Ok, I admit that as a young traveller, I was that kid who stayed in the car at the Lincoln memorial because I was in a good part of my book. And that young adult who moved through museums quickly- I got tired, so tired, by reading the little plaques that explained things. I enjoyed looking at things, just didn't have much time to learn about them. This all changed in Peru. I fell in love with the Incans. I wanted to know more more more. I was astounded by their stonework- enthralled by the story of how they would move these 7 ton rocks over 5 kilometers of mountainside. I mean, they got them across rivers by damming up one side, pushing the rock to an island, undamming, then damming the other side to complete the crossing. And the way they cut them to fit together so perfectly-they have withstood 5 centuries of earthquakes. The cuts looked like they were made by lasers. I'm thinking they did have lasers. Or had the help of aliens. No one really knows how they did it. Their fortresses and temples are all aligned to the stars and functioned as calendars and almanacs. Their handle on astrology astounded me. And then there is their irrigation systems- they were true hydrolic engineers. Their systems still provide water to many farms in the area. And the thing about the Sacred Valley in Peru, even if you are boxed out of visiting Machu Picchu due to landslides, even if the railines to this wonder of the world reopen the day after you leave, you will not be disappointed. Our entire stay was one long walk through a fascinating portion of the world's history. I'd go back in a minute.
Ok, I admit that as a young traveller, I was that kid who stayed in the car at the Lincoln memorial because I was in a good part of my book. And that young adult who moved through museums quickly- I got tired, so tired, by reading the little plaques that explained things. I enjoyed looking at things, just didn't have much time to learn about them. This all changed in Peru. I fell in love with the Incans. I wanted to know more more more. I was astounded by their stonework- enthralled by the story of how they would move these 7 ton rocks over 5 kilometers of mountainside. I mean, they got them across rivers by damming up one side, pushing the rock to an island, undamming, then damming the other side to complete the crossing. And the way they cut them to fit together so perfectly-they have withstood 5 centuries of earthquakes. The cuts looked like they were made by lasers. I'm thinking they did have lasers. Or had the help of aliens. No one really knows how they did it. Their fortresses and temples are all aligned to the stars and functioned as calendars and almanacs. Their handle on astrology astounded me. And then there is their irrigation systems- they were true hydrolic engineers. Their systems still provide water to many farms in the area. And the thing about the Sacred Valley in Peru, even if you are boxed out of visiting Machu Picchu due to landslides, even if the railines to this wonder of the world reopen the day after you leave, you will not be disappointed. Our entire stay was one long walk through a fascinating portion of the world's history. I'd go back in a minute.
No comments:
Post a Comment