Machu Picchu and Cusco
Air transports, a good dinner on restaurant, a comfortable hotel bed, sovmorgon and late bus up to Machu Picchu, it forgotten Inkastaden (Inka-City). I used to little raljerande cold them, everyone they sevärdheter as man only MUST see the first time in a new country. It can act about Towern in London, about Colosseum in rum, about pyramiderna in Egypt or about templet in Jerusalem. I spjärnar instinktivt towards. Do not want to. So amazingly unique can the not last. So, I stand nevertheless here and glances out over Machu Picchu, it forgotten inkastaden, and is forced against my will recognize that I am entirely the while. I have taken the last steps in little for fast rate. Hjärtat hits and the air is thin and råkall. I take a deep breath and helped of the breakfast’s tea on boiling blade is fulfilled the lungs and the heartbeats lugnar itself. It is more than I that admires the view. Would I have wanted to be more undisturbed should I have gone up earlier and been the wide admission already the wide sunrise. But when the sky showed itself to last igenmulen closed I of o’clock and dropped off about. ” never in the life that I foot used to draw in several days, sover on liggunderlag in rotten tents and eats frystorkat from mug in order to look on something I already has seen on vykort.” Said I certain for several years since. It unite after the other from the circle of acquaintance traveled to Peru, went inkaleden and came home full of statements about it strapatsrika vandringen. Complete orgies in skavsårsplåster, bad smell spirit medvandrare and muddy paths followed when they had returned after the travel. I, born in a spruce forest with an of Sweden’s longest vandringsleder literally outside the corner of a house, has never can uppbåda necessary enthusiasm for such eskapader. No, I would go to Machu Picchu would it happen in mound kicked up. One light-version, entirely simple.
On the other hand has inkafolket and their culture interested me since I went in the school. And when gradually the growth’s småländska frikyrkoideal might give to fold for a more adult and personal sight on spirituality begun I once more to take up the thoughts on Andernas ursprungsbefolkning. And now was I here. Now, I had the the gone last stages (in boots, they mound kicked up where left on the hotel since it saw out to become rains) around the curve and now spread entire the the magic ruin town Machu Picchu out itself. And although I had seen the view on about a hundred’s pictures where this something else. I tried to memorize the map from the guide book in my head. There must soltemplet lie, that must last templet with the three windows and where up low it holy klippan. This was nothing” Eiffeltorn”, this was somewhat entirely other.
It begins bit to rain and I draw on myself it new purchase to take regncapen (costed a five the wide mischief station) and realizes how fairly my in love cousin has. What does my blue purple regncape more important than the red, yellow or green around about me? From the top must Machu Picchu at this team see out as a gigantic fiaspel. Goes away against the holy klippan, at the northwestern part. The big stone, the cuts that a die, lies with the corners exactly targeted against the the four weather dashes. Sees how some other women (yes, only women) holds their hands some decimeter from the stone’s surface. Hesitates little before I decide myself in order to do same thing. Expects me no miracles and becomes perhaps just therefore astonished over knowing how my rain damp and little frozen fingers become far too hot and like fulfilled of energy. Stands left long, that in a bubble, and wonders about Hiram Bingham knew same thing. He was that American archeologist that July 24, 1911″ detected” Machu Picchu. Or if anything said, he searched actually after another inkaruin, when it elvaårige the boy Pablito Alvarez from a village a piece from there told for Mr. Bingham that it lived three Indian families that cultivated May’s around what as the boy thought saw out as very old ruins.
The unique with Machu Picchu is that the Spaniards never found the town when they roared in in Sydamerika years 1532. Why inkabefolkningen nevertheless abandoned Machu Picchu knows one not correct. Perhaps, the cautious was that the Spaniards would find the road here, despite everything? A lot interprets on that the town was left before it there entirely completed built. Machu Picchu, as entirely simple means” old mountains”, stays overnight 2 492 meters the sea, surrounded of protective mountain backstop pair. The place was välvald, here could it then in force inkan Pachacutec around the centers of 1400-talet let to build that holy place he wanted to have, the near sun, the moon, the stars and the gods. For this was nobody illusion suburb pursue the man on the street. Hit got only priests and nobless from inkarikets important town Cusco, approximately twelve 10 km away, to come. They must have taken approximately same road that we; from Cusco to Machu Picchu travels one through it bördiga Valle Sagrado (the holy valley), there Urubambafloden dodges forward. Cusco is also today the starting point for most as wants to visit Machu Picchu. We come with air transports from Lima to Cusco, a smooth trip on around a hour. Bus is of course cheaper but takes on the other hand 30-60 hours, depending on resväg.
Cusco stays overnight 3 400 meters the sea and it is on their place to point out that the height influences ethnic different. For certain is enough it with taking the extreme lugnt the first days and to drink a lot of off the hotel’s boiling tea, that always stands in it termos in receptionen. Others become really poor and needs up to and including exuding syrgas. Height illness can express itself on several ways, most common is easily bad feeling, hjärtklappning or kräkningar. Wants to you not to risk your vacation, go to a pharmacy in Lima before you arable land to Cusco. Is you decent vältränad is enough it with taking a tablet Coramina-Glucosa the first day, while soffliggare should choose Sorojchi pills, a medicine that is taken regularly during 2-3 days.
You did not become well intimidated now? Do not hope it. For about Machu Picchu was fantastic to have may to visit so became I enough still more the while of Cusco. Inkafolket the called town” the world’s navel” and despite many visitors each year knows one himself odd welcome. The beautiful white town, with blue doors and windows is a surely worth longer visits. Very best is it to put visits after that one has been at Machu Picchu, then has the body had time to accustom itself the wide height.
We landed in Cusco, in order to direct to take a bus down to Valle Sagrado. In this way only, we sniffed on the height. We went along the long valley and stayed to in Pisac on a comfortable untidy market where one with little trip could find handicrafts that not where massproducerat. I bought among other thing one big, hand woven yllematta (approximately 150 sek) and several colourful fabrics. Bought also a chess playing in keramik, where the plays instead of being black and white where inkas that fought against the Spanish erövrarna! Beautiful and humoristiskt for approximately 50 sek. Next morning went we furthermore to Ollantaytambo, where we would stride on the procession to Aguas Calientes, or Machu Picchu Pueblo, as the village also is called. Kaoset was total: old women that sold new boiled May’s, vimsiga tourists with far too too much baggage, wearers with heavy bags on the spines… and our tickets that only where out. Precise before the procession would go come a guide dashing with thousand apologies and we thrown us on board. There are various procession classes. Invest on some off the tourist classes. Either the simpler (but entirely acceptable) Backpackers or that presentiment costlier Vistadome. The difference is in principle that it latter has platen ceiling on the sides, so that one can to see the odd mountains. Aguas Calientes means” hot sources” and after the visit on Machu Picchu can one pursues a small coin löga itself in the hot sources. The plant has seen its best days, but the water is hot and the view over the ambient mountains is magnifik.
Once more to Cusco, there one can go processions all the way from Aguas Calientes if one wants to, is a smallest evening on a restaurant around San Blas one must. ” Artistkvarteren” is called they often for, and although the tourists are many feel the atmosphere nevertheless” authentic”. Eats still one ceviche; fish marinerad in lime, onion, chili and koriander and speculates over how it would have seen out in Cusco unless the Spaniards had come here November 15, 1533, after to have stolen so a lot gold they could on the road. The legend says that Cusco was based around 1200 e sek. But it was first when inka Pachacutec took over the leadership 1438 as Cusco became inkarikets central town. Pachacutec (that is said have been one correct snygging with cinnamon coloured skin, broad jaw and muscular body), shaped Cuscos stadsplan as a mountain-lion. The animal that along with kondoren and the eagle was inkarikets holy animals. The mountain-lion stood for mod and rate, kondoren for attention and strength and the snake for it the awaiting cunning. When the Spaniards came destroyed inkafolket the actual so many predicts of its culture that possible, in order to not to risk that it was used on wrong way. To destroy gold objects ter itself pursue us today as the clean used to mind, but for inkafolket was it individual. Gold in itself had no worth for them. One had village thesis trade with food, but never with gold. ” it does not go to eat”, one said. Therefore, the host electricity east were that betalningsmedel. Then each gold object even symbolic value bigger - and more dangerous. Stands before Sacsayhuaman, one of many temp electricity ruins in the area and deletes drömskt with the hand over the surely the joined stones and wonders how it had been to live on inkafolkets time. Beside myself stands a Japanese and sees considerably more närvande out. He shows himself to last byggnadsingenjör with speciality on building jordbävningssäkra houses. ” Inkafolket has a lot to learn us”, he permits. ” look, this wall has coped with several jordbävningar and it is still intact.”
Facts
Peru has approximately 24 millions inhabitants. Eight just over millions live in the capital Lima. Around four percents of the country’s inhabitants be considered as rich, approximately equal many belongs to what we mean middle class, the rest is poor. Lima has big problems with crime and it can to last on its place to amuse the handbag. In Anderna is the real income counted in money not high, but many villages have a kind cooperative agricultures where the harvesting to be divided after how big family one has.
Languages: Spanish. In tourist areas, many can some words English.
Currency: Nuevo sun. 1 sun=approximately 1:50 sek. How very one wants to impose food and accommodation depends on which standard one want to have. Eats man local food is enough 10-20 sek, one want to lyxa to count with hardly Swedish pinches. Likewise, one can nest from a pair hundred per night to several thousand, depending on standard.
To read: ” Kvinnosjälens force” of Hernán Huarache Mamami (Richters). A statement about the girl Kantu from Cusco that sheep take part of old way judgment from Anderna. Easy to read, from time to time little naive, but with truths that bite himself permanent. A good guide book is among other thing The Rough guide to Peru. Be in the book trade.
Buy: Handicrafts of various kind. Wants to you only to buy cheaply, invest on the bigger markets and to bargain yourself forward. Colourful fabrics that cloth or överkast for approximately 40-50 sek, small bags 10-20 sek. Wants to you to have originalitet and quality, be ready on paying little more. In Cusco is several businesses that have specialized on alder packing clothing. Cheaper is on the markets, but want to you have good-looking design and cannon quality (baby alder pack) invest on for example Cuzmar Ii on Mantas 118, or sun Alpaca on Calle Espaderos 123. Bode in Cusco. They have also shops in Lima.
Deals:
Fly Sthlm-Lima, Lima-Cusco. We flew with Iberia via Madrid for approximately 11 000 sek/tor.
Processions: Cusco-Aguas Calientes. Vistadome: approximately 70 US/tor, Backpackers approximately 60 US/tor.
Hotels are from round 650 sek/double rooms. Local travel agency: Peru vision reserves premise air transports, transport, hotels, guide, admission mm to Machu Picchu and Cusco. www.peruvision.com
