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Tag: Caretakers Hut
Huayna Picchu First Look
A peak rising over the “Lost City of the Incas.”
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On our way to the Urban Sector of Machu Picchu I capture the peak of Huayna Picchu above a rough stone wall. “Huayna Picchu, Quechua: Wayna Pikchu, is a mountain in Peru around which the Urubamba River bends. It is located in the Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, Machupicchu District. It rises over Machu Picchu, the so-called lost city of the Incas. The Incas built a trail up the side of the Huayna Picchu and built temples and terraces on its top. The peak of Huayna Picchu is 2,693 meters (8,835 ft) above sea level, or about 260 meters (850 ft) higher than Machu Picchu.”
“According to local guides, the top of the mountain was the residence for the high priest and the local virgins. Every morning before sunrise, the high priest with a small group would walk to Machu Picchu to signal the coming of the new day. The Temple of the Moon, one of the three major temples in the Machu Picchu area, is nestled on the side of the mountain and is situated at an elevation lower than Machu Picchu. Adjacent to the Temple of the Moon is the Great Cavern, another sacred temple with fine masonry. The other major local temples in Machu Picchu are the Temple of the Condor, Temple of Three Windows, Principal Temple, “Unfinished Temple”, and the Temple of the Sun, also called the Torreon.“
“Its name is Hispanicized, possibly from the Quechua, alternative spelling Wayna Pikchu; wayna young, young man, pikchu pyramid, mountain or prominence with a broad base which ends in sharp peaks, “young peak”. The current Quechua orthography used by the Ministerio de Cultura is Waynapicchu and Machupicchu.”
Reference: Wikipedia “Huayna Picchu.”
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Guardhouse of Machu Picchu
…and medical evacuation.
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We enter Machu Picchu Sanctuary from the trail leading from Intipunku (the Sun Gate), which nowadays is the finish of the classic 4 days Inca Trail hike. There is also an entrance from the west from Vilcabamba.
The Guardhouse also known as the Caretakers Hut was a thatched roofed building constructed from crude stones and featured 3 walls and one open long side. The Guardhouse was a building used by soldiers who guarded two main entrances to Machu Picchu.
Below the Guardhouse are three thatch-roofed stone huts, the entrance trail passed beneath the lowest, shown here. A cliff of Huayna Picchu forms the background.
The Guardhouse is one of the first attractions on the upper tourist circuit around Machu Picchu. From its commanding high position in the south of the citadel, it is one of the best places for panoramic views of Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu and surrounding mountains. On the stretcher descending the steps below the Caretaker’s Hut is a woman who collapsed during the tour. In attendance is her family and medical personnel.
Touring the site requires some stamina and care, there are many steep stone stairs to negotiate at approximate 8,000-foot altitude.
This is another view of the lowest stone hut with Urubamba River valley in background. We visited during rainy season and were well equipped with raincoats and umbrellas. By way of orientation, the red bromeliad in in the first photograph.
Michael Stephen Wills Photography 