The third day of our trek was rather short and relaxing - good preparation for the big fourth day ;-)
Throughout the day, our guide explained some more about Inca culture. After the visit to the high altitude archeology museum in Salta, I had condemned the Inca for sacrificing children. Well, it seems that this wasn't the whole story. The Inca empire started out quite small, covering only the region around Cusco. Only with their ninth ruler Pachacutec they started expanding rapidly. Their conquest wasn't entirely based on a strong military: they convinced other tribes to join in by offering their knowledge and technology, which meant a more reliable food supply, as well as communications and trade throughout the empire. An important bit of their strategy was to let other cultures keep their customs. In the entire empire, sacrifices were made to honor and placate the sun god Inti. The type of these sacrifices, however, depended on what the cultures were doing before becoming part of the Inca empire. Many sacrificed only llamas, while others offered children. In the capital Cusco, for example, no child sacrifices were made, whereas the people in the region of Salta apparently had this custom. This was very interesting news for me - and at the same time a very old insight renewed: oversimplified and generalized judgments lead nowhere because reality is full of complicated, fascinating details. Once understood, these reveal a more differentiated, and often very different, story.
Well, back to the hike itself. Our only task for the day was to circle around the base of Machu Picchu mountain to reach Aguas Calientes, the town from which we would start our ascent to Machu Picchu the next day. From the base of the mountain, we could catch a first glimpse of Machu Picchu pretty early in the day:
Most of the day's hike was along train tracks. I was wondering whether the tracks were still in use or not - locked-down track switches and broken signaling seemed to indicate they weren't. Then, I could suddenly hear a train's horn honking, and soon it appeared from behind the next bend - no doubts left after that:
In the afternoon, it started raining for a bit, leaving behind a bunch of clouds in the river valley that created a very beautiful effect:
Shortly after, we arrived in Aguas Calientes which is a rather nondescript little town. Besides the proximity to Machu Picchu, its only distinguishing feature is the huge, overpriced arts & crafts market right next to the train station. I therefore didn't feel I missed anything by going to bed early ;-)
Throughout the day, our guide explained some more about Inca culture. After the visit to the high altitude archeology museum in Salta, I had condemned the Inca for sacrificing children. Well, it seems that this wasn't the whole story. The Inca empire started out quite small, covering only the region around Cusco. Only with their ninth ruler Pachacutec they started expanding rapidly. Their conquest wasn't entirely based on a strong military: they convinced other tribes to join in by offering their knowledge and technology, which meant a more reliable food supply, as well as communications and trade throughout the empire. An important bit of their strategy was to let other cultures keep their customs. In the entire empire, sacrifices were made to honor and placate the sun god Inti. The type of these sacrifices, however, depended on what the cultures were doing before becoming part of the Inca empire. Many sacrificed only llamas, while others offered children. In the capital Cusco, for example, no child sacrifices were made, whereas the people in the region of Salta apparently had this custom. This was very interesting news for me - and at the same time a very old insight renewed: oversimplified and generalized judgments lead nowhere because reality is full of complicated, fascinating details. Once understood, these reveal a more differentiated, and often very different, story.
Well, back to the hike itself. Our only task for the day was to circle around the base of Machu Picchu mountain to reach Aguas Calientes, the town from which we would start our ascent to Machu Picchu the next day. From the base of the mountain, we could catch a first glimpse of Machu Picchu pretty early in the day:
Most of the day's hike was along train tracks. I was wondering whether the tracks were still in use or not - locked-down track switches and broken signaling seemed to indicate they weren't. Then, I could suddenly hear a train's horn honking, and soon it appeared from behind the next bend - no doubts left after that:
In the afternoon, it started raining for a bit, leaving behind a bunch of clouds in the river valley that created a very beautiful effect:
Shortly after, we arrived in Aguas Calientes which is a rather nondescript little town. Besides the proximity to Machu Picchu, its only distinguishing feature is the huge, overpriced arts & crafts market right next to the train station. I therefore didn't feel I missed anything by going to bed early ;-)
