Machu Picchu Thoughts (Part 1)

After retiring from teaching in Minnesota Public Schools for forty years and teaching about Machu Picchu for about thirty years, Joni and I took a thirteen day trip to Peru including five days off the grid. We flew into Lima, stayed a day, then a short flight to Cusco. A beautiful city and one-time Incan capitol. The elevation is over 11,000 feet, so I was out of breath a lot on the first couple of days. We stayed in Cusco for four days to get acclimated (highly recommended, and we have several restaurants and bars to consider, just ask) before we began a trekking tour that lasted five days to Machu Picchu. 

I only knew about Machu Picchu through Joni so I suspect that this spectacular 15th Century Incan structure is unknown to many. It is one of the seven wonders of the world and the pictures one might call up on the inter-web does not do it justice. As an aside, it’s wrong when someone says something is "indescribable" and then proceeds to describe it. And yet, the beauty of Machu Picchu is indescribable. 

Machu Picchu can be about fulfilling a leader’s architectural vision, embracing human ingenuity, and producing a truly remarkable complex. But what remains hidden is the purpose, why was it built, what is its meaning? Was it religious, an engineering marvel or something else (or all of the above combined)? There will be a lot more reflection and consideration, perspective taking, and appreciation and gratitude in the next few weblogs as I process this experience,