Day 6 - Travel to Macau Picchu, Visit



 This was a transportation multi- mode day: bus to a ceremony with a Urubamba wise man, bus down the Urubamba River to Ollantaytambo, train through the deep and narrow river canyon to Aquas Caliente, bus to Machu Picchu, and bus back to Aquas Caliente!  Whew!  We saw a LOT of country - some of it truly spectacular; all of it unusual.

The local wise man (Shaman if you will) greeted us and then assembled items representing the many aspects of life and travels - plastic figures, paper flowers, candy - he then poured "sacred" local brew over the assembly, wrapped it in paper, and burned in a fire to send the offerings to heaven.  After blessing he sent us on our way.  We understand this ceremony to be typical in the Andes for travelers.  In an interesting similitude that makes travel special, there is a high school adjacent to his property and the students were singing during our ceremony - in beautiful harmony!

The river is one of the main tributaries to the Amazon - it drains a portion of the eastern Andes. Previously unknown to me , Most of the Andes Are in Peru however Almost all the water drains to Brazil. This leaves the coastal cities like lima With a very small water supply and a serious problem this population grows.  The river has eroded a deep and narrow channel into volcanic rock with a high slope, producing class 4 rapids - a really wild ride!

The whole  process worked quite well with the connections smooth.  With a provided box lunch on board the train, we arrived in time to check into our hotel and immediately get on the bus to Machu Picchu.  The roads are pretty awful, making it slow going, but we were suitably distracted by the scenery.  The train was fun.

Our first glimpse of MP was as much a WOW as we expected. The slanting sun emphasized the terraces geometric shapes while retaining the sense of mystery.  We toured multiple levels with our guide, learning about the hierarchy of structures and construction techniques. Much of the ideas on life in the complex are speculative- religious vs military vs community. Eventually we reached a view point which opened to most of the surrounding mountains and river valley. In some ways the setting is more compelling than the structures.  

3 hours, 8000 steps and 100 flights of stairs later we clambered back on a bus back to Aguas Caliente. A great day!

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