Machu Picchu: Wedel and Team Learn about the History of Peru
Posted by: Jess Wedel
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Machu Picchu
Did you know that the Andes are the longest mountain range in the world? Stretching from southern Colombia all the way to the southernmost point of the continent in Tierra del Fuego.
Or that Peru has 84 out of the 113 different climates found in the world?
Or that the potato was originated in Peru? And there are over 4,000 species of potatoes here!
Did you know there was at least 6,000 years of development prior to the Inca reign and many of the terraces date back to 4,000bc?
Today was an awesome day learning about ancient civilizations to current day Peruvians.
We were led by an awesome guide, Cristian, that graciously shared about religion, agriculture, politics, history and answered our millions of questions while touring the Sacred Valley.
We took it at all in like sponges and there were so many moments of awe - how in the world could they have gotten boulders this large, this high? And so perfectly slotted together?
The Andes are the most rugged set of mountains you could ever find - but instead of seeing these mountains has obstacles the Peruvians and the Inca turned them into possibilities. By building cascades of terraces, from the bottom of the valley to the summit. Building canals for water and over 10,000 miles of trails connecting to each other.
These sights were amazing to see but the best part of the day was the wealth of knowledge and openness from Cristian to share the culture of his ancestors with us.
Jess and the Team
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Comments (1)
I did not, in fact, realize that the Andes are the longest mountain range in the world, no. Another fact I totally realized today (after doing some Googling after reading this post): Alpamayo is in Peru as well. (Alpamayo is part of the Peruvian Andes and seems like some climb out of a story book.)
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