04/24 Happy Easter! Things started off with a bang at 4:30am with church bells ringing and huge explosions. Pretty sure the explosions were just fireworks. I managed to snag some chocolate but no Easter eggs this year. Dinner was steak, rice and beans.
At 7am I met up with Halitosis Hal for the 90 minute ride up to the ruins. Riding the bike would have made for a good trip thanks to a decent road and great views of the mountains. Not sure I would have liked riding all the way up and then having to come back the same way though. Hiring the private car versus taking a bus or colectivo was a good move. I would have died sitting in a hot vehicle with a bunch of other people bouncing around for that long.
After paying the entrance fee to the ruins ($4.25 US) there was a 2km hike to the fortified city that sits atop a limestone mountain. The half mile long oval shaped fortress is completely surrounded by a huge wall that stands anywhere from 20 to 40 feet high. There are only 3 ways inside. Long, narrow pathways, designed to to squeeze attacking forces into single lines, lead up into the fortress which housed about 3,500 people.
The area inside was in various states of restoration but only one dwelling, of more than 400, had been completely rebuilt (by a Canadian archaeologist). The pathways leading through the site were just rough dirt trails for the most part and there were very few informational signs. It would have actually been nice to have a guide but the lady who offered down by the parking lot didn’t speak English and my Spanish wouldn’t have been up to the challenge. I was the only person in the ruins for the hour I was there.
Overall it was an impressive site and I’d definitely recommend it. It makes me that much more anxious to visit Machu Picchu.
Entries (RSS)