The Lima Peru LDS Temple Mission: Machu Picchu with friends...

On Thursday of this week we returned from our trip to Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu. We had noted earlier in emails and FB posts the difficulty of putting into words the grandeur and beauty of Machu Picchu. It's attraction, both in its mountain top setting and the craftsmanship with which it was built, was described in a 1983 UNESCO designation as a World Heritage Site as "an absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilization." The Inca ruled the Andean region of South America beginning in the area around Cusco in about 1200 CE to become the largest of all pre-Colombian civilizations. The Incan Empire like those that preceded it and even the fate of the Spanish Conquistador Ferdinand Pizarro ended in bloodshed at the point of a weapon. Yet, the technology, building, the civilization, and accomplishments of the Inca were an accumulation of many cultures that came and went prior to their rise in the 13th century. Among the favorites for RuthAnn and I are the Moche ceramics, so lifelike and finely crafted, along with Huari textiles and tapestries.

Moche ceramic pitcher, note the lifelike features

Jeff, Connie, RA, George and Miky

February is a rainy month and we were warned to bring ponchos which we needed only for brief periods. We were told the Inca Trail was closed. We were not interested in hiking it in any case, but that also meant far fewer tourists and visitors. Turns out February is one of the best months for visiting Machu Picchu. The site is being threatened by it's popularity being named as one of the seven great wonders of the modern world. Peru has not always managed the site well, though the government is working hard these days to preserve this valuable asset of their country's past. The filming of a beer commercial some years ago damaged the Intihuatana Stone of which there are so few found in Peru. Steps have been taken by the national government to prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future. Helicopter flights over the area once granted have now been banned.

G and RA at the Intihuatana, a solar observatory

Intihuatana stones, a name derived from Quechua, by the American explorer Hiram Bingham were numerous throughout Incan lands as they were astronomical observatories and timepieces which told the farmers when to plant their crops each year. The Spanish systematically had them destroyed among many other Incan treasures and masterpieces. The value of Machu Picchu today is due to the fact it was never conquered/looted by the Spanish. Though Bingham, a Yale University lecturer, gets the credit for "discovering" it, others came before and in fact there were Quechua living and farming in portions of the ruins when Bingham arrived 100 years ago. He, like the Spanish before him, carried off all the treasure he could back to Yale to be studied. More than 5,000 artifacts were taken. Only this past November has Yale University agreed to return to Peru the treasure taken from Machu Picchu. NPR and others have carried the story of the eventual return of these artifacts to Peru.

The Sun Temple where twice a year the sun shines through one of two windows marking the solstices

There are a number of theories about why it was built and for what purposes, as noted in an earlier post. My favorite theory is one being promoted by archaeologist Johann Reinhard that it was largely used for religious purposes. There are numerous examples of astronomical alignments and observatories found there. The Inca had great respect and worshipped their world of mountains, rivers, valleys, and lands. These same thoughts were indelibly impressed on us as we visited Machu Picchu. It is a deeply reverential and awe inspiring place.

Seen from the beginning of the trail entering and leaving

We look forward to future visits to Machu Picchu. We were grateful our friends Jeff and Connie came all the way from Utah to enjoy this trip with us. Our time was limited and there is much more to learn and to appreciate on our next visi.