Manchu Picchu, Peru

Dec 2001

The lost city of Manchu Picchu lies 2400m up in the mountains. No one really knows why it is there or what it was used for.  Many say it was a religious centre, some say it was a city for the chosen women who catered to the Inca's needs, other's say it was a frontier fortress on the edge of the Inca empire.  Current thinking is that whatever it was, it was already an uninhabited, forgotten city at the time of the Spanish conquest.  Which would explain why no one mentioned it to the Spanish and why it was only discovered in 1911 by an American called Hiram Bingham.

I have to say that I found it (and the other ruins on the trail) a little frustrating because of the lack of knowledge on what it was used for.  Nonetheless, it's picturesque and well worth the trek to get there (actually, I think I enjoyed the trek and being outdoors more - probably a sympton of being in London too long).

Manchu Picchu

We woke up at around 4.30am to get to Manchu Picchu at 7.00am.  It was a great walk and we were among the first people there.  Great for photos free of thousands of people.

Manchu Picchu and the mountain of Huanya Picchu.

My 'Been there, got the t-shirt' shot.

Dan's 'Been there, got the t-shirt' shot.  Looks like the boy is going skiing - not trekking.

Shrouded in mist mysterious entrance to Manchu Picchu (I think).

The Watchman's Hut or Hut of the Caretaker of the Funerary Rock. 

The Torrean was probably a Sun Temple as the Inca's normally reserved rounded buildings for temples (according to the guidebook anyway)

Tomb of the Princess underneath the Torrean

Central Plaza and the Three Doorways (on right hand side).

Amazing stonework on the House of the High Priest.

The Temple of the Three Windows.

Principal Temple.

Ruins on the religious side of Manchu Picchu.

Three Doorways Building or House of the Virgins.

View of the right hand side of the ruins.  Guide book says it's industrial and residential areas.

Marieke and Rachel.

View of the Temple of Three Windows from the central plaza.  Inca beliefs often came in threes.  The condor representing the sky, the puma representing the earth and the snake representing the underworld.

Huayna Picchu

View of Huayna Picchu, the small mountain overlooking Manchu Picchu and an ideal place to play air guitar.

Ramone crawling up the tunnel to get to the summit.  The climb to the top took roughly 45 minutes.

Members of the crew who could be bothered with the climb: Chris/Mike, Anna, Mark, Mike/Chris, Jeremy, Me, Ramone, Rachel, Scot. 

Jeremy at the top of Huayna Picchu.  He's obviously found a fun part of the rock to sit on.

FOR SALE: Historic mountain retreat high in the Andes.  Great views.  Needs a little work (roof, water, electricity, plumbing, etc.)

Also a great place to play air guitar.  I played Purple Rain by Jimmy Hendrix on my special left handed air guitar with pearl inlay and gold pickups that I had bought all the way from England.  It was a special moment ... rudely interrupted by Mark and Rachel clapping widely from the trail below (see below).

Hut for sale as viewed from below.  I played air guitar on the little platform to the right of the hut.

Manchu Picchu as viewed from Huayna Picchu

Llamas

Shaggy llama

Shaggy llama again.

Me and llama.

Yo baby!