Gramma Barbie Goes Global

Two surveying their kingdom – one keeping an eye on the intruders….

Many make the pilgrimage here on Spring and Summer solstice to see the sunlight enter the window and line up with the two lines on the rock inside.

There is controversy over what this area was used for.  Was it a mausoleum or a special temple or…..??  What I liked was the hourglass stonework….wow!  That hourglass had a waist that was just a couple of inches wide and the stones fit together perfectly.

the ‘bed’ at the back would have been piled high with llama skins, etc.  The rock in front had 2 round bowl like depressions in it for grinding grains.

MacchuPicchu is build on a mountainside – more stairs – more stairs – more stairs – oh, and did I mention, more stairs!  I kind of chuckled when I heard the day visitors complaining….what do they know about stairs???  The place was crowded and it was hard to get pictures without people or their shadows in them.  2500 people visit MachuPicchu on a daily basis!  This picture shows part of the stairway of fountains – the stairway is split with fountains between the 2 sets of stairs.

Theses are carved rocks intended to become part of the water system of MachuPicchu which is an incredible system.  There are troughs brining water to all parts of the city from a spring in the mountainside and drainage ditches as well.  There was a constant, and still is, supply of water to the city – so much for the theory that drought drove the people away.  The more likely theories are: 1.  The caretakers of the royal retreat realized that the royals would never return and slowly drifted away to easier ways of life- or – 2.  The Inca ruler ordered the evacuation of the city to avoid a devastating attack by the Spaniards who, by the way, never did find MachuPicchu.

My trekking family…………..at MachuPicchu.

The highest peak just behind MachPicchu is HuaynaPicchu and it was my goal for the following day…..the kids were not envious of my climb for the next day, they had had enough…..