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Machu Picchu, Home of the Ancients...
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The ruins of Machu Picchu are located in the Urubamba
province. Nested on the eastern slopes of the Vilcanota mountain range, a chain of
mountains stopped by the Apurimac and Urubamba Rivers, it stands at an altitude of 2,350
meters above sea level. Machu Picchu’s climate is subtropical with dense rainforests. The temperature is mild, warm
and damp. The heaviest rainfalls are from the months of November through March, the months
from April through October bring drier with hot temperatures. Typical plant life includes plaonayes,
qientas, alisos, puya palm trees, ferns and more than 90 species of orchids!
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While on a guided tour of Machu Picchu and the
vicinity, I saw so many beautiful and different colored orchids growing everywhere in this
lush rainforested area, along with
huge bromeliads that were in bloom. The fauna of
this area of Peru include the spectacled bear, cock-of-the-rocks, or tunqui, wildcats, and
an extraordinary abundance of butterflies and insects that are unique to the region. Hiram
Bingham, an American explorer, encountered a condor with a wing-span of 12 feet on one of
his expeditions to Machu Picchu in 1911. The Incas revered the mighty condor but they can
no longer be found in this area. The natural surroundings and the strategic location of
Machu Picchu give this sanctuary great beauty, harmony, and balance unlike any other area
in the world.
There are several legends about the origins or the
Inca and the emergence of Manco Capac, who was the founder of the dynasty of princes of
Cuzco and the Inca Kings. One such legends tells of strangers or new tribes that came from
unknown lands across the sea in rafts or boats and landed on the coast, later either
settling there or trekking further into the highlands. Other legends tell of the wandering
of a clan in search of a permanent place to settle. This clan took up residence at the
island sanctuary on Lake Titicaca. Subsequently, Manco left his 200 companions there with
the assurance that they would find him again if they asked for the "Son of the Sun
and Moon." He reportedly wandered slowly in a northwesterly direction to a shrine of
Pacaritampu, about a two day walk from Cuzco. According to legend, Manco Capac had been
prepared by a magician for his future as king.
To Learn More About
the Ancient Incas of Machu Picchu,
use the Index below to Guide you through this site...
Hello, please note this
website was done as a school project after my trip to Machu Picchu. I have left
the site on the server for your enjoyment and reference. All photographs were
properly credited with permission at the time of development. Since we are not
marketing the site, there is no need to email us with any questions or link
exchanges but feel free to link our site to yours if you wish. Maybe in the
future, I will add to the site and exchange links. Thank you and enjoy.
