Tag: Ollantaytambo District

PeruRail to Machu Picchu X

Intipata is an Inca archaeological site in Peru, two kilometers south of Machu Picchu, the eponymous peak of the archaeological site it dominates, to the north.

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GoogleEarth: The approach to Aguas Calientes with Intipata Ruins at lower left

After passing Toronto Ruins, the train rounded a curve into the Amazonian rainforest. It was, frankly, boring, oppressive to proceed with greenery on either side blocking even the Sacred Valley walls rising on either side of the tracks. Thank goodness for the large roof viewing windows. I captured this photograph of the Intipata ruins on Machu Picchu peak by looking backwards through the roof window.

“Intipata is an Inca archaeological site in Peru, two kilometers south of Machu Picchu, the eponymous peak of the archaeological site it dominates, to the north. It seems to be, at the current stage of research, a set of agricultural terraces, without the presence of habitat nearby.”

“Similar to many Incan archaeological sites, Intipata shows great evidence of having canals to water crips. These canals are distributed among each of the levels of stairs in the Intipata ruins. These stairs or terraces are quite large and would have accommodated many different kinds of crops on different levels. Each level might have been specific to a certain plant. These ruins were mostly used for the domestication of wild plant species.”

“When you visit Intipata you will be able to see over 150 types of edible plants along the way. Among the plants, the Inca domesticated would be the common potato. There are also quite a few aromatic plants and flowers in this region, so if you are into botany, this section should be quite entertaining. Among some of the local flowers, you will see over 200 types of orchids along this stretch of the Inca trail, some can only be found right in this part of the cloud forest.”

“The purpose of the multi-leveled Intipata ruins was also to avoid the natural erosion of the mountain since this area was also used for religious ceremonies.”

“The Incas tried to use as much land as effectively as possible in their crop growing ventures. The ever-increasing Incan empire needed food and this was the best way to secure it. The Inca conquered new tribes very often and instead of killing them would offer to have them join their empire. Intipata is located near the Inca Trail in Machu Picchu. Intipata is formed on two parts, Inti meaning the manifestation of the sun in Inca mythology, and pata which means in Quechua “high”, the “ledge”, the “platform”, the “place” or “square”, the “terrace” or “staircase”, so that the name means more.“

“Intipata is formed on two parts, Inti meaning the manifestation of the sun in Inca mythology, and pata which means in Quechua “high”, the “ledge”, the “platform”, the “place” or “square”, the “terrace” or “staircase”, so that the name means more or less “the terraces of Inti”.“

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

PeruRail to Machu Picchu IX

Urubamba River or Vilcamayo River (possibly from Quechua Willkamayu, for “sacred river”)

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As we crossed the border of the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu the valley walls rose steeply on either side, the land transitioning to rain forest.

Google Earth We approach the border of the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

We entered a short tunnel through a mountain ridge, providing us this close view of the Urubamba River.

Next we came upon the Toronto Ruins.

The Toronto complex includes seven (7) archaeological groups and is in front of the Q’ente Complex, separated only by the Urubamba River, possibly they were independent chiefdoms with a strong economic bond.

The seven (7) archaeological groups are Torontoy: The local farmers call it Inkaperqa or Inca raqay, alluding to what they see. In this place we can find a main doorway, several groups of enclosures, patios or free areas separating the buildings, vestiges of a liturgical bath and a central enclosure with a lithic piece of more than 40 angles that joins other twenty-eight pieces with exact interlocking in the joints.

Salapunku: means hall door in the Inca language, because what is most obvious is a wide door that is on a platform that runs as a street in front of the wall. Behind the door we find cyclopean platforms and plains with remains of stairways, interior roads and remains of aqueducts. Qhanabamba translates to pampa where the grass “qhana” grows. It is at the height of Km. 85 of the railroad line. We can find a series of one-story buildings and a two-story building which is the largest. Wayrajpunku: meaning windy door (alluding to a windy place). In this group we find remains of buildings and a partially standing enclosure, there are vestiges of aqueducts, paths and overcrowding of canted stones that were part of constructions.

Pincha Unuyuj: Here were made the best hydraulic works of the zone, the crystalline waters that descend, appear channeled by wide lithic channels; also we find from the bank of the river a succession of parallel platforms, a road that leads to an adoratory carved in the rock insitu, ascending some houses and an observation tower. Qoriwayrachina It means gold winnowing. We can find the following: A huge staircase with more than one meter wide, semicircular ramparts, platforms as retaining walls and a vertical slope worked that is on the turbulent waters of the river.

Retamayuj, having a broom, in this group we can find long platforms with semi-cyclopean walls, tombs that are desecrated at the base of the mountain and others intact. In 2008 A team from Peru’s National Institute of Culture (INC) working on the ruins of Torontoy in the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, discovered the tomb of an Inca with full funerary regalia. The gender and age of the tomb’s owner has not yet been determined but found with the body were a number of decorated ceramics and two pins.

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

PeruRail to Machu Picchu VI

Urubamba River or Vilcamayo River (possibly from Quechua Willkamayu, for “sacred river”)

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Next, PeruRail traversed a narrow valley carved by the Urubamba River. Here is an overview for our course taken from Google Earth.

Google Earth

“The Urubamba River or Vilcamayo River (possibly from Quechua Willkamayu, for “sacred river”) is a river in Peru. Upstream it is called Vilcanota River (possibly from Aymara Willkanuta, for “house of the sun”). Within the La Convención Province the naming changes to Urubamba. A partially navigable headwater of the Amazon River, it rise in the Andes to the southeast of Cuzco. It originates on the slopes of Khunurana in the Puno Region, Melgar Province, near the La Raya pass. It flows north-north-west for 724 kilometers before coalescing with the Tambo River to form the Ucayali River.”

“The Urubamba is divided into Upper Urubamba and Lower Urubamba, the dividing feature being the Pongo de Mainique, an infamous whitewater canyon.“

“The Upper Urubamba (Alto Urubamba) valley features a high population and extensive irrigation works. A number of ruins of the Inca Empire lie in the Sacred Valley, including the Incan city of Machu Picchu, Patallaqta, Pikillaqta and Raqch’i. The Salcca-Pucara hydroelectric project is associated with the river as well.“

“The Lower Urubamba (Bajo Urubamba) is relatively undeveloped and features a significant indigenous population consisting of the Campa tribes, principally the Machiguenga (Matsigenka) and Asháninka. The economy is based on forestry and the nearby Camisea Gas Project. The main settlement in the region is the town of Sepahua.“

“The lower Urubamba River was mapped for the first time in 1934 by Edward Kellog Strong III. He and two friends from Palo Alto, California, Art Post and Gain Allan John, navigated the river with its ferocious rapids by canoe and balsa rafts provided by the indigenous people. The mapping was done at the request of the Peruvian military when they heard of the expedition planned by the three 18-year-olds.”

“John Walter Gregory, a British geologist, drowned in the river on June 2, 1932 while on a geological expedition to the Andes“

“It was turned over to the military when the boys arrived in Iquitos. It was the only map of the river until it was mapped by satellite many years later. The names and places on the latest map came from the original map drawn by Edward Strong.“

Reference: Wikipedia, “Urubamba River.”

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

PeruRail to Machu Picchu V

We boarded PeruRail at the Ollantaytambo station, destination Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu

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PeruRail to Machu Picchu IV

We boarded PeruRail at the Ollantaytambo station, destination Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu

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PeruRail to Macchu Picchu III

We boarded PeruRail at the Ollantaytambo station, destination Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu

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Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

PeruRail to Macchu Picchu II

We boarded PeruRail at the Ollantaytambo station, destination Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu

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Chillca Village from PeruRail Train

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Andes above Chillca Village

Mountainside homes, Chillca Village

Leaving Chillca Village

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

PeruRail to Macchu Picchu I

We boarded PeruRail at the Ollantaytambo station, destination Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu

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“The line between Cusco and Machu Picchu – Ferrocarril Santa Ana – is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge line, which boasts a series of five switchbacks called locally ‘El Zig-Zag’, which enable the train to climb up the steep incline out of Cusco, before it can begin its descent to the Sacred Valley of the Incas and then continue down to Machu Picchu. However, this section of the route (between Cusco San Pedro station and Poroy) – which had been suspended – resumed by Inca Rail from May 2019. This is why we took a chartered bus from Cusco to Ollantaytambo.“

“From Poroy, the narrow-gauge line goes northwest to Ollantaytambo, where the branch from Urubamba joins, then on to Machu Picchu station in Aguas Calientes. Tracks formerly continued into the jungle, but they were destroyed by recent flooding.“

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We boarded PeruRail at the Ollantaytambo station. These are my first photographs from the “VistaDome” carriage we enjoyed all the way to Aguas Calientes.

A terraced mountain slope in the Sacred Valley of the Incas

Reference: Wikipedia, “PeruRail.”

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved

Urubamba and Ollantaytambo, Peru

During the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti, who conquered the region, and built the town and a ceremonial center

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We crossed the Urubamab River for the first time on Urb. Virgin de Lourdes (street). Today, there is a new suspension bridge a hundred feet or so upstream of this crossing that still exists. Urubamba, Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, Urubamba District, Peru

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Where we crossed the river at Urubamba the valley was wide compared to our route to Ollantaytambo and the train station there. Route 28B, the yellow ribbon in the following image from GoogleMaps, passed over the shoulder of a ridge and into a narrowing of the Sacred Valley.

Enroute to Machu Picchu and the PeruRail Ollantaytambo station. Peru, Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, Ollantaytambo District

“Ollantaytambo is a town and an Inca archaeological site in southern Peru some 72 km (45 mi) by road northwest of the city of Cusco. It is located at an altitude of 2,792 m (9,160 ft) above sea level in the district of Ollantaytambo, province of Urubamba, Cusco region. During the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti, who conquered the region, and built the town and a ceremonial center. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Peru, it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance. Located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, it is now an important tourist attraction on account of its Inca ruins and its location enroute to one of the most common starting points for the four-day, three-night hike known as the Inca Trail.“

In the foreground is an example of Inca stonework.

“Ollantaytambo dates from the late 15th century and has some of the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in South America. Its layout and buildings have been altered to different degrees by later constructions; for instance, on the southern edge of the town, an Inca esplanade with the original entrance to the town was rebuilt as a Plaza de Armas surrounded by colonial and republican buildings. The plaza at the center of the town also disappeared, as several buildings were built over it in colonial times.”

Reference: Wikipedia, “Ollantaytambo.”

Copyright 2023 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved