To get to know the reality of Marcahuasi not only do we have to go up and come down its paths ... but also to compromise ourselves with its needs and more besides ...
Every type of studious person will continue arriving at Marcahuasi. Every type of story will continue to be weaved; we will continue repeating the legends and myths, and Marcahuasi will continue just like we know it, just like Daniel Ruzo knew it, the adventurers and the pirates of this mystery.
The freedom that Marcahuasi hands us is generating a small alienated society, that arrives with the intention to free its bad habits, habits that destroy nature, the mysteries, and worse still to confuse the visitor. People arrive that have no business being on the plateau, and they would be perfectly capable to finding an alternative place, because Marcahuasi is a sacred mountain, to heal yourself physically and spiritually.
Marcahuasi not only is a place to view, and to make contacts with the other side, for people that are desperately looking for their salvation, or an initiation of something. It is also the birthplace of esoteric groups, mystics, philosophers, sects, and the light sowers. Every one with their well-known, elaborate theories. The plateau gives us the opportunity to find ourselves with every type of people; fanatics, opportunists, and purveyors of the mystery of this place.
In Marcahuasi they have cycling and motorcycling competitions that destroy the paths, the rocks, and the peace of the mountain. They also have some concerts that say a lot about their organisers. The majority of tourists that support and will continue supporting Marcahuasi at Easter and during national holidays will have the same problem of little tourist information, a problem for the tourist authorities, the community and the mayor ought to be worried. This isn't going to be a problem in the future, it's a problem right now ... for the real people of San Pedro de Casta
Marcahuasi has been converted into a smokeless factory, for all of the locals, and also for some people that want to exploit and export the mysteries of the sacred mountain. Nowadays we can find the name of MARCAHUASI in hotels, restaurants, web pages, blogs, tents, music, etc. We need to better know Marcahuasi so that it feeds not just our curiosity but also a truth that compromises us to do something to preserve this petrified valley.
I don't believe that Marcahuasi is the refuge of an oppressed society, beaten down by the system, and neither is it the place where we part with our heavy burdens to cheat reality, or that we arrive at the summit to calm some inner madness, or to receive some alien sensation. Marcahuasi concentrates in us so that we consume the truth of its mysteries.
Marcahuasi gives us the opportunity to find ourselves in the middle of this beautiful scenery, and this certainly is a natural reality, that us lovers of the plateau delight in.
Actually there are people from Peru and also foreigners that love Marcahuasi, it hasn't changed, and they are working within their means so that this plateau is respected as it is, and that it is conserved in its pure and natural form. But we also need such tourism to be well-organised and for the tourists to be well informed.
The truth of Marcahuasi goes further than its forgotten sculptures, further than all of the people that ascend here and receive pain and peace at these altitudes, the adventurous society that wants and demands reasoning, they will continue ascending and descending the winding paths of the sacred mountain, with the hope of finding something new, because in this place there is a lot that still hasn't been told to us.
[Read the original blog post (in Spanish)]
Next part : A day in Marcahuasi
Photos : John Ysrael Guevara