and had moderate temperatures, experiencing 60s and 70s (between 18C and 24C) in Cusco and surrounding areas, and mid-80s (29C) in Lima.
Cusco
(third best in Peru)
The current population of Cusco (“coos-koh”; which is a one hour flight from the capital, Lima, which has a population of 12 million people) is one million people (half of whom live in the city, and the rest of whom live in the mountains), and has doubled in the past 20 years. It is considered to be a rich country with a bad government, and they are known for mining gold, silver, and copper. Downtown Cusco is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Cusco City and the Sacred Valley were the capitals of the Inca Empire. Cusco was compared to Babylon and other similar cities at one point.
Churches in Cusco were built on top of Inca Palaces to reinforce the new religion, and most buildings (many of which are 250-350yo) still have the Inca foundation. The central part of Cusco has 33 churches, which is the same age that Jesus Christ was when he was crucified. The Plaza de Armas, which houses several houses of religion, was key in the 1778 revolution against the Spaniards, which was 40 years before independence. San Cristobal (from which this photo was taken) was the favorite saint of the Cusco women because of his strong legs. He is considered to be the Patron Saint of Travelers, which was very appropriate considering that we are travelers.
Two rivers ran through Cusco, and one of them crossed the main square, which led to the spread of Cholera. Bridges were later built to go over the rivers (in 1850s). There are still Inca channels beneath the road, and there is evidence within the city of a mix of Inca style with Colonial/European style, which adds to Cusco’s beauty.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES SURROUNDING CUSCO CITY:
Saqsaywaman
Saqsaywaman (sounds like “sexy woman”) is a 5000+ hectare (12,355 acres) geological park area. Cusco City was made in the shape of a puma (which is considered to be a god), and Saqsaywaman is the head of the puma. The area was covered by a lake and glaciers until the geology changed, leaving limestone behind. The biggest temple is dedicated to the sun, and there is also a temple dedicated to water. One of the most impressive buildings was built in 50-70 years for Pacachuteq to show the power of the Incan Empire. The biggest rock in Saqsaywaman is 120 tons. It is a Megolithic style of rock, up to 9-12m (30-39ft) high, but there are not as many anymore because 40% of them were destroyed, and some of the remnants were taken to City Hall.
Qenqo
The rocks in Qenqo (“keen-koh”) above were put together to channel the sun. They supposedly connect this world to the inner world, where mummies used to be. They reportedly used to mummify people in the rocks of the cave above all the way to the underground.
Tambomachay
Fountains in Tambomachay (which means “place where you can rest”) were made from natural springs.
Pukapuchara
Ravines through Pukapuchara (“poo-kuh-poo-chah-rah”) feed the terraces through the Inca valley. This site was a watchtower and control point to control access to the Cusco Valley and Sacred Valley, and was also a religious place. In this area, there are more than 14 mountains (all part of the Andes mountain range) topping over 19,000ft (5791m). We were told that the mountains are mostly climbed by Israelis, who usually do not hike the Inca Trail, whereas Americans, Europeans, and Canadians reportedly usually come to Peru to hike the Inca Trail.
SACRED VALLEY
The Sacred Valley got its name because of the richness of the soil and the important produce that is yielded. In addition, it was formed by glaciers, which are considered to be the grandfathers of the rest of the mountains, which the people revere and respect. Surrounding the Sacred Valley is the Urubamba Mountain Range, the highest mountain of which is a glacier that is almost 20,000ft (6096m).
ALTITUDE: It is worth noting that Cusco sits at 11,200ft (3413m) above sea level, and in our time there, we passed a high point of 12,500 feet (3810m). While there are many suggestions online about how to prepare oneself for the altitude to avoid altitude sickness (which we were keen to avoid, seeing as we live at sea level), we were encouraged by one of our drivers to take pills that were supposed to help with this. While we followed some of the suggestions that we had read about (e.g., drinking plenty of water, taking our time when walking [especially up inclines], eating carbs [twist my arm!], and avoiding alcohol), we also took the pills. I’m not usually a proponent of such things, but we had absolutely no problems with the altitude, aside from some lightheadedness and shortness of breath more quickly than usual, which would have probably happened, regardless. They say that altitude gets you, no matter what shape, size, or fitness level you are, and one of our tour guides said it’s psychological. While some of that may be true (as that is my theory about jetlag), there is definitely a physical component to being at a higher altitude with less oxygen. At any rate, we were very glad to not have anything other than those minor issues, which did not hinder us at all! And we noticed that handling the altitude when we returned to Cusco from Machu Picchu (going from 11,000+ feet [3352m] to just under 8000ft [2438m] and back again) was a bit more manageable the second time around.
In January of 2010, flooding took out an entire community within the Sacred Valley in the middle of the night. Because this is the gateway to Machu Picchu, the historical site was closed for 70 days because the railway was destroyed in the flood.
In keeping with the reverence to the earth, Peruvians follow the trajectory of the sun, and in the Sacred Valley, which has the same weather all year round, there is the potential for sunlight most of the day every day. It’s main product is corn, and there used to be 150 different kinds, but there are now 9-10 kinds, and corn is exported to other countries. The other benefit of this area is that it produces twice a year. Other produce includes fava beans and potatoes.
In addition to the produce, Peru is known for their Llamas, which are work animals, primarily used to carry produce, as well as their alpacas, which are kept for meat (they apparently are a low cholesterol meat) and wool. Both animals are domesticated in Peru. We tried Alpaca one night for dinner – it tastes like most meat, but has a gamey, liver-like after-taste.
PISAC
Located at 3650m (11,975ft), Pisac (“pee-sack”) is one of the archaeological sites that makes up the Sacred Valley. Pisac means “Partridge,” and there are a lot of those birds in the area. Pisac was built to protect Cusco City and part of the Sacred Valley. The different levels of the terrace farming (which include soil, sand, pebbles, rocks, and big rocks) produce different types of crops, including Quinoa, potatoes (this area reportedly produces 6500 different types of potatoes), fava beans, and Kiwicha, which is a grain that is supposed to be good for the brain, and just a bit “more powerful” than Quinoa. Crops were stored in houses on the hill (see above) to protect from the wind. The holes in the rocks are considered to be the biggest Inca tomb, with over 10,000 Incas buried there, facing East, with their goods due to the belief of reincarnation.
The structures above are rooms of a hotel (Skylodge Adventure Suites) on the side of a mountain. People rock climb up and then zipline down, all for the bargain price of $500/night. Yes, really.
OLLANTAYTAMBO
Ollantaytambo (“oh-yahn-tay-tahm-boh”) sits at 9900 feet (3017m). “Tambo” means “resting place,” and Ollanta was a general who fell in love with an Inca princess, but this was not allowed because of the hierarchy. However, he led a big revolution against Pacachuteq and then made a deal with the king to be married to the Inca princess. There are four cardinal points (tambos) in Inca civilization, including Ollantaytambo.
The peak with the snow on it is Glacier Veronica, which stands at 5800m (19,029ft), making it the tallest in the Sacred Valley (the tallest glacier in Cusco stands at 6500m/21,325ft). The part that is visible is the lowest point of the glacier, with the highest point being hidden behind the clouds.
The Temple of the Water is considered to be a holy place, and on the June solstice, as the sun is coming through, people come and take baths there, as this is considered to be a holy and sacred time.
MACHU PICCHU
Machu (“mah-choo”; means “all” in Quechuan) Picchu (“pee-choo”; means “mountain” in Quechuan) is one of the New Seven Wonders of the world, and is protected by UNESCO. There are rumors that Machu Picchu will eventually no longer be accessible to the public. However, we were told that that is highly unlikely because of how much money tourism brings to the area, even though there are areas where it is evident that Machu Picchu is “sinking,” per our tour guide (as evidenced by stones leaning/falling down).
The site was originally covered by vegetation, so, the Spaniards never found it when they arrived in 1532. Pacachuteq was the king that expanded the culture, and he built a city between two mountains, surrounded by the Urubamba River. The peak behind the ruins is 2750m (9022ft) high. In 1536, there was a big rebellion, and the main trails were closed to Machu Picchu to block it off from the city. Two families were sent to work the land in 1911. In 1912, Yale University came with archaeologists and cleaned the area by burning the whole city twice to clear the jungle in order to see what was there, and they found ceramic remains, no gold or silver. What they found they took back with them to Yale. 1914 was the last time the city was cleaned and then in 1942, the Peruvian government took over and protected the area. 200 explorers crossed the area in the 1800s and 1900s but did not report much about it and just marked the area on their maps. Nowadays, people can get to Machu Picchu the way we did (train to Aguascalientes, and then 25 minute bus ride to the entrance, and a short trek to the ruins), or they can hike the Inca Trail, which is 45km (28mi) long and usually takes 4 days to hike it. The record is held by a Peruvian man, who hiked the trail in 3 hours and 25 minutes.
The upper part of Machu Picchu is where the royal family lived. In front of it was the religious area, which had the temple of the sun in front of it. Other nearby structures included a school, and there were other theories about how the public areas were used. There were no more than 500-600 people who lived there.
Huayna Picchu
Huayna Picchu (pictured above) is climbed by only 200 people per year. It takes approximately 45 minutes to climb up, and 30 minutes to come back down. Our tour guide said he has the record of climbing it in 7 minutes by running the entire way.
I strongly recommend visiting The Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. We learned a lot, and got a good feel for the Inca culture.
Until next time, take care and be well…