The call of Machu Picchu
Justine Tyerman eats, drinks and dances her way to the Peruvian wonder.
Hiram Bingham III talked of Machu Picchu’s mystical power when he came upon the ancient Inca citadel in 1911.
The American explorer and historian wrote: ‘‘In the variety of its charms and the power of its spell, I know of no place in the world which can compare with it.’’
There is certainly an indefinable aura and magnetism about Machu Picchu that touches the spirit and inspires thoughts about time, space and the cosmos.
From a ridge high above the citadel, it’s an electrifying, heart-stopping sight, especially on a pristine winter day. I had a sense of disbelief that after years of yearning to visit Machu Picchu, this genius of architecture and engineering, one of the most famous archaeological sites on the planet, lay literally at my feet.
The Incas built the citadel in the 15th century (1450 to 1460) on the most inaccessible of sites – a long, narrow ridge between the peaks of Machu Picchu and the horn-shaped Wayna Picchu (also known as Huayna Picchu), 2430m above the valley floor. On three sides, there are near perpendicular drops to the valley floor where the Urubamba
River coils around the foot of the mountains like a snake.
Over the decades, many theories have been advanced as to the role played by Machu Picchu but archaeologists now believe it was the mountain retreat of the great Inca emperor Pachacutec, known as ‘‘He who shakes the Earth’’, who lived from 1438 to 1471.
It was a sacred place where the Incas worshipped their gods and observed the cosmos, the weather and astronomical phenomena. The Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three Windows and the Intihuatana Stone are among many structures dedicated to Inti, the sun god. They are perfectly aligned with the position of the sun and stars throughout the year.
Exploring the temples, dwellings, terraces and pathways trod by Inca nobles and priests more than 500 years ago, I sensed the spiritual energy and power of the place, a feeling reinforced by my visit coinciding with a solar eclipse. To witness such a phenomenon at Machu Picchu’s Temple of the Sun was spine-tingling. And thanks to a generous Chilean woman who had come all the way from Santiago to Peru armed with special 3D glasses, I was able to view the sun in mid-eclipse, obscured by a black sickle-shaped shadow – a defining moment in my life.
It was fitting that such a day began at Poroy Station in Cusco with a sacred Inca ritual to pay homage to Pachamama, Mother Earth, a goddess revered by the indigenous people of the Andes.
Travelling to Machu Picchu on the iconic train named in honour of Hiram Bingham III, who rediscovered the city of the Incas a century ago and introduced it to the modern world, also seemed appropriate.
The luxurious Belmond Hiram Bingham was launched in 2003 and since then it has transported thousands of passengers through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Aguas Calientes at the foot of Machu Picchu mountain. From the moment I set foot on the train station platform, I was caught up in the magic and excitement of the experience.
Champagne and canapes circulated on silver trays as a troupe of lively young performers danced and twirled to drum, flute and guitar music against the backdrop of the train in its shiny navy blue and gold livery.
After boarding, we were seated in an elegant 1920s-pullman-style restaurant carriage furnished in reds and golds with burnished brass and polished wood, and treated to a delectable lunch of produce grown on the land we were travelling through – skewers of beef, native potatoes, grilled corn, palm heart salad, asparagus and banana passionfruit mousse.
Blessed with a perfect day, I spent the remainder of the three-hour, 20-minute journey in the open-sided carriage at the rear of the train, basking in the sunshine and drinking in the spectacular landscape . . . and the occasional Bloody Mary from the bar conveniently located right beside the observation car.
The atmosphere was festive, fun and friendly, with passengers singing along to tunes played by the talented resident trio, Sabor Sentimiento.
The terrain was ever-changing – a patchwork of plains known as ‘‘the breadbasket of Cusco’’ – snowy mountain peaks and gleaming glaciers, perpendicular red cliffs towering high on either side of the train, deep ravines with swiftly flowing rivers, tall cacti with fierce spikes, dusty adobe villages with terracotta-tiled roofs, and lush, green cloud forests where wild orchids grow.
The Belmond Hiram Bingham travels at a leisurely pace so you see detail along the way. I spotted a woman knitting while she watched over her tethered sheep as they grazed. She was wearing a black top hat, a brightly coloured full skirt and carrying a baby in a blanket tied around her shoulders. She smiled and waved at me which made me feel a little less like an intruder passing indifferently through her land.
Travelling through the Sacred Valley, you soon realise that Machu Picchu is only one of many Inca treasures in the region. Just beyond
Ollantaytambo Station, there’s a massive fortress with large stone terraces cut into the hillside. Qorihuayrachina is another area rich in archaeological sites including a mountain-top citadel that was home to 1000 people at the height of the Inca Empire. One day I’ll hike the four-day, 42km Camino Inca and explore all the historic sites along the way . . . if I’m ever fit enough to carry a pack at altitudes as high as 4200 metres.
After 112km, the train reached its final destination at Aguas Calientes (2040m), where we boarded a bus up the zig-zag road to Machu Picchu.
Our guide Rudier led us up steep steps to a vantage point high above the citadel to gain an elevated perspective of the site before an in-depth tour of the various zones – the Sacred District with its many temples; the District of Priests and Nobility where dwellings of superior architecture, stonework and size were built; and the Popular District inhabited by servants who lived in more modest houses.
At the southern end of the city, the Incas cut giant steps into the mountainside for the cultivation of crops. These broad terraces (andenerias) supported by stone walls also stabilised the steep hillsides and facilitated drainage. They are now home to llamas which roam freely among the ruins.
As the sun slipped behind the horizon, I gazed at the ancient stone city in the shadow of Wayna Picchu and remembered Hiram Bingham’s words about ‘‘the power of its spell’’. There’s an energy force at Machu Picchu like no other.
Before descending the mountain, I took time to reflect over high tea at Belmond Sanctuary Lodge just a few steps from the entrance to the citadel. The lodge is the perfect place to stay when visiting Machu Picchu but it’s booked up so far in advance, we returned by train to Cusco, another experience not to be missed.
En route back to the city, Sabor Sentimiento stepped up the tempo and the Belmond Hiram Bingham morphed into a party train. Dancing with a trainload of merry strangers as we chugged on through the dark night was a surreal contrast to the spirituality of the day. Everyone was on a frenetic high after Machu Picchu.
The only time I sat down was to indulge in a magnificent four-course a la carte dinner and fine wines served in the elegant dining car. It was quiet and refined there compared to the noisy atmosphere at the tail end of the train. But I couldn’t wait to get back to my maracas. Where did all this energy come from?