The Sunrise

A History Lesson in Machu Picchu

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May 17th 2006
We woke for the sunrise, but it wasn't the sun that we wanted to see, it was what the sun was illuminating. With our backs to the heat, we watched the city awaken. The cold dark stones slowly warmed into a living city. The slabs of rocks evolved into living rooms, bedrooms, an empire. Silence was broken only by the waking birds and the grazing llamas eating their breakfast of grass grown in a ... read more

South America » Peru » Cusco » Machu Picchu

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Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1... ... read more