Peru Trip – the exploration side
Machu Picchu
Although
our trip to Peru was mainly a medical mission we also took the time to do a
little exploring in the country. This
gave the volunteers a chance to meet new people, and learn a little more of the
culture. No one should visit Peru
without seeing Machu Picchu.
Inca ruins
and Incan culture are all over and around the Cusco area. Cusco was the center
of the Inca civilization, and the name means navel, or center of the
world. The ancient Inca’s language
continues as many of the population speak Quechua. Cusco is considered one of the oldest cities
in the Americas. We walked down streets
paved with large stones laid by the Inca builders, marveled at Cathedrals built
by the Spanish, and walked home along these stone streets enjoying street
lights and passing cars and buses.
On our last
full day we took a trip out of Cusco to see one of the Modern Wonders of the
World, Machu Picchu. The trip started
early. A bus picked us up at our hotel,
before breakfast or coffee. The bus took
us through Cusco, climbed the hills and passed by old fences, stores and
homes. We could see people walking to
work, waiting on buses and sweeping their courtyards. Once out of town we began driving through
grasslands with snow covered mountains in the distance. As the sun rose and mist burned off, the
views were spectacular. We passed a farm
with llamas in the front yard.
These two pictures were taken from the bus
The bus
stopped in the town of Aguas Calientes, where we boarded a train. The train was modern and clean, and full of
windows. We sat in booths, and were
served coffee and muffins and breads.
The train ran alongside a river, and we watched the landscape change
from hardwoods and eucalyptus trees to vines and jungle plants. The train ride was very pleasant, and with
windows along the side and over the roof we were able to see everything. Finally the train stopped and we disembarked
into the middle of a tent-covered shopping mall full of tourist items. We walked in tightly squeezed lines beside
stores selling water bottles, snacks, and t-shirts. Our line moved so slowly we all bought extra
water bottles and never left our spot.
Finally we loaded a bus for the final drive from the town of Machu
Picchu to the historic site of Machu Picchu.
This final
dirt road zigzagged its way up the side of the mountain. In Cusco we were at 11,000 feet above sea
level. We had climbed a pass to leave
the town, and then slowly worked our way down to the town of Machu Picchu. The bus took us back up to 8,000 feet. We finally arrived, showed our passports and
received a stamp. We walked along a tree
lined path, climbed a little, turned a corner, and there it was. The beautiful Inca camp arose before us,
filling all our vision, everything we could see. We stood in awe, enjoying the view of the
stone walls, green terraces, and the tall conical shaped green mountain looking
over the whole valley.
The view
was almost overwhelming, and for a while we stood on the path, blocking the way
for other visitors. Luckily we had a
member of our church who was also a local tour guide. He led us up to a ledge where we could listen
to his information and learn a little of the history of the area.
Socrates
stood at the edge of this ledge while we backed up against walls to
listen. He pointed out to us the
terraces, the layout of the living area, work area and the area for
worship. He explained to us that the
stonework was of extreme high quality, but the worship and priest buildings had
the best workmanship. Next the royalty
had high quality work, and then the still good but lesser work was done for the
common people. We could see terraces,
the buildings and even a few alpacas keeping the lawn under control.
The Inca’s
built aqueducts to bring water in, and waterproofed them with agave pulp. The first king that commissioned the city had
it laid out for agriculture, living and worship. As we walked along a pathway we came to an
area that was a known fault line, nothing had been built on it. We wound around through buildings and
courtyards. At one spot we came upon a
rock laid out perfectly with the four corners of the compass. Some areas of the walk bothered people that
had a fear of heights. At first it was
hot and sunny, then a huge storm formed on the mountains. We felt cool breezes and watched the rain on
the mountains. Thunder rolled, but the
actual storm passed us by.
After the
official tour we wandered along paths, snapping pictures and generally enjoying
every minute. Two ladies and I found a
grassy spot to just sit and snack and look.
Later we returned to town for a late lunch. It was restful to eat on a balcony, looking
over the town, and listening to the roar of the river below.
Finally we took the train back and boarded the
bus. I could see stars for the first
time all week. I saw Orion, and then the
Milky Way. In Spanish it is the
Celestial Space, el espacio celestial. There
were so many stars, and with us climbing up in altitude, the sky looked like a
carpet of stars just out of reach. With
tears in my eyes I prayed. It was a
close to God and full of wonder moment at the end of a magical day.
While in the bus many of our group
fell asleep but I couldn’t stop looking at the stars. There are times when nature just reaches out
to me, to talk to me and to let me know there is a beauty beyond our
understanding. I get glimpses, such as
the wonderful views of the mountains and the preserved history, but that night
with such a clear and star filled sky, I could almost hear angels singing. I took this mission trip with a hope that
working with other Christians would help increase my faith, and it did. Even so, that night bus ride, at the end of
such a special day, with a sky so filled with stars that the immensity of it
all was beyond imagining, that was the moment I needed. Thank you.
