Overlooking Machu Picchu – Lost City of the Incas Nothing prepares you for the first sight of those wonderful ruins laid out before you, with the mists snaking around that incredible mountain in the background.
The guide books will tell you it takes 45 minutes to walk down from Machu Picchu into the town of Aguas Calientes.
They don’t tell you how long it takes to walk up, because trekkers normally come down through the Sun Gate and non-trekkers normal bus up the winding hill.
Unfortunately, the year we walked it, the rains had been particularly bad, and part of the trail to the Sun Gate was washed away. This meant that we had to detour down to the town of Aguas Calientes and climb or bus up to Machu Picchu from there. After walking the Inca Trail for three days, however, there was NO way we were NOT going to walk the last stretch.
We broke camp at 4:30 to prepare for the final ascent, straight up into the UNESCO-listed ‘Historic Sanctuary’ of Machu Picchu itself. Unfortunately, both our guides – who had opted for beds in town – slept in, leaving us stranded for some time by the side of the road in the dark – looooong story. When we finally set off, residual anger mingled with anticipation and sheer grit got us up the hill in 55 minutes: a rise of over 500 meters of sweat-drenched panting steepness. At least there was no altitude to contend with! We arrived at the entry to be met with – you guessed it – more steps leading up, and up, through the agricultural terraces to the main gates.
What can I say about Machu Picchu? Pictures are just no preparation for rounding the bend, and seeing the ruins laid out in the shape of a giant condor before you, against a backdrop of that iconic mountain and the Andes. Awe inspiring – massive beyond comprehension (and I think they said more than one third was still covered over). There truly is a magical energy around the place, even for someone like myself who knew very little about it beforehand. The more we read about the design and construction after returning home with all the books we had bought, the more amazed I became.
Of course, having got there under our own steam made it even sweeter!
Into the National Archaeological Park In the early-morning dark, we cross the road from our Aguas Calientes campsite to the bottom of the stairs that will lead us up to the citadel.
Steps Up … It is a 500 metre (1640 feet) rise from the valley to the citadel, so naturally, we are met with more steps!
Outer Perimeter – Machu Picchu At the top, we find more steps leading up, and up, through the agricultural terraces to the main gates.
Us on Machu Picchu And there it is – stretched out below us. After the effort we’d been through to get here, I think we can be forgiven a touristy selfie!
Machu Picchu Even though we are only at 2430 m (7,972 ft), clouds cling to the mountain.
Guide Roger Our guide updates us on what archaeologists currently believe about the construction and history of the site.
Grazing Llama Site maintenance is greatly reduced when you have roving llamas keeping the grass trimmed.
Guardhouse Soldiers used to guard the two main entrances to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu From here we get a good overview of the floorplan.
Temple of the Sun It is amazing to consider that this sacred precinct, built around 1450, was supposedly put together without mortar.
Industrial and Residential Areas The complex is a veritable maze of buildings, stretching out neatly in all directions.
Sobralia Dichotoma Orchidaceae This beautiful native plant was growing all around the site. It is one of the almost 200 classes of orchids registered in the Sanctuary.
Terraces In the other direction, steep and narrow terraces built to withstand intense rains climb the mountainside. Different crops were grown at different elevations, and water was used to help regulate humidity and temperature.
Tidy Squares
Inside the Principal Temple Most of the sacred areas of Machu Picchu are clustered together here in the upper town. This temple, Wayrana, or ‘a very windy place’ in Quechua, is believed to be dedicated mainly to the God Wiracocha, creator of everything in this universe.
Up to the Intihuatana From the Principal Temple, we can climb up to the Intihuatana Stone, …
Intihuatana … the Solar Clock. Carved from one piece of rock, they say it vibrates with energy but visitors are now prevented from touching it.
Edge of the Mountain As we walk back down, the mountain is shrouded in mists.
The Urubamba River It’s a long drop to to the river below – and to the campsite we started out from.
Doorway Machu Picchu is built on two seismic fault lines, making render and mortar virtually useless. So, Inca craftsmen shaped blocks of stone to nest together tightly without mortar.
Window Doors and windows are trapezoidal – narrowing slightly from bottom to top – which also helps stabilise the structure.
Temple of the Condor That scoop of rock below is one of the wings of the sacred condor, the messenger of the skies or heavens. It is an example of the creative use the Inca made of stones in their natural positions.
Condor Head and Beak With a wide-angle lens I would have been able to illustrate this better: the condor’s head and beak are carved into the flat rock on the ground, and the wings rise up either side.
Royal Tomb This is another example of creative use of rock: a small natural cave under the Temple of the Sun has an entrance carved into solid rock. It is thought to have been a mausoleum.
Into the Valley I just can’t get over the steepness of the mountain we are on – or of those around us!
Aguas Calientes By ten thirty in the morning the hillside was overrun with tourists. Thank heavens we had had an early start! It was time to catch the bus down to town, where we were amused by this converted minibus on the rail line that doubles as a main street.
Coca Cola The giant Coca Cola sign welcoming us to the Cusco was the first thing I noticed from the airplane when we arrived in the Andes. It seemed fitting that empty Coke bottles would be my last image of our Inca adventure as we finished it – even though real, locally-grown coca (from which cocaine is extracted) is no longer part of the soft drink recipe.
In spite of tired muscles, I returned to Cusco feeling completely re-energized. Of course, we were all greatly improved by hot showers and clean clothes!
The next morning at breakfast, back in the same hotel we had left four days before, I jumped up and clicked my heels like Mr. Bojangles, in defiance of that woman who had DARED suggest we might not make it (see: The Inca Trail, Day 1)!
Difficult? Definitely! The trail was a test of physical fitness, pulmonary function, and relationships. Would I do it again? Absolutely!
Drawing in Ink and Wash The Panboola Wetlands are an inspiration to artists – amateur and professional alike. This participant in a workshop guided by local visual artist and arts educator Veronica O’Leary, is drawing on her natural surroundings while practicing new techniques.
It’s hard to believe it is only just over 18 months since I last posted about Panboola (see: The Ephemeral Festival) – a precious and cherished wetland reserve in my neighbourhood.
It feels much longer: probably because, like the rest of the world, we’ve been doing it tough in our corner. Much of that period, we have been subjected to Covid-19 restrictions and flooding rains – and those tribulations have come hard on the heels of long-standing drought and devastating bushfires. Natural spaces, like Panboola, have been a much-needed balm for the soul.
The wetlands only exist as a community space because one individual: local resident and animal-lover, Alexandra Seddon, originally purchased a 6-hectares lot to conserve it as a sanctuary for the resident birds. Over the years, through a variety of means, this space has been expanded. On Sunday, the 6th of November 2022, we celebrated Panboola’s 20th anniversary, happily proclaiming “20 years of connecting community through conservation”. The celebrations included exhibits, music, workshops, food (including a birthday cake), and visiting dignitaries.
Of course, the anniversary date was not exact: once again an event had been postponed (and relocated!) because of bad weather. And, while 2022 is the anniversary of the formation of the Pambula Wetlands and Heritage Reserve (PWHR), both the lands and the management of them have changed and grown over that time.
When I first looked back over the photos I had taken on the day, I was a bit alarmed that they do not give much of a ‘sense of place’, and are, instead, predominantly portraits. Upon reflection, this is probably appropriate, because it is the Management Committee, the private and civic benefactors, the paid Coordinator and unpaid volunteers, and the appreciative community, that make this space what it is.
I have posted photos of the land itself before (see: North of Eden).
This time, however, join me for a focus on the people.
Setting Up A range of community services, local artists, and regional chapters of nature organisations have set up displays or stalls, dotted around the grounds.
Kids with their Origami Under the imprimatur of the Community Peace Harmony Project, children …
Hands on the Origami … work through the steps in folding origami cranes.
A Boy and the Cranes Of course, there is always one who wants to see how to undo them!
Paper Cranes in the Trees The origami is auspiced by the Community Peace & Harmony Project.
In the Trees In addition to the cranes, the flowering trees are adorned with colourful bits of crochet in various forms.
Skittles In keeping with the philosophy of reducing environmental impact, Panboola makes lawn games like skittles – rather than fixed facilities – available.
Beyond the Path A father and daughter explore one of the moveable sculptures on display for the day.
Artist at Work Veronica O’Leary, local visual artist and arts educator, demonstrates drawing techniques in a workshop …
Panboola in Ink and Wash … that takes inspiration from the immediate surrounds: the wildlife, the flora and the landscape of the wetlands.
Drawing in Ink and Wash Workshop participants are focused and productive.
Billy and Bloom Coffee & Tea Small local businesses contribute their services at reduced prices to support the party.
Michelle Richmond’s Orb Nearby Tharwa Valley Forge runs workshops on blacksmithing, leatherwork, and metalwork – among other things. The sculptured orbs that participants have produced make a wonderful addition to the wetlands environment.
Barbara Haseloff and Dr Michael Holland Mid-morning, we are all invited back to marquee for the formal proceedings – complete with dignitaries. Our local State Parliament Member is greeted by a member of the Management Committee.
John Dawson The Committee President opens the birthday proceedings …
Robyn Kesby … and the Committee Secretary recounts the history of the wetlands.
Audience in the Tent
Dr Michael Holland Our local Member for Bega makes his remarks – talking about his personal love of wetlands and marshes.
Birthday Cake Naturally, an anniversary or birthday requires a cake – which is cut by Committee Members, past and present.
Grazing Table The free-form food table is a beautiful compliment to the natural surroundings.
Wood Carver On the wetlands, local craftsmen …
New Moon Spoons … display their wares, and demonstrate how to make them.
Layers of History The Venetian harbour of Rethymno first operated some time after 961, during the Byzantine period. Today, lined with modern cafes and tour boats, it is a place for locals to fish and tourists to wander. The Egyptian lighthouse that marks the port entrance was built some time in the 1830s.
Crete, in the Mediterranean Sea, is Greece’s southern-most administrative region and the country’s largest and most populous island. The landscape has given up artifacts that are evidence of human settlement as early as 130,000 years ago. Even today, there are ruins and buildings dating across several civilizations.
The island’s long (1,046 km (650 mi)) and beautiful coastline is bounded in the north by the Aegean Sea and by the Libyan Sea in the south. The land is craggy and mountainous: about 5 to 10 million years ago, an intense tectonic uplift of the whole Cretan area gave rise to the many gorges, caves, and plateaus found today (see: The Formation of the Cretan Gorges). A high range – comprised of six different groups of mountains – crosses the island from west to east.
The most mountainous region is Rethymno (Rethymnon), the smallest prefecture on Crete. It runs north-south, with the White Mountains forming a border in the west, and Mt. Psiloritis delineating the east.
I was there on a tour-bus day-trip. We had started in the early morning in Heraklion, the prefecture to the east, and had driven along the rugged north coast before turning at Rethymno and following the winding, precipitous mountain highway south to Preveli. Once there, I had time to walk down the steep and rocky cliff path to a beautiful beach, where I could bathe in the Libyan Sea and walk through a rare and precious forest of Theophrastus palms (Phoenix theophrasti) (see: Preveli Beach and Palm Forest).
The return trip followed the same narrow and winding highway north through the spectacular Kourtaliotiko Gorge (Asomatos Gorge). This time, however, we stopped briefly to admire the jagged carbonate rocks that made up the gorge and the little hermitage or chapel that is nestled into one of the sides.
We also stopped in the beautiful and historically rich capital city of Rethymno, originally founded during the Minoan civilization (3500 – 1100 BC), and still showing architectural evidence of the Venetian occupation (circa 1250 – 1646), as well as the subsequent conquest by the Ottoman Empire (1646 – 1941). I wandered the streets, admiring the abundance of local produce, the unique shopping, and the centuries of architectural history.
Coastline from the Bus As our bus takes us north, away from Preveli Beach (see: Preveli Beach and Palm Forest), I look back over the rugged landscape that defines southern Crete. (iPhone12Pro)
Venetian Bridge While we were driving, I was glad to catch sight of this much-photographed Venetian Bridge over the Megalopotamos River. (iPhone12Pro)
Kourtaliotiko Gorge We hadn’t been on the road long when we stopped briefly to admire the jagged rocks of the Kourtaliotiko Gorge …
Hermitage or Shrine in Kourtaliotiko Gorge … and the once-isolated shrine, nestled into the mountainside where the highway now runs.
Drivers We weren’t the only bus stopping, and our driver was happy to share a brief smoke and chat with an old friend.
Tour Guides and Bus Drivers
Fishing Boats I started my city walk in the historic Rethymno Harbour, …
Textured Walls … where old buildings speak of days gone by.
New Lamp : Old Walls
Knossos Tavern Colourful coffee shops and taverns, named for local persons and places, promise fresh and tasty food.
Archaeological Museum of Rethymno Now housing many artifacts from the ancient Minoan ruins nearby, the Church of Saint Francis dates back to the beginning of the 16th century.
Shopping Streets Tourist shops, with everything from fine gold to local herbs, are nestled into the narrow Venetian streets.
Ceramic Door Knobs
Tourist Trinkets Shops aimed squarely at tourists offer figurines depicting local heroes from Minoan and Greek mythology.
The Great Gate – Porta Guora A Venetian gate remains from a 16th century fortress …
Old City Gate … and still makes for a grand entryway into and out of the Old Town.
The Church of Four Martyrs This relatively new church, inaugurated in 1975, is built near the spot where four men from Rethymno were executed in 1824 by the Turks for refusing to convert to Islam. They were honoured as Orthodox saints in 1837.
City Park and Urban Art The nearby Rethymnon Municipal Garden is a pleasant break from the city streets. (iPhone12Pro)
Kostis Giampoudakis Identified as a local hero, Giampoudakis died while battling the Ottoman Turks as part of the Cretan rebellion in 1866 at Arkadi Monastery. (iPhone12Pro)
Ancient Fountain – New Restaurant New development in the ancient city of Rethymno has had to incorporate ancient ruins and remains. The Rimondi Venetian Fountain, with its elegant Corinthian capitals, adds a pleasant coolness to an inner-city space.
The Rimondi Fountain Eight fountains in Rethymno are preserved; this one, built in 1626, is the only one from the Venetian years. According to legend, drinking the waters here guarantee eternal youth.
Old Street with an Enclosed Balcony The Old City includes some elegant examples of Ottoman architecture.
Doorways I spent some time exploring the more “ordinary” streets in the Old City.
Street Art and Body Art The Old City is a delightful mix of preserved buildings and modern colour.
Lighthouse on Rethymno Harbour My walk finishes where I started – on the historically layered waterfront.
Fortunately, I have learned to set my walking app to trace my path when I walk through new locations. It – like Ariadne’s thread – was able to lead me back through the labyrinth of streets to the bus in time for the drive back.
And, I took a little bit of the region home with me: I am still enjoying the rich smells of the beautifully packaged Cretan mountain herbs I bought in one of the many tourist shops.
Sadhu Smoking Followers Shiva – the destroyer and the protector in the Hindu trimurti (holy trinity) – are well known for smoking hashish. They are emulating their God, who is often depicted meditating alone on Mount Kailash in the Himalayas, his eyes half-closed from the effects of the hash in his chillum – a traditional clay pipe.
When I spend time in the crush of Indian streets, rubbing shoulders with holy men and drinking masala chai with the locals, I always come away with some new realisation about myself, or the world.
My first visit to Varanasi was not my first trip to India, but it was revelatory. Most of my time – from pre-dawn to post-sunset – was spent on the ghats that lead down to the Mother Ganges: the holiest place in this most sacred of Indian cities (see: Weekly Wanders Varanasi). The shimmering heat in the air had me wandering in a bit of a daze as I watched – and attempted to understand – the richness of life going on around me.
I was travelling with photographers Gavin Gough and Matt Brandon; because it was a photographic trip, and not a ‘tour’, I had plenty of time to immerse myself and think about what I was seeing and how I was seeing it. It was easy to understand how Western seekers of a different way of being could get swept up in the magical spiritualism of the place. There is even a name for it: India Syndrome (see: Firstpost, Mythical or Mystical?).
My sense of slight disorientation probably had more to do with the openness of strangers: pilgrims who allowed themselves to be photographed, locals who shared what little they had, and the women, who, just that morning had made offerings to Mother Ganges on my behalf (see: Morning Puja). Of course, mild anxiety about the polluted river water I had allowed to touch my lips as part of the puja, lack of sleep as a result of excitement and early mornings, and/or the rich smells of hashish and incense on the hot air all added to a feeling of unreality.
So, it felt perfectly normal to be invited into a priest’s tent-like enclosure, and sit cross-legged on the floor as his acolytes helped him prepare the charas for his clay pipe.
Although the use of cannabis products among holy men, particularly those who follow Lord Shiva, is ignored by authorities, it is not actually legal in India. When the sadhu’s pipe was passed to me, I bowed my head in reverence, and passed it on without partaking.
Even in a magic place like Varanasi, partaking in illicit drug use with strangers seemed a bridge too far!
Kids in the Market Even though the caste system in India is technically illegal, I still get the sense that these children’s future is largely determined by the station of their parents.
Man on a Stoop The streets leading to the ghats are crowded with shops and people.
Varanasi Laneway So much of ‘everyday life’ is conducted in the streets and laneways.
Red Temple on the Ghat The river and the ghats are busy any time of day or night, but Dashashwamedh Ghat is especially so. Visitors and pilgrims flock to it for the performance of the evening Aarati (see: Life and Death).
Family People come from all over India to enjoy the evening ritual.
Women in Red As the sun goes down, friends and family sit on the steps and wait.
Boats on the Ganges Other watchers hire a spot on one of the many boats on the water, where the diyas – small lamps with a candle surrounded by flowers – float on the river.
Mixing Lassi There is plenty of food available in the streets leading away from the darkening ghats.
Selling Pots and Pans Crowded stores selling all manner of goods line the narrow streets.
Marigolds in the Mud At the edge of the Ganges River, ritual flowers are everywhere. I was told that these were laid out for a child who had died.
Hands and Offerings Elsewhere on the ghats, Hindu priests construct elaborate offerings for the Gods.
Buildings on the Ghats All along the ghats, little shrines are tucked into corners of the rising buildings.
Orange Shrine Inside the shrine, fresh flowers are garlanded over Lord Hanuman, the monkey God.
Keeper of the Shrine Hanuman is an avatar of Lord Shiva in Shaivism; my host poses himself with a trishula,Shiva’s trident.
Sadhu Blessings
Acolyte The sadhu’s helper is a handsome young man.
Smoking a Chillum He has earned his place in the smoker’s circle.
Another Holy Man
Haircut on the Ghats Back in the heat and bright light along the river, …
Having a Haircut … everyday life continues.
Simple Pleasures Everyday, this man comes to the ghats with bags of birdseed …
The Birdman … and takes great pleasure …
Feeding the Birds … in feeding the pigeons.
Untouchables Mum watches on as I interact with a little girl who is the daughter of a man who manages the cremation pyres on Harishchandra Ghat.
Flower Girl They sell ceremonial flowers; naturally, I couldn’t resist!
During our daily reviews back in our hotel rooms, we critiqued the photos we had taken, and mused how they could have been better “… in a perfect world …” with a bit more height or distance, or better light, or less distraction in the background, etcetera.
Certainly, as I look back on these old pictures, I can think of a number of things I’d like to improve.
Even so, they evoke memories of a truly magical time in an other-worldly place that I will always cherish.
Doorway into Nothing Beautiful entryways into tumbled buildings and nonexistent rooms give a clue to the richness of life that was once in the Al Munisifeh quarter of Ibra in Oman.
There is something ineffably sad about an abandoned city or town.
Ibra is one of the oldest cities in Oman, and home to some of the biggest tribes in the country. It grew rich because of its location on the major trade route between Muscat, Sur and Zanzibar, becoming a centre of trade, religion, education, and art. We we passing through on our way to the Sharqiya Desert (see: Life in the Desert and Desert Dreams).
Al Munisifeh is a virtually deserted tribal village just two kilometres outside of Ibra. The empty village is surrounded by remnants of its original walls, with gateways at either end. Relatively modern houses are interspersed with empty lots and crumbling multi-story mansions built of mud-brick and stone. Roofs and floors have mostly disappeared, and some skeleton buildings look ready to collapse at any moment.
Our guide was vague about the actual history of the village, and the reasons for abandoning it, and I’ve not been able to fill in the blanks online.
So, we will just have to let our imaginations run wild as we wander through an empty village with still-beautiful doors, windows, and dreams.
From the Car Oman is not a particularly big country, and the highways are superb – but it still feels like you cover a lot of empty ground getting around.
Empty Bench In the deserted village of Al Munisifeh, it sometimes felt as if people would be back any minute! I never could establish exactly how long some of the buildings have been empty – as far as I can tell, leaving this village for Ibra was a gradual process.
Said in a Doorway Our guide Said points out some of the detailed craftsmanship.
Decorated Door Oman is known for its beautiful and intricate doors and windows.
Interior Arches Even in their current state, the internal plastered walls and graceful arches suggest these rooms had a stately elegance.
Corridors Entries into walled corridors show how extensive some of these buildings were.
Doorways Everywhere there are beautifully carved wooden pieces that surely could be recovered!
Rusty Fittings
Arch and Lintel I love the delicately carved lintel over this heavy wooden door.
Rusty Door Pull It amazes me what has been left behind.
Rough Arches
Wooden Door How beautiful this must have once been!
Partial Buildings Some of the ruins look relatively recent – and there are even power lines running through parts of the site.
Lone Wall It amazes me that some of these walls continue to stand with little support.
Ornate Carved Doors
Said in the Street
Bricks and Mortar Clearly some work is going on around the village – but we saw no one.
Wood inside a Window The carved work inside these old buildings …
Another Window … is intricate and lovely.
Bricks and Mortar and Sun
Street Lamp After wandering the deserted streets of the ruined village, finding a street lamp was surprising.
Less than Ten Minutes Away … Back on the main roads, a modern mosque sits against the desert sky.
It was a surreal experience: wandering through the remnants of someone else’s hopes and dreams. I find it hard to imagine just walking away from what were once mansions, with their elegant arches and beautifully carved doors and windows.
Eventually, the desert will reclaim what still remains.
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
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Difficult? Definitely! The trail was a test of physical fitness, pulmonary function, and relationships. Would I do it again? Absolutely!
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