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"The Inca Trail is not for me"

Visiting Peru

Annette
2005-08-29 23:19:47

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There are various theories, from legendary fortress to home of the women "keepers of the sun" (based on the discovery of over fifty burial sites, most of which contained female skeletons.) Much of the exquisite stonework is ornamental, there are altars and an intricate canal system, and it is assumed that Machu Picchu was indeed a sacred ceremonial site. Whatever the original function of this inaccessible city was, scholars have concluded that Machu Picchu flourished during the classical Inca period (1438 to 1532), a conclusion they reached based on discoveries of pottery and metal objects.

How can I best describe Machu Picchu? It is a sprawling set of ruins, surrounded by lushly green hills that jet out all around as far as the eye can see. The Inca Trail leads right up to the southwestern entry, where agricultural terraces extend as far as the ruins, or urban sector, to the East. The remains of the buildings have been identified as ceremonial baths, temples, a royal palace, plazas, and residential as well as industrial sections. One of the most popular spots within Machu Picchu is a major Inca shrine called the "Inti Huatana". It is a carved rock on top of a hill, used by Inca astronomers to tell the solstices. Many visitors can be observed touching the rock, or holding flat palms just an inch above its surface. It is believed that energy is especially powerful around this stone, and that it can be felt by the sensitive as a subtle resistance.

The setting for the ruins is breathtaking. Easily, half a day can be spent here, wandering around and enjoying the incredible views down into the valley. Looking around, a quiet corner may be found, from which one can imagine who lived here and what it may have been like when the walls were solid, roofs thatched with straw, and lanes were inhabited with brightly clad people.

It's been many centuries since the Inca kingdom was at its height. What has endured are the Andes, the jungle, rivers, the Sacred Valley. I've always attempted to find an especially befitting attribute when thinking of a country. Peru strikes me as wild, untamed and maybe untamable. I listen to the music and see the rhythmic dances of the locals. It is a light-hearted music, one that lets listeners soar with it, like the famed condor that circles high above. Descendants of the Inca still live in these mountains, along these rivers, cultivating terraces, stoically attempting to preserve their way of life in spite of many outside influences. These influences are everywhere, starting with the sprawling capitol Lima, which has attracted country people in hopes of finding work. They are apparent in inland jungles fought over by environmentalists who would like to maintain the abundant wildlife in national parks and developers, who would like to build modern hotels for tourists. As a result, indigenous tribes feel they often are left out of the decision making process, with changes coming from quarters insensitive to their needs. At historic landmarks like Machu Picchu, helicopters are allowed to fly in tourists, thereby disturbing not only the peaceful ambience of the ruins, but potentially damaging them. Examples like these make me express the hope that travelers consider it a privilege to see this spectacular site and "tread softly", while the powers in charge of tourism take a less shortsighted approach, to preserve this heritage not only for visitors who come from all corners of the world, but for their own people.

(August 1999)

All photos by Annette Solyst

copyright Annette Solyst