Peru. Is. Stunning.

These last few days, Mom and I have explored the Sacred Valley region and Macchu Picchu with our guides Eddie and Juan Carlos.  Surrounded by the Andean Mountain range, the valley is filled with the physical remnants of the Incan Empire, pre-Incan, and Colonial structures.  Although these structures are what most people talk about after having visited these areas, they are only a small portion of what makes this place so remarkable.  At an elevation of up to 20,000 feet, the mountains shoot straight up and you marvel at the sheer feat of building any sort of structure (let alone one that would last for over 800 years) in this type of terrain.  It is possible to differentiate from the different time periods by how the structures are put together.  During the Incan times, the temples are constructed with the best stones and are put together so perfectly, that it is impossible to slide even a knife blade in between each stone, which are held together not by mortar, but by the pressure and angles of the adjacent stones.  Even more impressive is the fact that most of the stones were not quarried in the site where the temple is currently, but often from another mountain over 20 miles away.  This means that each stone (averaging 2 tons each), had to be carried for miles and up the mountains, not to mention having to then be carved perfectly to fit in its place. 

We did a number of day hikes, specifically to different Incan temples around the Sacred Valley and tried to soak in as much history and information about the people and the areas as we could.  A highlight was a six and a half hour hike up to Huchuyqosqo, which mean "Little Cusco" that is only accessible by foot (or animal) as there is no road leading to the site.  A local Quechuan woman and her five year old daughter were herding their sheep up to their plot of land where they grew potatoes to check the damage from the frost the night before. They walked with us for the first ten minutes chatting with us.  Once we parted ways, we only saw three other people (all local) the rest of the day.  The hike took us over a 14,500 ft pass and down into a valley where the archeological site resided, and then an hour and a half descent off of the mountain down switch backs that were terrifyingly steep.  It was incredible.  Exhausted, Mom and I were both very excited to return to our "hotel", Willka T'ika (meaning Sacred Flower in Quechuan) which is not as much of a hotel than a zen style retreat with expansive gardens and vegetarian food straight from the garden. 

Photo by Mom

Willka T'ika

There was a striking contrast between hiking to Huchuyqosqo and then exploring Macchu Picchu, which was another highlight.  Even though this site was jammed packed with tourists, it still retained its awe factor.  We had an amazing tour of Macchu Picchu (meaning "old mountain") which some believe might have been the summer residence of the Inca, or King.  (interesting fact: The Incans have been incorrectly named, according to both tour guides.  The main ruler was called the Inca, but the language and culture is, in fact, Quechuan.).  After our tour and a late lunch, Mom and I went back into the site and sat on one of the terraces for about an hour overlooking the urban area, which is the postcard picture place.  A lot of times I need that moment to let it sink in where I am, what I'm looking at, and what I'm experiencing.  It was very special. 

We are currently in Ecuador and are flying to the Galapagos tomorrow where we will hop on a boat and be spending the next 8 days exploring the underwater environment.  How quickly a year has gone, some how, and it brings us back full circle to a true love and passion - the ocean.