The rocks, worked with surprising skill, with defined profiles, couldn't possibly be the result of a natural erosion of the wind and the rain. Or as Julio C Tello and Daniel Ruzo say, are the remains and works of some culture that lived on the plateau. Others say that the sculpturing of these rocks is the work of extraterrestrials, and there are also those that affirm that there was divine intervention here. Whatever is the true origin of Marcahuasi, the visitor will continue living with whatever enigma that they believe.
These sphinx, near neighbours of the sky, perhaps were made in honour of some Andean Pharaoh. Stay here and contemplate them so their evolution amazes you.
The petrified formations of this sacred mountain receive little or no scientific attention, and they deny that they are sculptures of a civilisation that lived on the plateau, but to understand the whole truth we need a large knowledge.
All of this megalithic scenery of forms confuses us, and the silence makes us desperate to know and understand the true message of these sleeping forms, for the benefit of human ignorance.
Despite the thousands of years of age of these antropomorphic and zoomorphic sculptures, and of supporting all of the inclemencies of the weather, continue and will continue amazing all of the visitors that arrive at the plateau, defying everything, and searching for the mystery behind every sculpture.
The whole collection of characters and animals, not only occupy the plain, but are also on the cliffs. The tourist will have to define the boundaries between real and unreal of these sculptures and their conclusions will be between what they see and what they feel, accompanied by an infinite questioning "Why did they represent all of these forms in stones ... why?"
The person who knows the Marcahuasi sculptures carries them forever in their heart. This ancient woman can be found on the cliffs, waiting for something to arrive or to leave, with everything, or nothing.
Marcahuasi is a place where the sun and the moon surrender, where God and man experience emotions of amazement, with so much petrified beauty. Where majestic sculptures jealously guard the sacred mountain.
The majority of young people, betweem 16 and 25 years old who visit Marcahuasi say that to arrive and find the sculptures that their friends have spoke to them about, moreover with the hope of one day having contact with the unknown and to find something that they don't understand ...
In a survey in 1991, some 48% of tourists said that when they arrived at Marcahuasi they discovered new forms and that these forms are what defines the endless unique greatness of the Andean plateau.
A lover of Marcahuasi doesn't need to wait for the solstice or equinox to be before these remains, made by nature by man or by something else. The fact is that any time that you find yourself here you will have a bath of magic sculptures, with history and silence.
"The tortoise" (daughter) only came to refresh herself at Cachu Cachu, and now goes to the hut in search of her mother. Thirty years ago I saw it and didn't find her, like now I don't find the truth about Marcahuasi.
The ancient people of San Pedro de Casta tell beautiful legends about these formations, that the visitor in each trip will continue getting to know and having a contact that ties them to the place, because en every corner of Marcahuasi the imagination flows, and this imagination will be more enjoyable with a hammering of return trips. Remains that reflect the anguish, the pain, the emptiness and the loneliness are expressions that have this resemblance, a shout for justice. This petrified cemetery, full of mystery and enchantment, will continue trapping us, and we will continue arriving in search of something, that something that drives you crazy to return many times, and we truly don't understand why.
"The indian" - only he knows what happens in the amphitheatre, a loyal guardian that silences everything. I've no idea if he's cold or is a revelling indian. I discovered him during a night with full moon.
The majority of tourists that arrive at Marcahuasi, product of the publicity created by Daniel Ruzo, invaded by his theories, want to find all of the sculptures that he publicised. But this place is for everybody, the petrified beauty of this mountain has no boundaries and its infinite forms are what you and only you will find.
One arrives at Marcahuasi to find the sculptures that you want, to search for the perfect angle, the appropriate hour, and the perfect day. This meeting with the rock makes this an interminable encounter, that you feel attracted by the beauty and the eternal nature of these monuments.
I don't know if it is lost, or resigned to continue, but this pony stays here.
I love the sculptures and have so much respect for this place, a place that has all of the characteristics of a sacred mountain, ideal for the tourist that wants more than an adventure. Despite the difficult ascent, the recompense for the sacrifice is gratifying. All of this property of antropomorphic and zoomorphic sculptures is found and interpreted by you one day in Marcahuasi.
[Read the original blog post (in Spanish)]
Next Part: Monument to Humanity
Photos : John Ysrael Guevara