Desgarradora del alma Machu Picchu

My first view of Machu Picchu was from the adjoining hilltop, along with at least fifty odd people who had come from all over the world to gaze on this wonder. For me, this trip was a pilgrimage for which I had waited seventeen years and it didn’t disappoint me. The reality was less clouded than what my imagination had pictured and was set against the backdrop of clear blue skies. Heaven was perhaps not as stunning as the sight before me. It was difficult to imagine that generations of Incas had lived, worshipped, celebrated and flourished here. The sprawl was not vast enough to accommodate all their dreams and realities, or so it seemed to me. But in this glorious place where the Andes soared up to the gods and the hills had the whisper of ancient magic, nothing seemed mundane or 21st century. Because all this belonged to a different time.

The Inca gods had tempted me with the allure that is Machu Picchu when I was a footloose and penniless immigrant in Canada. Have enthusiasm, will travel was my motto and the lure of discovering this ancient civilization was a dream worth holding on to. So when I stood on that hilltop, a little breathless and very excited all I could think of was that I had made it!

Machu Picchu’s appeal has stayed undimmed from the time it was discovered in 1911 by the American, Hiram Bingham. Scores of happy tourists spoke about their climb up the famous Inca Trail which tested their stamina and the feeling of accomplishment when it was done. I believe that the heady Andes air fills people with positivity and euphoria. History books and travelogues speak about Machu Picchu’s incredible engineering, the boulders weighing hundreds of tons that till date stay precariously balanced in spite of earthquakes and the use of stone and earth to store and live in. Oh, what an incredible civilization, it was!

Peru, is a delight to travel through. People are friendly, courteous and take tremendous pride in their Inca heritage. It is a colourful medley of accents, skin tones and appearance. As I look back on my trip, a number of things stand out….the absolute sensuousness of the language, the ready smile on people’s faces and the richness of culture that is evident everywhere. The Incas may have suddenly disappeared, but they did leave behind a heritage which till today gets people to cross hemispheres and visit that wonderful country in the Andes.