Today was our first visit to the Lost City of the Incas, but before we caught the train to Aguas Caliente, we made a stop at a local Chicharia. Chicharia is a local beer brewed from corn and sold in small shops or homes. When the Chicharia is available for sale, a red ball on a long pole is displayed outside. In addition to the beer, chicharias are a place for eating Cuys and playing a game called Sapo. Usually, Sapo is a gambling game with the loser buying the Chicharia, but in our case it was a learning experience. The object of the game is to score more points than your opponent by tossing coins at a table with a metal frog, and a number of holes with varying values. If a coin goes in the frog's mouth you score 5000 points, and the values go down from there. We divided into two teams, and I was happy to score 1,500 points, but one of my team mates, got 2 of her coins in the frog's mouth and scored 12,000 points. That is very unusual, Even among regular players.
After the game it was time for a demonstration of the Chicha making process
. It is a simple process and in about 24 hours produces a beer with a 2 percent alcohol content. I sampled both the regular version and also a variation that is usually drunk by the women, where the Chicha is mixed with strawberry juice. That one was quite tasty, but at 10 am, a little was enough.
Then it was on to the train station in Ollantaytambo where we caught our single car electric train to Aguas Caliente. The trip took about an hour and 45 minutes, but since we travelled though the Urubamba Gorge, we were able to enjoy the beautiful scenery and eat a box lunch. On arrival our bags went to the hotel but we went straight to the bus stop for our 25 minute ride to Machu Picchu.
In the Quechua language, Machu Picchu means Old Mountain. It is a pre Columbian 15th century Inca site located just 7,970 feet above sea level. Most archeologists believe that it was built as an estate for the great emperor, Pachacuteq. It is often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas, because although it was known locally, it was unknown to the outside world until it was found by Hiram Bingham in 1911. On his first visit he spent less than one day on the site which was covered with dense vegetation. However, he returned in 1912 on an expedition funded the National Geographic, and then it attracted international attention. Since the site was never known to the Spanish during their conquest. It is very significant as a relatively intact Inca cultural site. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
It is difficult to describe my thoughts and feelings when I first viewed the site, and my photos can't capture it's beauty. I am in awe of the architectural and engineering skill of its builders and their knowledge of astronomy. We spent about 5 hours exploring the grounds and left only when the site was closing at 5:30.
On to Machu Picchu
Sunday, June 03, 2012
Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Peru
Other Entries
Comments

2025-02-12
Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank
Marianne
2012-06-08
Machu Picchu looks absolutely amazing. I imagine you could spend days exploring the site. It sounds like you are having a great adventure! All status quo here; trying to get folks to go to Honfest but not having luck so far.