MACHU PICCHU, THE CRYSTAL CITY
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Exotiques
discovering the Andes
MACHU PICCHU

Is one of the "Lost City of the Inkas," "City of Light for Initiates." An ancient site fed by grids of
powerful natural energies patterned by surrounding mountains and extensive underground tunnels.

Shamanic belief is that for centuries this site served as an initiatory centre for higher learning. The
sanctuary cover many square kilometers constructed of mortared terraces and connected by
endless stairs carved from solid rock all around the mountains. Throughout the ages, the sheltered
temple sights, geo-physically conducive atmospheres were used for ritual and mind-altering
experiences. Shamanic legend says that touching one's forehead to the Intiwantana Stone opens
one's vision into the Spirit World. Tune into Wakas (sacred spots) of individual rocks and boulders.
Experience here the classic "magical flight" of shamanic ecstasy.

History: Rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911, Machu Picchu was unknown to the Christians. Its
reason for existence remains under debate. Provably it was built and populated by the family of one
Inka ruler, Pachakkutek. Machu Picchu was a kind of university where the children of the leaders of
other Andean cultures conquered by the Inkas were taken to Machu Picchu to be taught the Inka
way of life. At any rate, as we wander through the maze of empty plazas, chambers and dwellings
saddled atop steep mountainsides, we will be unable to resist our own speculations at the
impenetrable mystery of these stones. Today it is a Historic National Sanctuary, protected by the
Peruvian Government, which tries to conserve the geological formations and archaeological remains
inside the Sanctuary, besides protecting its flora, fauna and landscape's beauty. The whole park
has an extension of 80,535 acres (32,592 hectares; 125.83 mile).

Locale and Climate: Machu Picchu (the Inkan City) is located on kilometer 112 (70 miles) of the
Cusco-Quillabamba railway; the train station is in Aguas Calientes village with an altitude of 2,000
meters (6,560 feet). From that station there are buses in order to get to South-America's most
famous Archaeological Group that is found at an average altitude of 2,450 meters (8,038 feet). The
climate in that sector has also some characteristics that are found all over the region; thus, only two
well defined seasons are distinguished: the rainy season in the area goes between November to
April, and the dry season from May to October. Machu Picchu is near the commencement of the
Cusquenian Amazonian Jungle, so the chance of having rains or showers is possible any time of the
year. In the hottest days it is possible to get even about 26° Celsius (78.8° Fahrenheit), while that in
the coldest early mornings in June and July the temperature may drop to 8° C.; the average annual
temperature is 16 degrees Celsius. Between May to August the weather is beautiful because the sky
is nearly always blue and clear.

Geology: The Machu Picchu Historic National Sanctuary is found over a great granite orogenic
structure baptized by Dr. Isaiah Bowman as the "Vilcabamba Batholith" that outcrops over about 400
km (154 mile). Its formation belongs in the scale of geological time to the Paleozoic or Inferior
Primary and may have an approximate age of 250 million years.

Origin of Name: Machu Picchu (like most of the Quechua names of towns and different sites in the
region) is a compound word that comes from machu = old or ancient, and picchu = peak or
mountain; therefore, Machu Picchu is translated as "Old Mountain". The famous mountain that is
seen in front, and appears in most of the classical views of the site is named Wayna Picchu (Young
Mountain). Unfortunately the original names of the mentioned sectors are lost, Machu Picchu,
Wayna Picchu and some other proper names used today are contemporary ones; ascribed probably
by farmers living in the region before Bingham's arrival. However, according to studies about some
XVI century documents, the original name of the whole area might be "Picchu".

History: It is known that Hiram Bingham, a descendant of missionaries, was the man who rediscover
Machu Picchu for the contemporary world and modern science. He was a North-American historian
born in Honolulu, Hawaii; who in 1907 taught the South-American History and Geography course in
Yale University. Later he was chosen as delegate of his country to the First Pan-American Scientific
Congress carried out in Chile in 1908. By that epoch he began his activities as explorer taking a
horseback journey from Caracas to Bogota, following the Simon Bolivar's way. Then he followed the
old colonial trade way from Buenos Aires to Lima, arriving to this Andean zone in 1909; it is in that
year when from Abancay he started with his first exploration towards Choquekirao, trying to find the
last Inkan Capital. By that time many myths had been created about the possibility of finding the
"Inkas' treasures" that according to tradition had been taken by Manko Inka is his retreat to
Willkapampa (willka = sacred, pampa = plain; its Spanish form is "Vilcabamba"); thus it was so
common by that epoch to find treasure hunters willing to get to this last Inkas' dwelling. That same
intention moved Bingham to study chronicles and even to visit Spanish archives, and subsequently
in 1911 to come back to Peru with the aim of performing studies of geology and botany, and for
sure, also in order to try finding Willkapampa.
Inka Trail to Machu Picchu

It was part of the Inka highway system (Qhapaq Ñan) and is one of the most
important South American trekking routes. Along the hike, you can see several
gorges and streams that originate from glaciers. There are a few archaeological
monuments along the trail, such as Qoriwayrachina, Llaqtapata, Runkuraqay,
Sayaqmarka, Phuyupatamarka, Intipata, Wiñay Wayna and Intipunku. The starting
point of the trip varies according to the trail you wish to take. The most popular
route starts around kilometer marker 82 (Piskakucho) of the railroad Cusco –
Machu Picchu (40 km / 25 miles from the city itself). Another possibility, shorter in
time, is called the Sacred Trail, and begins at kilometer marker 104
(Chachabamba) of the railroad.
In Cusco, Albert Giesecke, a compatriot of his and rector of the local University had
put him in touch with Braulio Polo y la Borda, owner of Mandor. That local landlord
told Bingham that on the hill in front of his property there were ancient constructions
covered by vegetation where cattle were frequently lost; and moreover, he
introduced Bingham to Eduardo Lizarraga, a farmland renter living in the area since
the 70s of the 19th century, who had seen the buildings. On July 23rd, 1911
Bingham showed up in Mandor along with a policeman, Sergeant Carrasco, who
escorted him by order of Cusco's Prefect Juan Jose Nuñez. They found in his hut the
peasant Melchor Arteaga who told Bingham about the existence of two Inkan sites
named Machu Picchu and Wayna Picchu; that same peasant was hired by Bingham
to be the guide in order to get to the Inkan City. The next day, after examining the
field they decided to climb up. After noon they arrived at another hut where they
found Anacleto Alvarez and Toribio Recharte; they were two humble peasants who
along with their families lived in the area and cultivated the pre-Hispanic farming
terraces. After a short break, they provided a boy as the guide for Bingham in order
to have a first look of the Inkan buildings that were completely covered with
entangled vegetation. That was how Bingham, at 35 years old, stumbled onto Machu
Picchu; a fortuitous happening that made manifest a great "discovery".

Almost immediately after his first exploration, he went back to the USA looking for
economic support that was granted to him by the Yale University and the National
Geographic Society. Subsequently, the Peruvian government in Lima facing
Bingham's request in order to execute works in Machu Picchu, by means of law given
on October 31st, 1912, authorized him to carry out his projected works. Besides,
according to the fourth article of that authorization Bingham could freely take out of
the country all the obtained pieces during his explorations, but with commitment of
giving them back to Peru's simple petition. Authorization in the name of "international
etiquette," that infringed some legal rules and caused irreparable damage to Peru's
cultural heritage.