Ancient civilizations turn me on – especially those in my half of the world. 30-years ago I visited the “Pyramid of the Sun” (Aztec name), part of the Teotihuacan ruins in Mexico City. 10-years ago I took my family to the famous ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza on the Yucatan Peninsula, and now my wife, Gwynne, and I explored the famous Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru. To hike the Inca Trail, along which so many remnants of Incan civilization exist, requires pre-booking almost a year in advance. Let’s do the math: approximately 200 tourists a day times 350 days a year is 70000 lucky trekkers get to hike where ancient Amerindian feet daily trod. Those are tiny numbers considering the uniqueness of these sites!
Amazingly, the Inca Trail, a 40 kilometer, stone-paved path up and down extremely steep terrain, and the fantastic city it led to, Machu Picchu, were discovered less than a century ago! It is understandable considering the impassability of the terrain. Though a person could pack in their own gear, we used local porters who also prepared us excellent regional meals. They carry everything on their backs up and down the mountains twice a week, (no motorized vehicles allowed), including setting up our tents.
I’d never heard of “Pachamama” before starting our trek - it means Mother Earth to the indigenous people of Peru, the Quechua. Apparently Pachamama required us to pour cheap alcohol on the ground as a sacrifice before every day’s climbing. Our guide mentioned Pachamama in every explanation – obviously she was more than a myth to him. She also uses her name to promote stores, shops, gifts, and especially “fertility” devices.
Tough hiking: the secret to not getting tired was to keep a machine-like march rate, regardless of the steepness of the slope, and rest whenever the natural beauty of our surroundings enticed us to stop. The ruins we passed along the way got progressively more impressive. In fact, the large ruined city of Intipata was visible from the campground. For hours, Gwynne and I were the only ones exploring it. History seemed to ooze from every impossibly mortarless stone wall, and my curiosity was continuously piqued. At one point, perched high on a millennium-old terraced field high over the valleys below, I felt like part of history, an eerie feeling that probably attracts real anthropologists like pheromones.
Even though we were told it often rains, we were lucky to never need use rain gear, which is good because I didn’t bring any. The exertion kept me warm, and I didn’t care if the occasional drizzle wet my hair and ran down my face. Finally, standing in the Sun Gate, overlooking Machu Picchu on its moutaintop perch in the distance, I couldn’t help but feel remarkable blessed to be there. Even though it was three days of the toughest hiking we’ve ever done, my muscles and my feet were no worse for wear due to the adrenalin euphoria. After it was all over, we relaxed in a natural mountain valley hot springs of El Alenia.
Inca Trail
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Martin Hash
- Posts: 18718
- Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 2:02 pm
Inca Trail
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