Marcahuasi

“Marcahuasi is a unique mountain top, geologically unlike any of the surrounding Andes, located 80KM north east of Lima, Peru.” There are rock formations that seem to have been carved by the civilization that once lived here, and “chulpas” which house Incan mummies. The place is sacred, vast, and beautiful- you feel like you are literally on top of the world. I also hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu- it was spectacular, but unfortunately, the hundreds of tourists distracted a bit from the sacredness of the site- thankfully, this was not the case in Marcahuasi- alone with our group and guides on horseback, it was a spiritual experience. One disappointment though- on some of the stones (very few so don’t let this deter you) there was grafitti- probably by school aged kids who have yet to understand the sacredness of the site. I volunteered for a week in a the village just below Marcahuasi, San Pedro de Casta, with a program implemented by Globe Aware. It was an unforgettable, fulfilling experience and I highly recommend it.