María en Latinoamérica: Machu Picchu and more Cuzco

Wow, where to begin. We have been staying in Cuzco, and it is wonderful to feel like you have a ¨home¨, or at least a homebase. It is a beautiful city with so much going on-- it is a city that depends on tourism, which makes it a crossroads of the world and time: international modern trends meet old incan tradition in sometimes jarring ways (women dressed in traditional incan attire begging outside of five star hotels for example). Cuzco is the oldest continously inhabited city on the continent, and its rich history as well as it´s proximity to Machu Picchu (the ¨lost¨city of the Incas, recently named one of the seven modern wonders of the world) make it a city that has long been host to tourists from all over the world.

Two days ago, we boarded our train to Aguas Calientes- the city outside of Machu Picchu. It was a great train ride and I spent much of it mesmorized by the people and places we passed by. Women working in the fields with children wrapped in colorful bundles on their backs, barefooted children in torn ragged sweaters grinning ear to ear and waving as we passed by, and the penetrating wary stare of men and women, working tirelessly to support their families on a dollar a day, and the pain having to watch a train of rich tourists pass them by daily. The landscape too, the rough rocky terrain of the mountains seemlingly inhospitable bearing beautiful tall trees, is a striking metaphor for the resilience of the Peruvian people. Even being born into the most dire of circumstances (Peru is one of the poorest countries in South America with 44% of it´s population living below the poverty line), there is still hope, and courage, and yes, a perservering love of the land and its people.

Upon arriving in Aguas Calientes, we spent the day exploring the town, honeing our bartering skills for meals, and taking in the general mystical beauty. It is breathtakingly beautiful- the deep bluish-green Andes mountains, rather than being gradual accending giants as in the states, jut straight up into the heavens, the peaks barely visible through the mist and clouds. You are literally dwarfed by your surroundings. The next morning we awoke at 4:30am to begin our 8km trek up the mountain. It was dark and pouring rain as we began our hike. It only took us an hour and a half to trek the 1000ft up the mountain, but much of it was brutally difficult for me, exacerbatted by the fact that I was carrying a 20 pound backpack. But we made it up the hill in time for the rain to stop and we were met by our guide, Guido. He led us into the reserve all the while telling us of the history and significance of the site. Machu Picchu was built around 1460 and was abandoned around 100 years later, during the Spanish conquest. Although known locally, it was not ¨discovered¨until 1911 by Hiram Bingham. Why it was abandoned and the exact purpose of the city is still a matter of debate, but what is absolutely certain is its importance as a cultural center and sacred place.

I cannot express in words the moment we turned the corner and saw Machu Picchu and the great Andes laying out before us. I have never witnessed such breathtaking beauty and all that we could muster was ¨Wow.... wow.¨ The extreme intellect, the mathematical precision, the advanced agricultural system, and of course the mammoth stonework required of a civilization to create this place is austounding. You truly feel humbled upon entering and exploring this space. There was a moment while taking in the splendor that I felt agitated, that the same indigenous groups that could create such a marvel of math, science, agriculture, and architecture, could be so brutally marginalized by society today.

So, now we are back in Cuzco for a couple days before heading off to Lake Titicaca, which at 12500 ft is the world´s highest navigable lake, and home to the Aymara people. Wish us luck for a less turbulent bus ride ;)