Ruined by Ruins

Some have asked me, why South America? Simple. For our first major holiday, my husband chose an adventure (which I very quickly agreed to because it was an awesome idea) and the result was this. It was now my turn to choose and I chose the one place I have always wanted to go - Machu Piccu. I have always been intrigued by ruins and ancient cultures...and ruins on top of a mountain sounded pretty inspiring so naturally it has always been top of my list. As it is right on the other side of the world, naturally we decided to make the most of it, max out our leave allowances and explore as much of the continent as possible. More on that later; today I'm showing you some Inca ruins.

Unfortunately, as previously mentioned this was not a photographic holiday per say, and to keep my adventurous nature and my husband happy I arranged to hike the Inca Trail during our first week. This is a four day hike over 42km along parts of the original trail to Machu Piccu. The highest point on this trail is the first pass, 4200m above sea level. Now, I'm not the world's most fit person and I've got to tell you that the second day of the Inca trail, 10km climbing 1200m, is the hardest 10km I have ever done in my life! Altitude sickness plus jet-lag. Not a great combination!

Before the photos, a brief history lesson: Machu Piccu was built by the Inca in approximately 1450, sitting at a 2,430m (8000ft) above sea level. It was abandoned before it was completed due to the Spanish conquest in 1532. Machu Piccu however, was never discovered by the Spanish due to the Quechuan people hiding its whereabouts by destroying some of the paths and allowing the jungle to take over. In theory it was built as a sanctuary for the Inca Pachacuti, although in reality no-one really knows. It sits, literally, on top of a mountain among other mountains. It is an amazing accomplishment for a civilization. The Inca truly were the world's first mountaineers.

Machu Piccu from Huayna Piccu (the great big steep mountain you see in pretty much every photo of Machu Piccu - word to the wise - don't climb it in the rain!) Canon EOS 50D f/4, 1/1250, ISO-320, 32mm. 

The above photo was taken from Huayna Piccu - the steep mountain you see behind Machu Piccu in almost every photo. There are ruins up there as well, although how the Inca's built them I will be forever wondering! At least Machu Piccu can be explained by the rock quarry in the middle of town; Huayna Piccu can only be explained by people carrying rocks up an incredibly steep, incredibly narrow and an incredibly slippery trail! It started raining when we were halfway up. It's rather daunting when you are on a narrow staircase on the side of a mountaintop of ancient ruins, looking down into the valley below knowing that each drop of rain is making you more vulnerable. No handrails and no trampolines below. I never understood why some people fear heights properly until the day we climbed Huayna Piccu. The consequence of this fear translated into a lack of photos. We were pretty keen to get down when all said and done.

Staircase leading to ruins along the trail. Original Inca. Canon EOS 50D f/8 1/500, ISO 320, 18mm.

So, Machu Piccu was never discovered by and therefore ransacked by the Spanish and it wasn't until a man named Hiram Bingham discovered the Inca site in 1911 that it became known to the world. (It was also discovered by some local Peruvians who were living at the site at the time). Hence, it was relatively in tact despite being incomplete and has been voted as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World (2007). Today, people are still discovering Inca sites all through the Andes along original Inca trails.

Machu Piccu plus fog. Canon EOS 50D f/5.6, 1/1250, ISO 320, 40mm. 

Unfortunately the day we were in Machu Piccu, so was a considerable amount of fog. It meant I could not get the one shot I went to South America to get guaranteed to impress: the classic lookout of Machu Piccu with the Huayna Piccu mountain in the background. I had to settle for shots such as the above. The place is still incredibly impressive. The people who lived here I believe were privy to the most inspiring view on earth. Imagine waking up to this every day?

Machu Piccu and the Mountain. Canon EOS 50D f/3.5, 1/2500, ISO 320, 18mm.

Of course, as you can see above, these days the place is swarming with people - tourists, students, guides, archaeologists and of course, camera nerds. Photographers everywhere! Makes it hard to think you can get any shots that are unique and worth a damn. In the end I had to settle for just opening my eyes, enjoying the moment, recognizing Machu Piccu for the great human accomplishment it was; ultimately built to celebrate this creation.  In the end, my favourite photos from Machu Piccu ended up being these two, of a small flower growing out the side of one of the ruins. It reminded me that despite our best efforts, nature finds a way to persevere. God brings beauty to all things in their time.

Inca Flower, on the trail. Canon EOS 50D, f/8, 1/800, ISO 320, 200mm

Nature conquers Inca steps. Canon EOS 50D, f/8, 1/800, ISO 320, 100mm.