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Machu Picchu – A Rainy Afternoon

In 1911, American historian Hiram Bingham published the finding of what came to be considered the “lost city” of the Incas, Machu Picchu.  Situated high up in the Andes Mountains, from a defensive perspective, it was in a perfect location.  What is amazing about these ruins was that the Inca’s conquerors, the Spanish, never made it to Machu Picchu, and may have never even known about it.  That means, they never destroyed what the Incas built, and what was found, and still exists.

Guard House with Roof

As we made the initial climb to see an overall view of Machu Picchu, we came across several of these types of structures.  They were the guard houses for the original entryway into Machu Picchu back during Inca times.

Ancient Maze

No, this really isn’t a maze, but it sort of looked like one to me.  This is only one part of the entire city, but look at the intricate layout of the buildings or rooms within a larger building.

Village with a View

This was one of the first views of Machu Picchu from higher up.  We weren’t as high up as one could possibly get, but it was as high as I could get!  You can see from this image how the city is set right in the Andes Mountains.  This was taken between raindrops, so the clouds are swirling around us and the city.

Look Down on the Guard Houses

From this vantage point, you can see more of the guard houses and some of the terraces throughout and around Machu Picchu.  Altho the stonework dates back to the Inca’s, I’m fairly certain the thatched roofs are replacements.

Sun Peeking Thru

As the afternoon wore on, the sun began to peek thru and replaced some of the rain.  In this image, we’re looking down on a stone patio that is next to the main square.  The main square is off to the right of this image.  Above the larger stone patio, you can see a smaller one higher up (about 33 stairs higher, by the way).  On that upper patio is a sun dial that was used by the Inca’s.

Sunshine and Rainbow

I stood on the lower, larger stone patio while the rest of the group climbed the 33 stairs to the sun dial.  As the sun peeked out while some showers, I thought perhaps conditions might be right to see a rainbow.  And, look what I found!  The rainbow nicely crowns the tree growing in the main square!  I sent this image to the nurse who gave us our immunizations we needed for this trip, and she said she’s seen Machu Picchu in person or via photos many, many times, but she had never seen a rainbow there!  I really felt doubly lucky when I heard that!

Clouds Lifting

I like this image for a few reasons.  First, I love how the Andes are now starting to be visible with the rain clouds being burned off by the sun.  It creates a more realistic image of what we saw.  I also like the way you can get a much better idea of how steep it is in Machu Picchu.  People asked me how steep it was there….well, take a look at this image and you’ll know the answer!

Mountain Setting

Again, I’m standing on that stone patio, this time looking across the main square at what were considered factory houses and the industrial zone of the city.  I love the clouds wisping around.  More to come in part 2 of this visit –

Enjoy!