MACHU PICCHU

The mist-cloaked lost city of the Incas in the most famous sight in all of South America.

The citadel is built of rock at an altitude of 7,710 feet, on the saddle of a mountain flanked by sheer drops to the Urubamba Valley below. It was never sacked by the Spanish  as they failed to find it, instead Machu Picchu was simply abandoned and left to nature to reclaim. The exquisite Inca stonework has withstood the ravages of time, but its function still remains speculative.

Experts speculate that it served as a place of worship, a sign  for tracking stars, and the ninth Inca emperor, Pachacutec's country hacienda. 

Sacred Rock is said to have been an altar for mountain and river gods.

Intihuatana - The stone was used by the Incas as a precise indicator of the two solstices, which they then used to plan agricultural cycles. 

Sacred Plaza - The plaza is flanked by the Temple of the Three Windows on the east, the House of the High Priest to the south, and the back of the Principal Temple to the north. This fine structure was probably used for ceremonial rites. 

Skilled Architecture - The fine craftsmanship involved in building the structures here is evident: they are made of many-sided stone blocks fitted together flawlessly like pieces in a jigsaw and without mortar.

Temple of the Sun - Machu Picchu's only round building has two tower windows aligned to the points where the sun rises on the summer and winter solstices. 

Temple of the Condor- The temple earned its name from the two sslabs which form the bird's stylized outsperead wings and the head defined by the carved rock on the ground. 

The niches  as some historians believe that these were altars on which mummies were placed during the ceremonies that were devoted to the condor, one of the most important Inca deities. 

Window for the Solstices - This is aligned to the points where the sun rises on the summer and winter solstices, the longest and the shortest days. 

The Royal Tomb - The steps represent the three levels of exisence in the Inca world - the snake (underworld), puma (present), and condor (celestial world). 

Meeting friends at the Sun Gate..........

The Inca Bridge.......

Anna Maria our guide........and Sarah.....our guide......

We made it!!!!

Animal friends at Machu Picchu.......

Blending in.........

Aguas Calientes -

this is where the train stopped for Machu Picchu, and we took a bus to the top....we stayed at the Sanctuary Lodge at the top of Machu Picchu, and the entrance to the gate......

A hairless Peruvian dog......