Quechua people and their Inka

One thing we learned in Cuzco is that "Inka" is the title of a ruler; like Queen, Kaiser, Ceasar or Emporer. The people this Inka ruled were Quechua. Still to this day, many Quechua-speakers live in Peru, including in the more northern parts like around Huaraz.

Cusco - temple of the sun/convent in dramatic light.

Inga at one of the Inka sites near Cusco.

It´s amazing that with all the knowledge these people had, they did not develop a written language. Today, it is possible to learn Quechua in university - so you don´t have to be a native speaker learning it all at home from parents and grandparents. Its written language is based on Spanish, with a few more accents to denote the different sounds the language has.

Rock on rock - always in synch with what was there

Valle Sagrado. One of strategic Inka cities with 65,000 ha of terrasses.

Same site, new view.

Inga at Ollantaytambo.

Looking pleased. The building mid-mountain is a grainery

There were 14 Inkas (if I recall correctly). The Spanish could take over the empire so easily in part because it was in internal chaos: yes, the usual power struggles between the Inka´s off-spring.

View over the Cordillera from Chincero

Our team in Huaraz was Quechua. And the guides we had around Cusco were mesquites (mix of Spanish and indigenous).

:)

Peru Rail makes for a fun excursion

Valle Sagrado outside of Cusco.

Inga enjoying the ride to Aguas Calientes

We took the train from Cusco (actually Poroy Station about 25 minutes outside of Cusco) to Aguas Calientes which is the crazy tourist town at the foot of the mountains where Machu Picchu is located. The train takes about 4 hours and goes through some amazingly narrow valleys along the way. It also goes through parts of Valle Sagrado where the abundance of agricultural riches was evident.

KM 82. The beginning of the Inka Trail.

The Expedition train.

On the way there we took the Expedition train (which has great views out of windows on the roof, too) and on the way back the Vistadome. For a mere $12 more for the Vistadome train we got great andino food, surprising entertainment as soon as darkness set in, a fashion show (vicuña sweaters, anyone?) and a generally satisfying experience. I am glad we took the two different options  for a broader experience.

 

The wine we bought ... by the bottle.

... and drank during the 4-hour trip.

A traditional performance, surely by one of the attendants...

And these 2 provided the fashion show!

Quite the jokster outfit!

Machu Picchu photos

This post includes pics by both Jan and Inga. Machu Picchu and other sites in the Valle Sagrado and around Cusco, the Inka empire capital, were well worth the visit.

We are here.  The fog lifted eventually.

The famous view later in the day.

Rant alert: But after 4 days, I was done with the constant hussle that restaurants, massage parlours, tour operators, craft market vendors at ever single historic site subject tourists to. I mean I really am not going to buy all this stuff - at every single stop - or eat every 5 minutes! Yikes.

Note angle of wall. That´s earthquake-proof!

Yeah

Rant over.

Back to amazing experiences and views of an empire that, however shortlived it was, left some indelible evidence of its greatness.

The 2-hour tour we took (in Spanish :) was excellent. The guide kept it fresh and he was still excited about his subject which made it a great experience.

Ruins: 3 windows - Pachamama (Mother Earth). Fog. Inga. Nice.

These people used mountains and temples as sun clocks, to understand their world and dry and wet season. They were amazing farmers, creating terrasses with micro-climates to genetically engineer some important crops at higher altitudes.

Lovely how the clouds wafted up and over.

Terrasses and a quarry overlook the mountains and valley.

Having fun in the ruins.

Temple of the Sun. Just not on this day.

Machu Picchu - veni, vidi, vici

Oh, right, that´s Ceasar of Rome!

Anyhow, the Inkan architecture, astronomy, engineering, culture and religion seems to have been grand, indeed. Pachamama (mother earth) ruled. And even if the empire only lasted a short while, our guide did say that some people think that they continue to live in the unexplored jungle of Peru stil. Awaiting the return of the last Inka.

Our guide was very good. His telling of  the well-rehearsed 2-hour long story of Machu Picchu felt as fresh as ever. The fog did lift a little by mid-day and we did get some nice pics along with the knowledge :) We´ll add some when we get back to Cusco later on - this connection is too slow :(

The place in between ...

... is called Aguas Calientes.

Yes, we are in that tiny tourist haven where the train from Cuzco to Machu Picchu ends. Haven because it has all a typical tourist could possibly want - really: tons of local, artisan stuff to buy, plenty of hotels and hostels in all price ranges, many restaurants and bars all with people outside welcoming you vigorously to have a drink or reciting the menu highlights (guinea pig anyone?), oh and if you want a massage - there are 6 different ones on offer here, too.

All that to say, it´s not our usual sort of destination on this journey, but it suits our purpose: to visit Machu Picchu and not be rushed into the 5-hour window the day trip allows. As well, there are the thermal hotsprings which lend Aguas Calientes its name. As Jan can attest to, rightfully so.

We´ll meet our guide, Washington, tonight for a briefing about tomorrow´s visit. I am afraid it´ll be another very early morning. But if it is like all the other early mornings, it´ll be worth the wake-up call.

We´ve decided to go directly to Patagonia from this part of our journey. The careful reader will note that we have decided to leave Arequipa/Colca Canyon and the Chilean Atacama desert to our next south american adventure. 3 months is turning out to be kind of short ...