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Things That I'm Obsessed With: Machu Picchu Edition
Posted by Lizzie
on
Monday, May 04, 2009
Ardent curiosity and uncontrollable fondness for life experience are two of my defining characteristics. As such, I'm obsessed with a lot of things. There exists an infinitely long list of things I just can't get enough of. Sometimes it wears me out because there's not enough time to pursue everything, do everything, learn everything, etc. The only solution is immortality and that's actually kind of unappealing in my opinion. So the best I can do is indulge in little bits of surface preoccupation, try to keep my thoughts calm and my head from spinning, and subsequently pick up an eclectic mess of interests.
As some kind of twisted life validation, I would like to self-indulgently share my obsessions with anyone who happens upon this blog from time to time. Because absolutely NOTHING is more self-indulgent than a blog and thus it's the perfect outlet for said endeavor.
First up, Machu Picchu.
It nicely unites both my obsession with South America and my obsession with non-fiction. (It's in Peru and I got a book out of the library about it once)
Machu Picchu has it all. Prime real estate with an old skool flair. Established in the 1400s, it has Amazon rain forest proximity and sits on the eastern side of the Andes. Have you ever been to the Andes? MINDBLOWING. Really, I almost cry every time I think about them. (See also, http://sundrenchedelsewhere.blogspot.com/2008/06/death-in-andes.html) The Incas freakin knew what they were doing.
Oh, yeah. And holy isolation. I imagine if it wasn't swarming with tourists all the time, being there would make you feel like you were absolutely alone in the world. It's in a naturally ideal defensive location. Like crazy ideal. When you're on the top of a mountain, surrounded by treacherous Andes terrain, with two steep valleys on either side and a water source that's really really hard to cut off, consider yourself safe from almost all threats. And I'm telling you, the Incas are tricky and had their shit together. Not only were the terraces designed for growing food, but they make the slopes even MORE impassable to menaces of all kinds! I hope some day I can be a global dictator and make Machu Picchu my primary living venue for 6 months out of the year, a.k.a. my personal residence of natural peace. No one else can come. Well, it kind of belongs to the Peruvians so they can do what they want with it. I'll just chill out there and go about my business as unnoticed as possible. Just Peruvians and myself living in blissful tranquility. In the freakin sunshine. This is what I mean:
Click the picture to see it in a bigger size or Google "Machu Picchu panorama" for a worthwhile experience. You might die on the inside... in a good way. Look at the mountains in the background then look at Machu Picchu (the small bit on the rightish side of the photo), then be overwhelmed with the comprehension of how big and incredible those mountains are. You can't describe that in words.
I need to make a brief aside here and point out that the other half of the year I will be sharing Machu Picchu with the rest of the world. So obsessors like me can get their fix. You gotta give back to the community.
Ok, back to the content. I don't even know what to say about the stone structures that the Incas built there. Other than the fact that pictures of them make me stop breathing because they're so aesthetically alluring. Oh, speaking of breathing. Downside: altitude. If I live there, I might get the dizzies.
And if you haven't been convinced of its appeal yet, go read the theories about what purpose it actually served. It is likely too long of a discussion to get into here, but if you're interested, run to Wikipedia or some expert resource and investigate. The mystery of it is half the intrigue.
Long story short, Machu Picchu is quality. You know it's serious business when it's on the new official list of Seven Wonders of the World. (That means it's pretty wonderful)
Photo Sources:http://www.cry.org.uk/img/main/Machu_Picchu_Panorama.jpg, http://photoblog.pixinn.net/index.php?showimage=31
Speaking of the Incas and Cuzco (I think I forgot to mention that Machu Picchu is close to Cuzco), I'm also conveniently obsessed with The Emperor's New Groove. It may disguise itself as a stupid kid movie lacking in any reasonable value. Oh, no... no, no. It's so much more. You need to Netflix that shit ASAP.
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As some kind of twisted life validation, I would like to self-indulgently share my obsessions with anyone who happens upon this blog from time to time. Because absolutely NOTHING is more self-indulgent than a blog and thus it's the perfect outlet for said endeavor.
First up, Machu Picchu.
It nicely unites both my obsession with South America and my obsession with non-fiction. (It's in Peru and I got a book out of the library about it once)
Machu Picchu has it all. Prime real estate with an old skool flair. Established in the 1400s, it has Amazon rain forest proximity and sits on the eastern side of the Andes. Have you ever been to the Andes? MINDBLOWING. Really, I almost cry every time I think about them. (See also, http://sundrenchedelsewhere.blogspot.com/2008/06/death-in-andes.html) The Incas freakin knew what they were doing.
Oh, yeah. And holy isolation. I imagine if it wasn't swarming with tourists all the time, being there would make you feel like you were absolutely alone in the world. It's in a naturally ideal defensive location. Like crazy ideal. When you're on the top of a mountain, surrounded by treacherous Andes terrain, with two steep valleys on either side and a water source that's really really hard to cut off, consider yourself safe from almost all threats. And I'm telling you, the Incas are tricky and had their shit together. Not only were the terraces designed for growing food, but they make the slopes even MORE impassable to menaces of all kinds! I hope some day I can be a global dictator and make Machu Picchu my primary living venue for 6 months out of the year, a.k.a. my personal residence of natural peace. No one else can come. Well, it kind of belongs to the Peruvians so they can do what they want with it. I'll just chill out there and go about my business as unnoticed as possible. Just Peruvians and myself living in blissful tranquility. In the freakin sunshine. This is what I mean:
Click the picture to see it in a bigger size or Google "Machu Picchu panorama" for a worthwhile experience. You might die on the inside... in a good way. Look at the mountains in the background then look at Machu Picchu (the small bit on the rightish side of the photo), then be overwhelmed with the comprehension of how big and incredible those mountains are. You can't describe that in words.
I need to make a brief aside here and point out that the other half of the year I will be sharing Machu Picchu with the rest of the world. So obsessors like me can get their fix. You gotta give back to the community.
Ok, back to the content. I don't even know what to say about the stone structures that the Incas built there. Other than the fact that pictures of them make me stop breathing because they're so aesthetically alluring. Oh, speaking of breathing. Downside: altitude. If I live there, I might get the dizzies.
And if you haven't been convinced of its appeal yet, go read the theories about what purpose it actually served. It is likely too long of a discussion to get into here, but if you're interested, run to Wikipedia or some expert resource and investigate. The mystery of it is half the intrigue.
Long story short, Machu Picchu is quality. You know it's serious business when it's on the new official list of Seven Wonders of the World. (That means it's pretty wonderful)
Photo Sources:http://www.cry.org.uk/img/main/Machu_Picchu_Panorama.jpg, http://photoblog.pixinn.net/index.php?showimage=31
Speaking of the Incas and Cuzco (I think I forgot to mention that Machu Picchu is close to Cuzco), I'm also conveniently obsessed with The Emperor's New Groove. It may disguise itself as a stupid kid movie lacking in any reasonable value. Oh, no... no, no. It's so much more. You need to Netflix that shit ASAP.
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