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Anna S. E. Lundberg

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Machu Picchu: I came, I saw, I wondered

22 June, 2013 By Anna S E Lundberg 3 Comments

Today was a special day in the Inca calendar: the winter solstice, on which day the morning rays of the sun would perfectly align with temples and streets and windows throughout the empire, intentionally built to coordinate with this astronomical date. Why don’t we construct buildings like that today?! It was also the time of the most important festival of the year, Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun. Unfortunately I’ve passed the southern reaches of the Inca empire, so there were no special celebrations where I was, and I spent much of the day on a bus. But I did enjoy the sun warming my skin through the window.

On the fourth and final day of the Inca Trail, we had a 3.30am wake-up call. The porters moved as if someone had pressed fast forward: Coca tea! Water! Breakfast! And the tents were packed up within seconds of us getting out. We said goodbye, as the porters had to run to catch the only local train back to Ollantaytambo – if they missed it, they would have to hike back to the start. The rest of us got our gear together and set off with our headlamps in the dark. Five minutes later we’d arrived at the queue to enter Machu Picchu, and settled down to wait for the entrance to open at 5.30am.

It was still dark when movement up ahead indicated that the checkpoint was open, and we filed through to have our tickets checked. From there, it was another hour to get to the Sun Gate, followed by a 30-minute descent into the site. It was a nice walk, the air pleasantly cool, and I marched on to reach our goal (the group told me later that I had set a tough pace, but we were so close! How could I have gone more slowly?). The only tricky bit was the ‘monkey steps’, so named because gringos have to climb the steep staircase on all fours (I stayed upright, sort of, out of pride).

20130621-203748.jpgSetting off before dawn, we were getting close to our final destination

20130621-204106.jpgAt the top, after climbing the monkey steps

Arriving at the Sun Gate, and finally looking down on the famous site, my eyes welled up, just a little. It’s true what they say: however many times you’ve seen the pictures, it’s still a unique experience when you finally see it with your own eyes. When Hiram Bingham discovered the site in 1911, it would have been swallowed up by the jungle but he still recognised the importance of the ruins. As we continued on, we had different views from different angles until we reached the classic postcard shot of the ruins below the mountain of Wayna Picchu. We had arrived at Machu Picchu (pronounced pic-chu – who knew?), and I had my new Facebook cover photo – which is, of course, the goal of all travel.

20130621-211028.jpgArriving at the Sun Gate, Intipunktu, and finally glimpsing that most famous of all Inca sites

20130621-204349.jpgThe Shot

After descending into the ruins, we had to exit the site only to re-enter without our big backpacks and walking sticks. Within minutes, the ruins were filled with those evil tourists who had taken the train up. You could recognise them a mile away by their jeans, perfume, perfectly styled hair and make up (the women, that is). Bah humbug. There were also a few lamas, as well as security guards to keep us from climbing on the walls.

20130621-205545.jpgOne of the less annoying beings we encountered in the ruins

Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, now thought to have been a country estate of the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438-72). It was actually known locally, with three families even living there and farming the land when Bingham arrived and then brought it to the attention of the world. Somehow, the Spanish conquistadors did not reach Machu Picchu, leaving it more intact than the many other sites that were sacked. Its geography is sacred according to Inca beliefs, surrounded as it is by the Río Urubamba, and four important mountains. Unfortunately all the original names of these places have been lost, so the names we use today are contemporary names.

20130621-204453.jpgThe houses in which three local families were living when Bingham ‘discovered’ the site

20130621-204828.jpgThe Torreón, or Temple of the Sun, its main window lining up with the first rays of the sun on the winter solstice (now closed to the public, as I have since found out, due to two Spanish tourists graffitiing the inside wall. Haven’t you done enough, España?!).

20130621-205223.jpgThe Intihuatana, a ritual stone thought to have been an astronomical calendar or sacrificial site of some sort. (One of the fascinating things about Inca history is how little we actually know, so much is theory and speculation.)

20130621-205839.jpgThought by Bingham to have been a royal mausoleum, this structure is now considered to have been a temple for Pachamama, Mother Earth

20130621-210140.jpgThe Incas constructed important, usually religious, buildings with stones cut to fit together perfectly without mortar

20130621-210326.jpgExploring the ruins

It started to rain just as we were leaving the ruins to take the bus down to Aguas Calientes. Quite fortuitous timing, I’d say. Thank you Inti, sun god of the Incas. In Aguas Calientes, we had a final group lunch together and celebrated with a pisco sour. I took the Inca Rail train, a train with leather seats and big windows, thankfully without the touristy entertainment they provide on some trains (strange fashion shows and ‘authentic’ music and dancing), back to Ollantaytambo, from where I was picked up and taken back to Cusco.

20130621-210626.jpgAguas Calientes, otherwise known as Machu Picchu pueblo

It’s strange when you’ve seen so many pictures of a place and then you’re finally there… for a brief moment, and then you’re gone. Now it seems like a dream. Was I really there? Afterwards, in Cusco, I visited the new Machu Picchu museum and found it surreal to explore a model of the ruins having been there in person just a day or two before. Machu Picchu captured the world’s imagination 100 years ago and has retained its wonder, despite its commercialisation in the past few years. In fact, in 2007, it was voted as one of the seven modern wonders of the world; the other that I’ve visited is the Colosseum in Rome. That still leaves many more to explore: the Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan, Christ the Redeemer in Rio, Chichen Itza in Mexico, the Taj Mahal, and the Great Pyramid of Giza (yes, there are eight, as Egypt succeeded in tagging on the pyramid, the only surviving original wonder of the ancient world). So lots more travelling to do!

20130621-211227.jpgReflecting on the wonder that is Machu Picchu

The practical bit:
-Lonely Planet says you need to queue up on the day to get one of the limited tickets to climb up Wayna Picchu but this is out of date, you have to book it in advance. Unfortunately there were no tickets left by the time I found this out, but in the end, I was tired after the hike, it had started to rain, and I was pretty happy with what I’d seen of the ruins.
-Make sure to get a Machu Picchu stamp in your passport as you leave via the main entrance!

Filed Under: Peru, Travel Tagged With: Cusco, Hiram Bingham, Inti Raymi, Machu Picchu, Peru, South America, Tavel, Wayna Picchu, winter solstice

The Lost City of the Incas: the highlight of my trip (and I haven’t even been there yet)

1 June, 2013 By Anna S E Lundberg Leave a Comment

So this will be a rather short but rather special post, before I disappear off the radar screen for four whole days. Yes, the time has finally come: tomorrow, I head out onto the Inca Trail.

I’ve just had the strangest experience in a small shop off Plaza San Blas in Cusco. I had been wandering the streets, browsing the stalls as I made my way home, when I saw some nice jewellery in one of the shop windows. I also noticed some large dreamcatchers – I have a lot of nightmares, so I’ve always liked the idea of these! The door said “open” but it was locked. A man came to open it. I can’t now remember exactly how it happened but somehow he took my hand and started interpreting my aura. Now you sceptics out there, my dad included, can scoff all you want… But what he said was so close to the mark that I felt tears come to my eyes. He then recommended a particular stone, with additional small stones set on the back of the pendant. It was such a special experience that I was open to buying it. Unfortunately capitalism reared its ugly head and the price he quoted was far and above what I was willing to pay. I guess I won’t be healed after all.

Machu Picchu, some say, is a place of sacred energy. Whatever you believe, at least most people are in agreement that it’s a spectacular sight, and a unique experience. I’m told it’s never an anti-climax, even after seeing so many pictures. And Machu Picchu is really the reason why I’m in Peru, why I’m in South America. So I’m excited! And I look forward to sharing my experience with you all when I come back.

20130531-212712.jpgCusco as seen from Sacsayhuaman – a good practice climb before the 4-day Inca Trail!

Filed Under: Peru, Travel Tagged With: energy, Machu Picchu, Peru, South America, travel

On my way to Paradise Falls

1 May, 2013 By Anna S E Lundberg 3 Comments

I’ve done it. I said that I would do it, would do it, would do it, I said that I would do it and indeed I did!

I haven’t posted in a few weeks because I’ve been rather busy. I’ve been finishing up my current assignment at work without anyone to officially hand over to, done four performances of the musical Chicago with my theatre group, given up my cats to a new owner, and completely emptied my flat.

Such a brief list doesn’t even begin to describe what I’ve been through this past month. My mum often refers back to a school project I did on Helen Keller. At the last minute, my friend had told me that the project was due a week earlier than I thought, so I stayed up all night doing something that should have taken the full half-term holiday to do. I got a good mark for the project, although my messy handwriting was criticised; and of course it turned out that the deadline was later just as I had thought, and in fact my friend had not spent her holiday working on it at all, grr. But my mum’s point is that I demonstrated an incredible determination and stamina to get it done under extreme time pressure.

So I guess I have once again illustrated that tenacity in staying up until 2am after all-night rehearsals to pack my things into boxes; getting up at 7am to have workers come to fix my walls that the cats had ruined by scratching off the wallpaper; coordinating sales and donations of furniture with various friends, colleagues, and neighbours; remembering all the lyrics and dance moves for Chicago, also understudying another role; closing open projects at work and trying to ensure that the systems and frameworks I’ve set up will continue when I’m gone; spending time with my friends and their babies before going away; and trying to eat, drink and sleep somewhere in between. I had a huge amount of help from my amazing friends, one in particular; I had a severe migraine halfway through the dress rehearsal; and my immune system has now given up and I’ve come down with a bad cold. But I did it! I’m now officially homeless and free to travel around South America, including a week-long cruise in Galapagos and a four-day trek to Machu Picchu, as I’ve long longed to do.

I’ve been talking about travelling to South America for years but it really was just talk. I’m not sure what changed – one trigger at least was a lunch I had with someone I barely knew but who was super supportive and inspired me to actually turn my plans into reality. And if you can’t do this kind of thing when you’re young and single, when can you do it? So after not taking any decisions for six years, I’ve now taken them all in one go! Throughout these stressful few weeks, I’ve felt 100% certain that I was making the right decisions, and this has given me an underlying sense of calm. I’m fortunate that my work allows for a personal leave of absence and I have a guaranteed job to come back to, so I have freedom but at the same time I have a cushion of security. I look forward to my journey, both physical and personal, and hope you’ll enjoy sharing in my adventures from afar. Wish me luck! I’m off to Paradise Falls…

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Galapagos, Machu Picchu, moving, Paradise Falls, South America, travel

Machu Picchu: booked!

7 February, 2013 By Anna S E Lundberg 5 Comments

I don’t remember when it started or why, but for years now I’ve been obsessed with Peru and Machu Picchu. It’s probably a combination of things – a general interest in history, a fascination with ancient civilizations whether it’s the Greeks or the Mayans or the Incas, and, according to one friend, an attraction to a place of strong energy fields and connections. Whatever the reasons, I’m thrilled to be finally turning this dream into a real-life experience.

With Machu Picchu booked, that concludes the planning element of my trip. In theory. It’s so hard not to get caught up in the excitement of it all and plan every part of the journey. I read a blog post by Amanda Slavinsky where she talks about FOMO – the Fear of Missing Out – and that’s definitely part of it. The last thing you want is to come home from a trip only to hear about some once-in-a-lifetime experience that you’ve just missed and will probably never get to enjoy, as who knows when, if ever, you’ll go back to that same place.

When I went to Central America last February, my friend and I had just two weeks to zoom across four countries, from our arrival in Guatemala City through to our return from San José in Costa Rica. I had been relaxed about the whole trip until the departure date grew closer and I suddenly realised that it might be helpful to map out the long distances we’d have to cover. The result was a table that spanned two pages full of different options of buses and stopovers and deadlines in order to see as much as possible and still make our return flight. My friend was grateful but understandably also frustrated after the first week of hostel hopping, 4am starts and 10-hour buses. The second week was a bit more relaxed – sometimes we had two whole nights in the same place. In any case, after two weeks we had gone from Lake Atitlán up to the Mayan ruins in the rainforests of Guatemala; travelled by lancha down the river from Río Dulce to the Garífuna port of Livingston; visited colonial Granada and cycled across Isla Ometepe in Nicaragua; gone horse-riding and lava hunting in La Fortuna; and seen quite a few other things besides. And I (barely) remember how tiring it all was.

This time round, I have three months and I’m determined to be more spontaneous. So I’ve booked my arrival in Quito, Ecuador, and my departure from Buenos Aires, Argentina; a week’s sailing in the Galápagos; and, now, Machu Picchu. And that’s it. I’m putting away my Lonely Planet, closing Word and Excel, and focusing my attention on other things. Like… planning all the gear I need to buy for my backpack! Ahem.

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Central America, Machu Picchu, South America, travel

More about Anna

Anna Lundberg is a success coach and business strategist who helps experienced corporate professionals reimagine success outside of the 9 to 5.

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