Hey Traveller,

As many of you already know, I have a bit of a fascination with ancient sites that are shrouded in mystery. Sites that have much more to tell than what has thus far been discerned, and which may redefine our understanding of human history should we ever learn to listen.

There are many of these sites around the world, some that are known for their mystery, others that are far more than they are believed to be, and probably countless that are yet to be identified or even discovered.

Sites such as the monoliths of Göbeklitepe in Turkey, the temple of Bacchus in Lebanon, the carved city of Petra in Jordan, the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and many more in the area that is known as the cradle of civilization. But also on the other side of the world, such as Machu Picchu in Peru, or the Moai in Rapa Nui (Easter island).

In fact, there are intriguing sites all over the world on almost every inhabited continent. Most of these sites are spectacular and fascinating in their own rights, regardless of any mystery that they may hold. Whether the currently accepted theories about these sites are correct or widely inaccurate we may never know, but what I do know is that many of these sites are well worth visiting.

I’ve previously written about my interest in the Great Pyramids of Egypt, and today I want to discuss what makes Machu Picchu so alluring to me. I first started dreaming of visiting Peru, the Andes, the Amazon, and most of all Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca, as a child. I don’t really remember when it all started, nor do I remember the details, but I do remember the feeling of wonder I would get when my grandad told me stories of growing up in Peru.

He would tell me of the struggles he went through as a child, and of his incredible journey to becoming a university professor. In those stories, he would always describe the fascinating cultural, spiritual, and natural heritage that he could not bring with him to France but that he hoped I would one day experience.

So Peru is in my blood, and that alone is enough to draw me there, but it’s not the only thing. Of course, most people agree that Machu Picchu is breathtaking, but I have another reason to want to visit which is linked to my interest in these ancient mysteries that I keep mentioning.

There is a particular feature of Machu Picchu that I, like others, find quite odd. I was quite interested in archaeology while I was studying in Canterbury (UK), and although I never took any courses, I did join an archaeology club and volunteered to help at some digs. Europe is full of archaeological opportunities, and Canterbury had several active sites at the time.

There are two things you quickly learn, both from observation and from teachings. The first is that it is common for sites to be re-used by building on top of what was previously there. The other is that the older stuff is further down, and anything above is newer. These observations and teachings make sense, and what you generally see is that the deeper you go (i.e. the older you look at) the easier or more basic/primitive the techniques used to build stuff become.

What is odd about Machu Picchu (and several other sites nearby, and around the world), as described in this interesting video, is that the older parts of the constructions seem more complex, difficult, precise and sophisticated than what is on top (i.e. huge multi-tonne hard stone blocks of complex shapes, fitted together perfectly without mortar - not to mention the unexplained 'nubs' that can be found on ancient monolithic constructions around the world).

The mainstream explanation for this is that the builders simply got lazy, or had mis-calculated the difficulty and had opted to switch to an easier method during construction. To me, this seems like a cop-out explanation, and doesn’t really corelate with what we know of human behaviour – especially that of architects and builders. If this was the only example of this ‘explanation’ being used I could chalk it up to a quirk of a misunderstood culture, but this explanation is also used for the same phenomenon found in a small number of supposedly Roman constructions – and we know that Romans were rather perfectionist (and talented) when it comes to constructions, and also kept meticulous records.

Sadly, I have yet to visit Machu Picchu myself, so I can’t really make an informed decision until I have seen it first-hand and in person. Also sad, is the fact that visitors can no longer roam free about the site, they must stick to a specific guided route. Restriction such as these, along with the looming threat of human conflict and political discord (which was responsible for the site being temporarily closed at the start of this year) are just some of the reasons not to wait too long to visit our must-see destinations, in person, while we still can and because we still can.

When you are ready for your next adventure I can help you design your trip down to the last meticulously managed detail; recommend the best tours with the most experienced and knowledgeable guides; access great deals on the most amazing cruise destinations with fantastic lectures and authentic encounters; and offer itineraries that will provide the most meaningful journeys, enriching experiences, and memorable stories to share. Give me a call and let’s get started! Or click here to contact me now!

And remember:

It is said that a picture paints a thousand words. So, we could say that a video shows a thousand pictures. But, neither words nor pictures, nor even a thousand videos, can ever come close to the first-hand experience of being there "in person" to Witness the Wonders of Our World - while we still can, and because we still can... You still can!

Have a wonderful day,
Best regards

Nic

Your Personal Travel Manager

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