For thousands of
years, man has looked to the sky for knowledge, understanding, and wisdom –
about who he is, what he comes from, and where he is going. Since long before
the emergence of today’s major religions, worship of the cosmos formed a remarkably
universal theme in spiritual practices around the world. The sky was a metaphor
for ancient peoples, as “both the symbol of the principles that they felt
ordered their lives and the force behind those principles.” They connected the
clues above to their earthly existence, regarding the sky as “the mirror of our
mind’s own eye,” a reflection of our consciousness. [1.0] Wherever ancient man
set foot, he built sites to observe and measure cosmic events, and performed rituals
to celebrate the intrinsic and indivisible linkage between celestial forces and
the human experience. One of the most important of these events was the
solstice.
AndrewCKaten
Adventure-Travel Author
Monday, June 24, 2019
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Remote Sensing the Mysteries of Ollantaytambo
Look closely: many mysteries are contained in this
photograph of Ollantaytambo, Peru. I took it “from the hip” during my visit
to the ancient city. Only recently, while magnifying photos like this, did I
discover several details that I overlooked while on site. Remote sensing at its
simplest – through a telephoto lens!
(Above) View of Ollantaytambo, looking north.
The original “wide shot” photo shows portions of Ollantaytambo’s
spiritual, military, and agricultural sectors. I’ve “zoomed in” on various aspects
of the image to create four, more detailed, shots.
Friday, April 26, 2019
You Make Your Own Path
Okay, I admit it: I’ve taken a strange and winding path over
the last few years, and now I’m totally obsessed with Andean history. When I started
researching the Incas, my goal was to establish a foundation for writing a
sequel to Chaturanga. But one thing led to another and now I’m making videos
and posting about ancient architecture, mythology, metaphysics, and geocosmic
alignments.
What happened, you ask? Consuming books and delving back
through ancient texts, I’m both shocked and fascinated by how little we truly know
about our past. The linear version of history that I was taught in school – largely
based upon huge assumptions, yet which I accepted without a second thought – is
rapidly being disrupted by new discoveries and theories. The more I learn about
ancient Peru (and its counterparts around the world), the more I appreciate
that history is, indeed, a vast and mysterious frontier for the modern-day explorer.
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Llaqtallaqtayoc: A Little-Known Ruins in the Sacred Valley of Peru
In southern Peru’s Sacred Valley, on a mountain west of the ancient
city of Ollantaytambo, lie the ruins of several stone structures. The original
name and purpose are not known, but this site may predate the Inca Empire. Its proximity
to the ancient rock quarry of Cachiqata has inspired a theory that these
buildings once served as an administrative office, or perhaps as a school for
masons. Long before the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 1530s, Andean stoneworkers
may have come here to learn the arts of toolmaking, stone-splitting and
shaping, as well as methods for transporting and setting these gigantic blocks.
In this video, I explore what is left of this complex and how it may have supported
construction activities at Cachiqata and Ollantaytambo.
My guide explained that this site is known by two names. The
first, Llaqtallaqtayoc, means “big place” or “big town.” However, judging by
the small size of this ruins, that name doesn’t seem to apply, unless it’s
actually a reference to nearby Ollantaytambo. Or maybe the name had been altered
over many centuries. Was it originally called “Llaqta camayoc,” which is
Quechua for “village administrator,” in reference to its role as the quarry’s
administrative office?
Monday, January 21, 2019
The Moonstone Trek: Part 4 - Into the Sacred Valley
After
crossing the Accoccassa Pass in early-afternoon, our party headed down into the
Chancachuco Valley to make camp. As the condor flies, we had only advanced 5
miles today. But we’d traveled up and down thousands of feet in elevation, back
and forth along countless switchbacks, all the while gasping for oxygen in the
thin air. This certainly wasn’t the most difficult climb of my life, but it wasn’t
exactly a walk in the park, either. (Click HERE to read Part 3).
The
several hours I spent crossing the Chancachuco Valley rank among my favorite
during the Moonstone Trek through southern Peru. Falling back from the rest of my
team, I found myself alone in a vast and breathtaking landscape of glacier-topped
mountains, colorful alpine slopes, clear running streams, and the occasional
herd of llama and alpaca.
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
The Moonstone Trek: Part 3 - Heading for the Pass
Morning broke in the small hamlet of Chillipahua to the tune
of whinnying horses and canvas flapping in a gentle breeze. I stepped out of my tent into the cold air to survey my surroundings. As the
shadows retreated from the rising sun, our cooks began preparing what I knew
would be another amazing meal, thus giving me time to collect my gear and my
thoughts for the upcoming day.
This was day two of my Moonstone Trek through southern Peru,
which began near Huaracondo and would end at the mountaintop citadel of Machu
Picchu. During the previous day,
Thursday, October 18, 2018
The Moonstone Trek: Part 2 - Huaracondo to Chillipahua
After leaving the market town of Huaracondo (click HERE to read/watch Part 1), my van threaded its way through the winding mountain roads toward the trailhead. I was excited to get out and start my adventure through the Andes Mountains to Ollantaytambo.
At the trailhead, I met my muleteers. These guys were amazing. They transported my supplies across the rugged land and cooked
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)