When news of the invaders reached the inhabitants of the citadel today called Machu Picchu, they fled. They would not allow the Spanish to reach that sacred place; abandonment seemed like the better option. With no prey to hunt, the town would remain hidden, undetected.
Or at least, that’s what we hypothesise. There is so little we know beyond guessing. But the reality is that the Spanish never discovered Machu Picchu – which, by the way, is the name of the mountain. No one knows what the citadel was actually called, or what its real purpose was.
Yet, after years of yearning to visit, I can tell you one thing: it’s not as beautiful as it looks in the pictures. It is astoundingly glorious. Perhaps my spirits were influenced by the long hours trekking through the mountains and the lack of sleep. My emotions were right on the surface, my heart in my throat. But it felt truly magical.
With a ticket for 6 am, a thick but fast-moving mist covered the view. Slowly, the curtain was being drawn to reveal the exact image I had seen in so many books, magazines, and documentaries. As I write this, I still find it unbelievable.
The discovery stories we hear are often only partially true – just one interpretation of the facts. The American Hiram Bingham often gets credit for reaching Machu Picchu first. In fact, he was simply the person who made it famous. Locals knew of its existence, even lived nearby and used the terraces for farming. More importantly, nine years before Bingham’s arrival in 1911, Agustín Lizárraga, a Peruvian farmer from Cusco, had already been there. The difference was resources – Bingham had money, the backing of Yale University, and later the prestigious National Geographic Society behind him.
The funny part is that Bingham got the identity of Machu Picchu wrong. He thought he had found Vilcabamba, the lost city of the Incas known as their last refuge. In fact, he had found Vilcabamba too, but didn’t think it was grand enough to merit the title…
It is estimated the Incas built Machu Picchu around 1450, and that it was completely abandoned by 1572. This means the city was “lost” for about 340 years. As the Incas probably intended, it was left in the hands of Nature. She took over – at 2,430 metres altitude, the climate isn’t at all comparable to Cusco. It’s much warmer and more humid, a favourite combination for lush flora. When Hiram found the ruins, they certainly didn’t look like they do today; they were covered in thick, dense vegetation.
I think this is beautiful, and it reminds me a little of Angkor Wat in Cambodia or Palenque in Mexico. Abandoned for so many years, Nature served as a protector. The Spanish conquistadores never found Machu Picchu, which is the main reason it remains so well preserved today.
Once I was inside the old citadel exploring, I listened to what our guide, Julio, was telling us about what is known -and unknown – about the ruins. Again, I found myself analysing the stonework closely, discerning fine masonry from rustic work to deduce the use of each space. I used my imagination to draw the missing wooden doors and straw roofs, imagining people walking around going about their day. It was hard work for my tired brain. If those stones could talk! If only I could touch them and somehow open a vision into the past. Just a peek. Even if just for a minute.
I often find myself wishing I were a time traveller. Just to observe – I know it wouldn’t be right to intervene, as much as I would love to have stopped the Spanish. I wonder what Peru would be today if the Spanish had never arrived. Would the Incas still be here, modernised, perhaps with a writing system of their own? Bearing in mind how advanced they were, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were living in a future I cannot even imagine – advanced medicine and engineering, but existing in harmony with Nature.
When we went back to Aguas Calientes, I felt so glad we had taken the 6 am ticket. I felt like I had a front-row seat to one of the main spectacles of the day: the mist dissipating to reveal that breathtaking view. By mid-morning, when we returned to town, the queue for the bus was extraordinarily long.
We walked around for a bit. Aguas Calientes is very much a tourist town, and there is something about such places that feels a little unnatural. Still, I have to say the restaurants where we ate were fantastic – largely because Julio chose the places himself. He lives there, so he knows where to take his guests.
The Salkantay Trek was officially over. We received a certificate of accomplishment and a t-shirt that I will treasure forever. Then, it was time to board the train to Ollantaytambo. I had been there earlier on my tour of the Sacred Valley – it holds one of the largest archaeological sites in the region.
From there, we were driven to Cusco in a van. The journey was long, and I was exhausted. We reached Cusco just past 8 pm. I returned to my hotel, where my large suitcase was already waiting in the room allocated for the final leg of my trip.
I made it. I completed the trek. And I had been privileged to finally stand in Machu Picchu. With those thoughts, I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Love,
Nic
P.S. Some links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to book through them. This does not affect the price you pay and my suggestions are not sponsored. These were places where I stayed and genuiely recommend 🙂
Where I stayed in Cusco: Casa Montes San Blas. Book here
I booked my trek with Salkantay Trekking.
The Winged Bone 