WEEK FIVE 8/5-8/13 Machu Picchu & Last Goodbyes
Do We Ever Fully Comprehend The Complexities Of Our World?
Upon our return from Rio Camante we had one more day of peaceful bliss before we departed the jungle town of Quincemil, which had so quickly become our home. Although the prospects of discovering the mysteries of Machu Picchu and other ancient speculations lie ahead, I was sad to leave for Cusco, where we would spend our remaining week.
When our last day arrives in Quincemil we are bemused by where the time has gone. We stroll up to a banana farm that overlooks Quincemil, collect a few plantas and bid to goodbye to the place that has allowed our minds to explore new aspects in such an unknown world.
The plan was to leave for Cusco at five so naturally we hit the road around 9PM. Spanish salsa music filled the car around us as we waved goodbye to John’s family and Larry. The issue of time and planning has faded from my mind and I focus more on how we have become a part of family. This seems to be the valued treasure in Peru. Here a family connects runs deep with in every relative’s blood, not just from Christmas visit or dinner collaboration at Thanksgiving.
The darkness fades the remaining views of Quincemil and we our off into the void of night. The truck we rented bounces along, and the trip is tenfold better than in a bus. However the smoothness of the ride is disrupted when the drier develops a massive case of food poisoning and he begins throwing up ever fifteen minutes. When we reach 15,000 feet, altitude sickness strikes and the five empanadas plus a restaurant dinner I ate earlier spews onto the side of the road. Despite the turbulence of our second epic trip on the road that connects Quincemil and Cusco, we arrived safely, ready to explore the history of Peru.
The ancient ruins of Peru, like most wonders of the world are not done justice by photographs. Photographs have the ability to capture a moment, but in no way do they capture the experience.
Over the next couple days we venture into the city of Cusco, making time with John before he departs to Lima to prepare for his lecture. We visit traditional markets, where cow heads are perched on the shelves waiting to be purchased, and watch old ladies gut frogs to be fried and eaten. When Kyle, Dawson, Louisa and I remain we finally began our escapade into the Incan civilization. Because the Peruvian economy relies so heavily on foreign tourism, the soles add up as we buy tour tickets and transportation.
We visit Sasxyaman, Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Each ruin more magnificent then the next, and each making me wondered what it must have been like to live here as an Incan. We catch the train in Ollantaytambo and head to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is the place we had all been dreaming about and waiting to see. This meant of course that when we arrived at five in the morning to watch the sun rise over one of the Seven Wonders of the World it was completely foggy. All of us had imagined the vibrancy of the sun’s rays peaking above the mountains to reveal the ancient ruins of the Incans. Although we never experienced the awe striking sunrise we had so many times heard about, we did in fact have a different dramatic appearance of Machu Picchu.
After 3 ½ hours of complete fog, a downpour of rain (and of course everyone besides Louisa had forgot there raincoat), and a miscommunication about having to get tickets to hike Wayna Picchu, the clouds parted revealing a remarkable scene. It was thrilling to walk and see the remains of a culture so sophisticated. The cliffs dropped all around us and I was awestruck. People say “Don’t measure life by how many breaths you take, but by how many moments take your breath away.” Esta Verdad (this is truth). Machu Picchu was an experience that connected a part of me with the universe I didn’t know existed.
This week I am overcome by a realization that overall simplicity is the answer. We can live a life without the meaningless technology and pointless gadgets. The earth and our surroundings can fulfill the necessities in order to sustain a well rounded being. The mighty Incans and ancient peoples of Peru may have known it better than anyone. They were a people who could weave blankets so thick they could stop bullets. Their roads traverse over brutal terrain and cover thousands of miles. Their dwellings are remarkable structures that still stand today, reminding us of what used to be.
Life is a complex system, whose mysteries we may never come to understand. We can only hope to thrive with nature and understand our purpose within it.
Upon our return from Rio Camante we had one more day of peaceful bliss before we departed the jungle town of Quincemil, which had so quickly become our home. Although the prospects of discovering the mysteries of Machu Picchu and other ancient speculations lie ahead, I was sad to leave for Cusco, where we would spend our remaining week.
When our last day arrives in Quincemil we are bemused by where the time has gone. We stroll up to a banana farm that overlooks Quincemil, collect a few plantas and bid to goodbye to the place that has allowed our minds to explore new aspects in such an unknown world.
The plan was to leave for Cusco at five so naturally we hit the road around 9PM. Spanish salsa music filled the car around us as we waved goodbye to John’s family and Larry. The issue of time and planning has faded from my mind and I focus more on how we have become a part of family. This seems to be the valued treasure in Peru. Here a family connects runs deep with in every relative’s blood, not just from Christmas visit or dinner collaboration at Thanksgiving.
The darkness fades the remaining views of Quincemil and we our off into the void of night. The truck we rented bounces along, and the trip is tenfold better than in a bus. However the smoothness of the ride is disrupted when the drier develops a massive case of food poisoning and he begins throwing up ever fifteen minutes. When we reach 15,000 feet, altitude sickness strikes and the five empanadas plus a restaurant dinner I ate earlier spews onto the side of the road. Despite the turbulence of our second epic trip on the road that connects Quincemil and Cusco, we arrived safely, ready to explore the history of Peru.
The ancient ruins of Peru, like most wonders of the world are not done justice by photographs. Photographs have the ability to capture a moment, but in no way do they capture the experience.
Over the next couple days we venture into the city of Cusco, making time with John before he departs to Lima to prepare for his lecture. We visit traditional markets, where cow heads are perched on the shelves waiting to be purchased, and watch old ladies gut frogs to be fried and eaten. When Kyle, Dawson, Louisa and I remain we finally began our escapade into the Incan civilization. Because the Peruvian economy relies so heavily on foreign tourism, the soles add up as we buy tour tickets and transportation.
We visit Sasxyaman, Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Each ruin more magnificent then the next, and each making me wondered what it must have been like to live here as an Incan. We catch the train in Ollantaytambo and head to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is the place we had all been dreaming about and waiting to see. This meant of course that when we arrived at five in the morning to watch the sun rise over one of the Seven Wonders of the World it was completely foggy. All of us had imagined the vibrancy of the sun’s rays peaking above the mountains to reveal the ancient ruins of the Incans. Although we never experienced the awe striking sunrise we had so many times heard about, we did in fact have a different dramatic appearance of Machu Picchu.
After 3 ½ hours of complete fog, a downpour of rain (and of course everyone besides Louisa had forgot there raincoat), and a miscommunication about having to get tickets to hike Wayna Picchu, the clouds parted revealing a remarkable scene. It was thrilling to walk and see the remains of a culture so sophisticated. The cliffs dropped all around us and I was awestruck. People say “Don’t measure life by how many breaths you take, but by how many moments take your breath away.” Esta Verdad (this is truth). Machu Picchu was an experience that connected a part of me with the universe I didn’t know existed.
This week I am overcome by a realization that overall simplicity is the answer. We can live a life without the meaningless technology and pointless gadgets. The earth and our surroundings can fulfill the necessities in order to sustain a well rounded being. The mighty Incans and ancient peoples of Peru may have known it better than anyone. They were a people who could weave blankets so thick they could stop bullets. Their roads traverse over brutal terrain and cover thousands of miles. Their dwellings are remarkable structures that still stand today, reminding us of what used to be.
Life is a complex system, whose mysteries we may never come to understand. We can only hope to thrive with nature and understand our purpose within it.
Add a Comment
About
© 2009 Created by WonderDog on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
You need to be a member of Pinhead Institute 2008 Interns to add comments!
Join this Ning Network