Peru: Machu Picchu – Exploring the Ancient City
Spanish conquistadors conquered the Inca Empire in the 16th century and took over the capital of Cusco, while Machu Pichu remained unknown until 1911, the Lost City. The massive mountaintop site consists of two sections – upper and lower. While the upper section of the Machu Pichu Site has many agricultural terraces and some temples (see previous post), the lower part is where most of the residential buildings for both Inca commoners and aristocracy were located – this is the Lost City of the Incas! There are several temples, including the Temple of the Sun, and many ritual stones, as well a large square. Machi Pichu prospered in the mid 15th-16th centuries but was later abandoned for unknown reasons. The classical Inca stone construction reaches its apogee here with interlocking massive polished stones, connected together with LEGO-like precision and making them seismically-resistant (a huge construction benefit for the earthquake-prone Peru). As you roam through the Lost City, room by room and structure by structure, you are in total awe at how elaborate and grand the site is and keep wondering what life was like for an advanced civilization of Inca, even without ever inventing the wheel. Once again, clouds, fog, and rain – all add to the overall mystery. However, crowds of raincoat-clad tourists – all add to the overall misery. There is even talk of closing the access to the main city at Machu Pichu altogether.
