Machu Picchu 2014
Why does every single person here have ridiculously big smiles here? Same question for the small foothill town of Augas Calientes just below Machu Picchu? Maybe it has more to do with an energy we can’t quite put our fingers on or wrap our brains around. Even the street dogs are all incredibly friendly.
There is no doubt an energy here that I can feel. But what is it? It appears that everyone I see and have seen here now and before can feel it as well. I suppose that the kind of people who would be attracted to such a site can explain some of it. I doubt most who’s idea of adventure travel is going to Las Vegas to see pyramids, towers, palaces while being waited on by overly made up and under-dressed women serving weak drinks at cards tables, pack their hiking boots and cameras while leaving home their hair gel and favorite cologne or perfume are the types to make such a trip. Although it’s much more than a back-packers paradise, it does tend to bring those more intrepid travellers from all four corners to make this journey to see and feel what is here. So maybe they(we) are just more open to it?
Either way, it is worth digging into more.
Not too far away neighboring town of Ollantayambo there is a really interesting story. It’s not folklore or some passed down from one family to the next bed time story either. This sleepy little village is still under excavation and under the watchful eye of archeological societies in Peru and far beyond.
The constant quest for understanding of how the Incan people moved such monolithic rocks to build any number of temples, schools and other buildings as well as agricultural plateaued marvels like Machu Picchu remained a mystery for so long and serves as a possible answer to my initial question.
In 1993, the town decided to try and recreate this feat by strictly abiding by 16th Century drawings rendered by the Spanish monks as described by the Incan people at the time.
America sent in a scientific team led by Jean Pierre Protzen, from U-Cal, Berkeley to prove or dispel all the rumors and myths regarding the legitimacy of how these huge stones were moved more than 500yrs ago
As they followed the images to the last detail and used the same rope material as the Incans, the test failed over and over. The ropes that cradled the huge rocks snapped under the strain much to the contrary of all the mathematical calculations indicating otherwise.
Many in the academic community swiftly pushed aside the theory that the monks had laid before them.
Ironically the locals, who were the ones from this small-uncivilized town had their reservations front he get go. The academics were missing one very large component to this inquiry.
The locals explained to the puzzled scientific community that they never permission from the Earth Mother, Pachamama.
Really?
Yup, so with all the effort that went into everything to that point there was no reason not to at least try to get a shaman to ask the Earth Mother for the permission according to Incan tradition. Basically the community members asked the scientific community to proceed and leave science out of it.
A shaman was then asked to and performed this ritual blessing the ceremony of moving the huge stone. As the “putuno” (an Incan ceremonial horn) sounded once again to begin the pulling, the local people fell into some type of hypnotic trance and began to once again pull.
The rock began to move and the ropes held while the rock moved with relative ease 200 yards from the church to a town bridge.
The video footage stands as proof of this and the scientific and stringent care to detail measuring the physics of this are all documented. The ropes that snapped like weak strings were the same for each attempt.
The point I guess here is that other than being a cute story with a hokey ending is that we really are connected to this earth in a sense most dismiss so willingly as it does not fit their dogma and possibly threatens their entire belief system.
We all know what happens when this sacred part of each of our lives becomes threatened. Just look currently at the caliphate in the middle east and beyond killing innocent people in the name of their God. Say what you will about who represents what in any religion, but with historical evidence before us all its easy to see which sectors of society and religion use it for peace building, benevolence, inclusiveness and above all respect for each other and which are not. Religion is like any other part of life and evolves along with each of us. So it’s not fair to base opinions on what happened centuries ago and not look at the good or evil that is conducted under that particular veil today. We need to ask if our faith is based on hate, killing and undermining the basic freedoms every human should enjoy with out repudiation, or not.
It appears though, I am afraid that we never ever seem to learn and history will continue to repeat itself over and over until is beyond the point of no return. As a believer in my God, (as described in the Christian faith) I don’t feel my relationship with him is in any way compromised as I walk on the sacred ground of Pachamama. In fact, I feel more connected and free than before.
The warmth, love and light that is simply undeniable in a place like Machu Picchu is a welcome energy I would never ever turn my back on. No matter where it comes from. God knows, I have felt the darkness as most everyone has in their lives at one time or another. The difference is undeniable.
I certainly would never tell the people of this area that they’re entire way of life is wrong as they have a different inherent belief than I do. Why would I?
I’ve been here before and felt the same warmth and sense of awe. So whatever it is, I thank God for it.
It’s time to take a hard look at contemporary doctrine and see it for what it is as opposed to what it was. If we do this it will be so much easier to get along.
If Jihad and Sharia law is in your heart you are no better than the Spaniards who came here long ago and completely trashed an otherwise peaceful civilization the name of their God.
All I can say is that there are things; forces much bigger than us. But nobody has to believe in anything, as it’s our will. But what a sad ending that would be to eventual end; if that were true.
Time to start being nice to each other and holding the ones accountable who aren’t.
cperrystudios 