Tag: Statues

ON OUR WAY TO MACHU PICCHU PERU… TWO DREAMS COME TRUE

Posted in Archaeological Treasures, Architecture, Cities, Cusco, Day Trips, Good Food, Historical, Incredible Vistas, machu-picchu, Magical Places, Mountains, Peru, Trains, Travel, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

When you meet someone you don’t REALLY know if you are compatible for a long time. Although Michael and I seemed to like the same things it wasn’t until he shared with me that a dream of his was to go to Macchu Picchu that I realized just how aligned we were. That had been my dream for many years too. So the planning began in earnest and before we knew it we were on our way to Cusco, Peru.

*** Warning for some the altitude may provide a light dose of altitude sickness as the city is 11,155 ft above sea level. My suggestions is to spend a few days in Cusco first before heading to Macchu Picchu even though it is slightly lower in altitude. It is all the walking you will do that will get you if anything does so give yourself time to adjust.

Cusco is the former capital of the Inca Empire and the combination of Inca and Spanish Colonial architecture that can be found here is amazing.. It is also the jump off place for visiting Machu Picchu and Andes mountains that surround the city. It is a beautiful small city with multiple museums and it has the charm of an old days gone by village. Now on to Machu Picchu.

The first thing you need to know is that Machu Picchu is a very well organized destination due to the shear number of visitors per year This means that you usually must book your trip to the ancient city months in advance. In addition, when you are booking you will have to provide your passport number in order to get a ticket. Further, you will have to determine what circuit you want to be on when you visit. There are three circuits each with different routes that flow visitors through the site. Circuit 1 pretty much by-passes the city taking guests around the outside for great panoramic views of the area. Circuit 2 is the most comprehensive route which takes visitors throughout the city and to the large temples that can be found throughout the area. Circuit 3 offers the Royal buildings. When you are booking you will have to book a circuit. We chose number 2 and are glad we did because there was so much to see and very different vistas and vantage points.

Most people use day-trip type travel companies to get to Machu Picchu. Usually, there is a a van/bus trip from Cusco to Pachar where you board the train that gets you to Machu Picchu City. The train ride takes about two hours and there are two different types of train experiences…one cheap and basic and the other with dining cars with crisp white linen table clothes. Needless to say, I took the cheap version.

The train slowly climbs up through the hills and the views are spectacular. It’s a wonderful way to get a unique perspective of this part of Peru and the Andes Mountains that follow you along the way.

We finally arrived at MP City and had several hours to kill before we would take the bus up to the archaic city itself. We had a wonderful lunch at Full House (gobbling up of the most scrumptious chocolate dessert ever), visited the local church and looked through the marketplace where vendors were selling everything alpaca…blankets, clothes, trinkets, etc. I bought the softest alpaca blanket for about twenty-five dollars and every time I use it the memories of the day come flooding back to me.

Soon the time arrived for us to climb into the bus and meet our guide at the entrance to Machu Picchu herself. Stay tuned for that installment which is arriving soon!

Valkenburg Caves-Valkenburg, Netherlands

Posted in Art, Caves, Festivals, Foreign Lands, Fossils, Dinosaurs, Etc., Historical, Netherlands, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

What brought us to the charming town of Valkenburg was my 13th G-Grandfather, Jan Van Valkenburg (1515-1575). It was his home town and I wanted to see it. And we did. It was fabulous. But what touched us more were the caves (Cauberg Cavern-Gemeentegrot/Fluweelengrot ) radiating out beneath the center of the city and did they ever have a story to tell. So we listened.DSC05816

You can enjoy the caves either by guided walking tour or by “train.” I would advise walking. The walk is easy not steep and you will be given plenty of time to ask any and all questions that your heart desires.

As for the history of the caves, the Romans began excavating them 2,000 years ago for use as building material in and around the area and significant buildings still stand today as a testament of its worth. The caves have also been used for centuries as a sanctuary for refugees during the French Revolution and more recent wars.

Be sure to step up close to the walls and you will see limestone littered with fossils and shells proof of an underwater world that existed here 100 million years ago. It is fascinating to see all the “fossil gold” left behind.

Yet,  the real treasure in the caves is the art work left by miners and residents of the town  since  before the 1700’s. Drawn in charcoal and created by the dim light thrown off by candles and later, lanterns, these works of art depict a living history of what was known or imagined by these dedicated artisans.  In addition to the paintings there are also huge statues carved into the walls throughout the entire labyrinth of corridors that run under the city.

But perhaps the most compelling picture is the Liberation of the City by the Americans in on September 17, 1944. It is a tribute to those brave men who worked to reclaim this city from the Germans and deed her once again to its citizens. And below the painting you will find the signatures of some of the soldiers who participated in the liberation.

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But perhaps even more astonishing is this fact: that during the 10-day battle the towns 10,000 residents all lived in the caves together while fierce fighting raged in the streets. It gives you pause as you wander with your guide thinking about what it must have been like underneath the city not knowing if you might live or die.

At the end of the tour you will be lead to another set of tunnels in which various eras of artwork are projected onto the walls of the cave creating a living-breathing art show that  surrounds you and disorientates you at some level.Very cool!

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While we did not visit during Christmas it is my understanding that a huge Christmas Market is held on weekends during the weeks prior to the holiday. Here you will find crafts and fine works of art offered for sale by local craftsmen.

Entrance fee about 5 Euros

Hint: Wear a jacket as it is chilly deep underground.