Nov. 16, 2007
Field Trip Friday! - Machu Picchu, Perú
Posted in Field Trip
High in the majestic Andes mountains, at an altitude of 7,970 feet, lies the remains of a great Inca kingdom. Inhabited from approximately 1450-1550, this city was lost to the modern world until its discovery by Hiram Bingham in 1911.  Read more about it here, and check out some great pictures. This amazing photo lets you wander the grounds, and look at the smallest details! Try it - you can focus in on every stone, every blade of grass. Remember, these stones were fitted without mortar. This site allows you to take a virtual tour of Machu Picchu. The background music is the Andean Pan flute, a traditional instrument of the Inca and their descendants. Here is another virtual tour! So, where did all the Incas go? They are still there, and make up a large percentage of the population in Perú, Ecuador, Bolivia, and northern Chile. They speak a language called Quechua, and have retained many of their traditional customs and manners of dress. You can hear a little bit of Quechua here. There is surprising variety amongst the costumes worn by Inca people today. The locals can tell what area someone is from by the costume they wear. Here is a travel blog I found with great pictures of the costumes of Cuzco, a beautiful city 50 miles from Machu Picchu. If you click on the small pictures, they will enlarge for a better view. After touring Machu Picchu, let's get together for a traditional Inca meal of cuy. (Warning - not for the faint hearted... but they really eat spit-roasted guinea pigs!). |
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