Oh, that Machu Picchu

by Maja Osmanagic (Canada)

A leap into the unknown Peru

1:00 a.m. 2:00 a.m. Then 3:30 a.m. Hardly any sleep came to our eyes – excitement and anticipation mounting for our climb. 4 a.m. We’re up! Breakfast is served in our hostel, next to our crammed room with three beds. Pan blanco y café con leche! Perfecto. We venture into the dark, along a rocky gravel pathway, tourists buzzing on all sides, a raging river to our left. An irrational fear overtakes me: what if I misstep and fall right in? I can’t see a thing! No flashlights lighting our way. It’s about a two hour climb to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes. Our hopes? To get there and see the sunrise illuminate the ancient ruins. The climb, our leap into the unknown, not sure what we expect to find. The climb is not overly friendly and you need some stamina. The three of us stop often, one stronger than the others. All our climbing companions salute each other as they persevere. We arrive at the entrance, a busload arriving with tourists, perky, not having climbed into the dawn. It’s anticlimactic really – to arrive at the top and then line up, hit the bathroom, and enter amongst the beehive of activity. Was there not an Incan ceremony to await us? Una ceremonia para reverenciar el Inti, el dios del Sol de los Incas? We enter and it hits us! The Sun God has smiled upon us; the sun is coming out, we behold the majesty that is ‘Old Mountain’ in Quechua. A 15th century Inca citadel located in the Cusco Region it is believed that Machu Picchu was constructed as a royal estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472) and his nobles. It could have also been a sacred religious site due to its unique characteristics. This icon of Incan civilization was built around 1450, at the height of the Inca Empire, and was abandoned some 100 years later when the Spaniards began their conquest. The site gained global exposure in 1911 through the American historian Hiram Bingham. It was believed that more than 500 people made Machu Picchu home at peak times, with farming on the man-made terraces and more than 150 types of buildings (baths, houses, temples and sanctuaries). It has many archaeological treasures: the Intihuatana, Temple of the Sun, Room of the Three Windows, Temple of the Condor, Principal Temple, and the Guardhouse. The Intihuatana, for example, is a ritual stone – possibly a sundial – connected with the astronomic clock or calendar of the Inca in South America. The sun God, Inti, was indeed very revered. I wonder: What would have my life been like there? It was a perfectly clear day, a million pathways that you could take to explore an ancient civilization. We fumble around, our local connection an agile guide. We snap some pics, no, actually, far too many pics! We even have ourselves a little siesta in the grass, minutes and vistas of those moments still etched in my brain. We continue climbing a steep hill to get a better vantage point, the popular Huayna Picchu sold out. When our feet give out, we see it. Machu Picchu, a speckle on the bottom. We did it! Poorly prepared but driven by our youth and desires to discover this wonder. Alison, Sherilyn and myself, Maja. We leave the site, Arica, Chile bound. Impressions abound. Our hearts, souls and eyes have seen wonders, not just ‘a’ seventh new world wonder. Oh, that Machu Picchu, you have captured my imagination of a time past, of an era unknown to me. Hope others get to see you in sunshine and forever marvel in your offerings. An incredibly meaningful bucket list item. I thank you, and wish you peace, preservation and many more lightly treading visitors. You welcomed three such visitors in the spring of 2014, after a year spent volunteering in Bolivia. Los sentimientos nos acercaron a una vida sencilla pero dura. Que seria vivir en esa epoca de Machu Picchu? Tu, Machu Picchu, solo sabras esos secretos. Y no quiero que me los digas. Guardalos para que cada turista los sienta. Eres pura magia inolvidable. Oh, that Machu Picchu, my everlasting wonder. My leap into the unknown.