It was five in the morning and it is the first time I have woken in a bed in 5 days, it was 5:30 am, and I briskly packed my things to hike the Incan stairs to Machu Picchu.
I had 7 am permits to enter the park, and had made my way from my hotel in Hydro Electrica to the line already assembled at the entrance of the stairs. It was 6:15 by the time I made it through the line with the other park guests. I was so excited I set a quick pace up the long stairway to the cloud city. The stairs were steep and narrow, some areas were difficult to walk around people who struggled with altitude, but being fully acclimated from the Salkantay trek I darted up the mountain.
Thousands of people visit Machu Picchu in a day, it is the number one tourist attraction in the World. Tourism to Machu Picchu is also Peru's main source of revenue. The mountain holding the city actually shrinks a centimeter ever year due to the high traffic, there has been discussion of shutting down the park to preserve the ancient city. When you walk in the courtyards there are raised plastic grids to walk along, to help keep the land pristine.
When I reached the top entrance there were already bus loads of people waiting to get in the park. I was a bit discouraged to learn how many people were not interested in experiencing the effort required to reach Machu Piccu. As the day wenton, the realization of the magnitude of people who enter the park on a daily basis set in.
Once in the park, I made my way to the upper courtyard with the stone ceremonial alter. The sun began to rise and illuminate the clouds that cover the ancient city, visibility was minimal, and the city had yet to expose itself. I walked to the backside of the mountain towards the hanging bridge amongst the cliffs. It was astounding to see the intricate design and craftsmanship of the walkways. The luscious vegetation engulfed the trails until you made it to the cliffside where you would walk along rock extensions hundreds of feet above the valley floor. After admiring the hanging bridge, I noticed the clouds began to lift and I began my way to El Templo de Sol to see the entire display of Machu Picchu.
Along the walk there were several vicinities to admire, humungous boulders with no distinct pattern of shape were intricately position within the open spaces of the accompanied boulders. When I made it to El Templo de Sol the sun was shining and the cloud over Machu Picchu finally began to dissipate. Patiently waiting, I ate lunch on a terraced step and made friends with two girls also waiting for the view to open. Around Eleven o' clock the clouds vanished and the entire city was on display. Together we made our way to explore the freshly visible ruins.
By this time the park was packed with tourists. It was a bit frustrating to navigate around the park at this point, not to mention impossible to get a decent shot without tourists abundant in your frame. So I took this moment to observe the structures and dwell on the mystery of the story behind each unique structure.
I had read a lot about Machu Picchu prior to arriving in Peru, and recalled all the wonderous details. For example, the soil was brought from the Sacred Valley benefiting the agriculture to sustain the ancient society. Also, the stones used to build these structures was also foreign to the mountain, which means the Inca we able to transport these colossal building blocks up the mountain for construction. Finally, the most bizarre historical phenomenon, the possibility that Machu Picchu was created before the Inca. Myth of the Incan elders reviels that structures were present when the Incas firts found the site. One can observe the different architecture used in different structures around Machu Picchu demonstrating the possibilty of another saffisticated cultures influence.
I was fascinated thinking about which structured were already there prior to the Incas addition. I noticed all the different building methods present. It was mind blowing to imagine living in a time where the ancient city was active and buzzing with an Incan community. As I stood in line to exit the park I was able to appreciate the opportunity to visit such a monumental piece of history.
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