"Home of the Flying Eagles"
The Incas, who once were the prime occupants of the Peruvian area where I am, are noted for their strength as rulers, for their panpipes that make the beautiful, breathy music, and, to me, for their continuous herding of lamas. Historically, that is not the case. The way they have dazzled the world is through their skill in cutting rock in such a way as to create seamless perfection. And they did their seemingly impossible tasks with tools available to A D 600 to A D 1400 workers Some of their most remarkable stone work is in Cusco, Peru, near my primary final destination of Machu Picchu before returning home.
There is, of course, one city the Spanish did not manage to destroy during their long occupation of much of South America. It is Machu Picchu. They did not destroy it because they never found it. The jungle had reclaimed the area, thus hiding it. Not until 1911 did a Yale historian named Hiram Bingham discover the ruins of Machu Picchu. Today, November 4, I travel from Cusco to this ancient city by a little train puffing and clattering alongside the green Urubamba River, a tributary to the Amazon. Three hours by rail and a 20 minute bus ride, and Gena and I are there – Machu Picchu, one of the true wonders of the world. The buildings that appear seem truly superhuman. To quote Arthur Frommer, the famous guidebook writer, “The ruins of the complex rank as the top attraction in Peru, arguably the greatest in South America, and for my money, one of the world’s most stunning sights. Countless photographs of the ruins can’t do it justice.”
My wife and I had heard that, unless we saw Machu Picchu at daybreak, by staying overnight at the only hotel right on the site, the Sanctuary Lodge, we really would miss one of the best parts. It only costs $758 U.S. each, double occupancy. It stated the price was without meals. That was not true. The price was all-inclusive. We stayed at the site for one night! (It actually was worth it, or either my senility is starting to set in.)
Frank Heatherly
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