Ah, still a magical adventure, you captured it well. When we went in the 1970's there was a very small, discrete, 7-room hotel on site where we stayed overnight and had the place to ourselves in the evening and morning before the day tourists arrived. We climbed to the pass to the Inca trail and were captivated by a Condor lazily spiralling on the air currents above us. We also climbed up the 'sugar loaf' peak which was a bit intrepid! I enjoyed the more historic details than we ever heard - thank you.
Thanks for your comment. Much appreciated. We had no condors. That really would have been something. And the sugar loaf peak - we didn't do that but I understand it is something of a "hands and knees" effort. I had to find out the story. I am probably in my heart an historian before all else.
The whole Pizarro thing in Peru and the fact that neither he nor the other conquistadors found it was quite fascinating. The "uncovering" is a story in itelf and much of the material lies in the Smithsonian. National; Geographic has staked a claim to some of the artifacts as well.
I watched "Royal Hunt of the Sun" about Pizarro and Atahualpa. The full movie is on YouTube and was made in 1969. It is a little loose with some of the facts.
But thanks for your comment and for sharing your recollections.
Oh yes, I remember "Royal Hunt of the Sun" well. The sugar loaf peak was felt to be too unsafe and closed to visitors - someone fell off the narrow ridge that you walk along to get to it to their death unfortunately. Yes, fascinating that it remained a secret for so long (apart from to the locals of course!!!). I can well believe that it was a sacred site - the confluence of the surrounding mountains and valleys, and the way the clouds come and go is very atmospheric (as well as the architecture of course). We saw some of the recovered artifacts in a museum in Lima.
Ah, still a magical adventure, you captured it well. When we went in the 1970's there was a very small, discrete, 7-room hotel on site where we stayed overnight and had the place to ourselves in the evening and morning before the day tourists arrived. We climbed to the pass to the Inca trail and were captivated by a Condor lazily spiralling on the air currents above us. We also climbed up the 'sugar loaf' peak which was a bit intrepid! I enjoyed the more historic details than we ever heard - thank you.
Thanks for your comment. Much appreciated. We had no condors. That really would have been something. And the sugar loaf peak - we didn't do that but I understand it is something of a "hands and knees" effort. I had to find out the story. I am probably in my heart an historian before all else.
The whole Pizarro thing in Peru and the fact that neither he nor the other conquistadors found it was quite fascinating. The "uncovering" is a story in itelf and much of the material lies in the Smithsonian. National; Geographic has staked a claim to some of the artifacts as well.
I watched "Royal Hunt of the Sun" about Pizarro and Atahualpa. The full movie is on YouTube and was made in 1969. It is a little loose with some of the facts.
But thanks for your comment and for sharing your recollections.
Oh yes, I remember "Royal Hunt of the Sun" well. The sugar loaf peak was felt to be too unsafe and closed to visitors - someone fell off the narrow ridge that you walk along to get to it to their death unfortunately. Yes, fascinating that it remained a secret for so long (apart from to the locals of course!!!). I can well believe that it was a sacred site - the confluence of the surrounding mountains and valleys, and the way the clouds come and go is very atmospheric (as well as the architecture of course). We saw some of the recovered artifacts in a museum in Lima.
Thanks John.
Glad you enjoyed it.
It was great and fun to do it.