Tambomachay8

GO TO PERU: MACHU PICCHU AND THE SACRED VALLEY

PHOTO: LINDSAY THOMAS

PHOTO: LINDSAY THOMAS

PHOTO: LINDSAY THOMAS

TAMBOMACHAY is situated at just 9 km (5.6 mi) from Cusco, in the side of a hill. It is believed that the Incas may have used this complex for religious ceremonies either directly dedicated to water wor-shipping, or for other rituals that included the use of flowing water.

The Tambomachay site is composed of a liturgical fountain and three terraces, consisting of a series of thoughtfully engineered aqueducts, canals and waterfalls that run through the terraces. The struc-ture has 3 levels and as was common amongst Inca buildings, this one has also been built with perfect-ly fitting together unequal-shaped bricks without the usage of mortar. Even after many centuries, the stones still appear well-polished and strongly stick to one another.

At the Tambomachay site there are two fountains that constantly function throughout the year, whether it is the rainy or dry season. The crystal-clear water is sometimes drunk by tourists who come here, as it is rumored to be a “fountain of youth,” but locals also use it for drinking and wash-ing as well. (We here at Lonely Planet advise you not to drink from Tambomachay! In order to avoid any possible parasitic contamination, we strongly advise you to drink only bottled water.)

Tambomachay is usually never busy or overrun with tourists. It is one of the places in the Sacred Valley where you can feel relaxed as you study and admire the brilliantly designed Inca construction, reflecting on your travels while taking in the scenic views of the valley and outlying mountains.

A pastoral view of the outlying valley and mountains from Tambomachay.

The crystal-clear water flows through both the rainy and dry seasons.

Machu Picchu 5

The Machu Picchu area is teeming with an extremely diverse variety of flora and fauna.

There are 372 different species of orchids in the Machu Picchu area. These are Sobralia dichotoma orchids (top right).

Wild llamas thrive in the cloud forest around Machu Picchu (middle).

Tread lightly and observe carefully, and you just may see an endangered Machu Picchu Arboreal Chinchilla Rat (bottom upper right).

WAYNA PICCHU is the most famous of several short walks around Machu Picchu. The climb up the steep mountain of Wayna (also spelled Huay-na) Picchu is located at the back of the ruins. At first glance it appears a difficult climb; but despite the steep ascent it’s not technically that hard (not taking into account the effects from the altitude, which is 2,720 m or 8,920 ft at its peak.) The up-ward climb, which on average takes 45-90 minutes, takes you through a short section of Inca tunnel.

The fabulous views from the top are definitely worth the huffing and puffing, even for trekkers just stumbling in off the Inca Trail. Take care in wet weather as the steps get dangerously slippery. Just beyond the central plaza between two open-fronted buildings is a registration booth where you must sign in. It is advised to work your way towards the registration booth upon entering Ma-chu Picchu in the morning, as guests wanting to climb Wayna Picchu are limited to 400 visitors daily, at staggered start times based on your position in the queue. The first 200 begin at 7:00 AM, with the second group starting at 10:00 AM.

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GO TO PERU: MACHU PICCHU AND THE SACRED VALLEY

PHOTO: diarosdebolivia.files.wordpress

PHOTO: DUSTIN KEIRSTEAD

PHOTO: DUSTIN KEIRSTEAD

PHOTO: RANKIN TIPPINS/svheartoftexas.com

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Lonely Planet Tip:One of the best deals for visitors to Cusco is the Boleto Turístico, a “tourist ticket” that gets you into 16 of the most important places of interest in and around Cusco, including some of the major draws in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

You can purchase a ticket at Cusco’s tourist offices and at most of the sights included on the ticket.

Entrance to the following Inca ruins are included with the ticket price: Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Puka Pukara, Tambomachay, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, Pikillacta, and Tipón.

Ticket Price is S/130 General or S/70 with valid student ID. Ticket is good for ten days. boletoturisticocusco.com

SACSAYHUAMAN is a walled complex on the northern outskirts of the city of Cusco, Peru, the former capital of the Inca empire. The complex is as many other Inca constructions, made of large pol-ished dry-stone walls, each boulder carefully cut to fit together tightly without mortar. The stones fit so perfectly that no blade of grass or steel can slide between them. The site, at an altitude of 3,701 m. (12,142 ft), was added as part of the city of Cusco to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983.

It is believed that Sacsayhuaman was built in the 15th century during Pachacutec and Tupac Yupan-qui’s ruling. Its construction lasted over a decade. It is said that more than 30,000 men were needed to build the giant superposed walls. The longest of the three Sacsayhuaman walls is about 400 me-ters long and 6 meters tall. Some of the limestone blocks that construct the walls weigh up to 300 tons. The transportation of the stone blocks at that time is quite astounding. Some of the larger lime-stone blocks had to be transported more than 50 miles across rugged mountainous terrains. As the Incas did not use wheeled vehicles such as chariots at the time, many enchantment and otherworldly theories (such as alien visitation), exist on the con-struction of Sacsayhuaman.

Every 24th of June, the day of the winter solstice, the Inti Raymi takes place in the grand square of the fortress to honor the Sun God the way the In-cas did in the past, though this time performed by archaeologists and historians, and geared towards tourists, which is why locals commonly refer to the event as “Gringo Raymi.”

Another interesting construction is the Muyucmarka, which is a small Inca ruin consisting of 3 concentric circles, all connected with radial walls. It is located within the Sacsayhuaman site.

In several locations, the stones were laid out to represent various sacred Incan animals. This is a llama in stone.