Ixhegokazi landingqinela ngeembambo, kunzima. Umncinci, yiPeruvia, ubuso bakhe butyhafile kakhulu. Izinwele ezimnyama zixhonyiwe kwisiluksi ukuya embindini womqolo wakhe. Akanantloko. Xa ndidibana namehlo akhe amnyama uvuma ngentloko kwinto egxalabeni lam. Ndijikeleza ndibone inkungu, imitha yelanga, amafu, imvula ebengezelayo, umnyama, konke ukuxubana, ukusasazeka, ukuphinda kwenziwe, ukunyamalala, kunye nokwakha kwakhona ngelixa ndibaleka phambi kwentaba ephantse yaluhlaza. Ndibuyela kumfazi kwaye sincuma sobabini. Unamazinyo ambalwa kakhulu kunam. Sihlala kunye ebhentshini kwaye sibukele isinye, siphindaphindwe ngonaphakade, bonisa-andazi ukuba lide kangakanani.

Khange ndicwangcise nokuba seMachu Picchu kwakhona. Ndakhe ndayibona intaba iShangri-la kunye neminyaka engama-20 eyadlulayo engummangaliso. Ndibukele ukuphuma kokusa kwitempile yeLanga, ndanyusa iHuayna Picchu, ndanyonyoba ndaya kwikhaya lamandulo ebusuku. Ndinento endaye ndayiqonda yayingamava angalibalekiyo. Kwaye phantse wonke umntu wasemzini oza eMachu Picchu, ndizinze kwidolophu yaseCuzco, malunga neekhilomitha ezingama-75 ezantsi kwe-Sacred Valley. Ndandilindele ukuba — kwaye ndaye — ndothuswa nguMachu Picchu, kodwa uCuzco wandifumana ndingalindelanga. I-Peru ngelo xesha yayivela kwixesha elide lokugquma: iiKomanisi zeNdlela ekhanyayo zazisabambe iintaba ezijikeleze iAyacucho kwaye ukhenketho lwalungeyiyo injini yesizwe esele ikho. Kodwa ngaphandle kokuba sisixeko esozela, uCuzco waziva esemncinci, ebalulekile. Ndandisoloko ndifuna ukubuyela.

Esona sixeko sihlala sihlala ixesha elide eMzantsi Melika, iCuzco ihlala ngaphezulu kweenyawo ezili-11,000 ngaphezulu komphakamo wolwandle, phezulu kwiiAndes. Yayiliziko lobukhosi obukhulu beInca kwi-15th nasekuqaleni kwenkulungwane ye-16. Ukufika kwaboyisi, ngo-1533, kwatshintsha yonke loo nto. AbaseSpain bakhawuleza babungqinga ubutyebi besixeko, bahlala apho ngokufutshane, emva koko badlulela kunxweme nakwikomkhulu elitsha laseLima.

Ukuhamba ngezitalato ezinamatye namhlanje, elidlulileyo liyazinyanzela langoku, liqinisekisa ukubaluleka kwalo. Ekwakhiweni emva kolwakhiwo, ilitye elintsonkothileyo nelichuliweyo leIncan libonakala lixhasa ulwakhiwo lobukoloniyali lwakutshanje. I-Cuzco ayibalulekanga ekwakheni kwizigaba zayo zenkcubeko (cinga ngomtshato waseSeville weempembelelo zamaKatolika namaMoor), kodwa oku kudityaniswa kwe-Incan yamandulo kunye nolwakhiwo lobukoloniyali kunceda ukunika iCuzco umoya wezinto ezimangalisayo neziphilayo zakudala.

I-Plaza de Armas yayi, kwaye isekhona, iziko lobomi. Iikoriyali zamathanga zakha isikwere esingumhlaba, singqongwe yindlu enkulu yecawa kunye neecawe ezikufutshane — zonke zakhiwe kwiziseko zeIncan. Iiflegi ezibomvu nezimhlophe zasePeruvia zibhabha ecaleni kweebhena ezinemibala yomnyama yaseTahuantinsuyo (i-Inca Empire). Kumashumi amabini eminyaka eyadlulayo ndaphawula ukuba iiCusqueños zazingca ngobuqaqawuli belifa labo leInca — kule minyaka ingaphambi kokuba bafunde ukuyithengisa nokuyisebenzisa.

Xa bendilapha okokuqala, iivenkile ezimbalwa ezisevenkileni kwimiphetho yeplaza zanikezela ngee-rafting zamanzi amhlophe okanye ngamanye amaxesha ukhenketho kwi-basin Amazon. Ngoku, kunzima ukuhamba kude unganikwanga iflaya ukhenketho olukhethekileyo lwe-Sacred Valley, okanye ukufumana isipho sokuthanjiswa, okanye isindululo sokuba ndithathe ifoto yam kunye nomfazi onxibe ngokwesiko ecaleni kwellama elimhlophe qhwa . Iihotele ezinenkwenkwezi ezintlanu eziguqulwe zenziwa kumakhaya oonongendi nakwindawo yoonongendi — kuquka nendlu entle I-Belmond Palacio Nazarenas , apho ndihlala-ngoku kulula ukufumana. Zimbalwa kakhulu iirobhothi, kwaye iimoto zihlala ziminxa ezitratweni.

Sisisixeko sama-500,000, kwaye sikhula ngokukhawuleza-mhlawumbi sikhawuleze ukuthanda kwam, indalo yaseCuzco uCarlos Unda Cano undixelela. Unda Cano, umntu othembekileyo ongaphandle, ngunjingalwazi kwiYunivesithi yaseAndean yaseCuzco, kodwa njengabaninzi apha, uyasebenza kwezorhwebo labakhenkethi, egxile kukhenketho lwe-eco-kunye nakwiindawo zokuhamba ngebhayisikile. Xa ndandisengumntwana, ukuba sibona umntu o-blond sasizokuma kwaye sikhombe. Kuphela ziialpaca ezinamehlo aluhlaza. Ngoku…. Uyewanyusa amagxa. Amashumi asixhenxe eepesenti abantu balapha babandakanyeka ngokuthe ngqo okanye ngokungathanga ngqo kukhenketho. Kule minyaka ilishumi idlulileyo, ukhenketho oluphezulu luye lwaqhuma.

Ngelixa incopho yentengiso inyukile, uninzi lwabahlali baseCuzco bahlala kufutshane kakhulu nomhlaba. Phantsi kweCalle Mantas, phantsi kwesitrato esimthubi apho ivumba le-eucalyptus lixubana nomsi womlilo omiswe ngomthi, indawo ebonakalayo iyadlala. Umfazi okhaliphileyo usebenza emva kwexesha, esongeza ivumba elithozamisayo ebusuku. Ndithenga ibhegi yombona wakhe osandula ukuvela, emva koko ndive umntu endibeka esitratweni. Xa ndijika, inkwenkwana emva kwam iyama. Amehlo ethu adibana. Ndolula ibhegi ndaya kuye. Ngaphandle kokulibazisa wamkela ibhaso lakhe aze ahambe ubusuku.

Iimpikiswano eziza nendawo ngaxeshanye zihlwempuzekile kwaye zisandula ukuchuma zihamba indlela ende ekuchazeni iCuzco namhlanje. Indawo yokutyela iCicciolina, enomsebenzi wokuhombisa iindonga kunye neenyanda zepepile eyomileyo kunye negalikhi exhonywe kwimithi ebonakalisiweyo, isebenza nge-trout ceviche kunye nedada prosciutto, ngelixa ingaphandle komfazi omncinci onxibe isitya sokubhaka ehleli ecaleni komlilo ovulekileyo kumjelo, ukuthengisa i-Guinea yehagu eqhotsiweyo-impumlo ngomsila, iinzipho kunye nazo zonke-ngentonga.

Amakhwenkwe esitalato amancinci aphethe iibhokisi zeenkuni anikezela ngeebhetshi kubantu ongabaziyo kwiiflethi zesikhumba selungelo elilodwa. Abafazi ababhinqileyo baluka ngokucheba ukrozo lomthi ecaleni kwevenkile ethengisa iijezi zealpaca ngemali engaphezulu emva koko baya kuyifumana ngonyaka-okanye emihlanu. Ngokuchasene nodonga lwendibano yaseSanta Catalina, inenekazi elidala elineponcho enemibala ethengisa iisigarethi nganye nganye. Kwaye ibhloko kude neRange Rover yehla kwindawo enesithende ngaphandle kwePaddy's Pub, apho, ukunyuka kwamanyathelo, abafazi abancinci basePeruvia abakwaziyo ukubona ngaphezulu kwebar yepeyinti zeGuinness kwisihlwele sabadlali ababukele ibhola kwibhanti enkulu -isikrini seTV. Ngalo naluphi na olunye usuku, isihlwele esinye sinokuba siphula ii-cocktails kwindawo entle ye-Museo del Pisco, ibar ngaphezulu kwemyuziyam.

Kulula kubantu bangaphandle ukugxeka indawo esiye saba lixhoba lempumelelo yayo, kodwa njengoko uGabriela Guillen, inzalelwane yaseCuzco nomfundi eyunivesithi endixelela, uCuzco uyakhula. Ipholile. Mhlawumbi siphulukana namasiko athile. Uyewanyusa amagxa. Sihleli kwibhar ye-Norton Rat's, i-expat hangout ngaphandle nje kwePaza de Armas. Abantu bathatha amasiko kubantu basemzini. Kwaye sinayo i-cinema ngoku, utsho, ekhanyayo.

Kodwa ngaphaya kweMercado San Pedro, akukho nto intsha. Kulapho abantu bendawo bathenga khona kuyo yonke into. Iintloko zehagu zixhonywe etafileni esilarheni ecaleni komfazi othengisa imixube athembisa ukuba iza kunyanga isifo seswekile kunye nesifo samathambo, isisu kunye ne gout. Ekufuphi kukho imiphanda yembewu yekhokho yetshokholethi. Indoda ecekeceke ngocingo ijikeleza ngaphantsi kweendiza ezili-10 ezinde zommoba azityhala kwi-grinder endala. Umdiliya we-hallucinogen ayahuasca uphezulu. Abafazi basebenza nzima koomatshini bokuthunga. Abantu bahlala kwiitafile zokwexeshana kunye nesuphu yesuphu kunye neesityu ezilungiselelwe izitovu eziphathwayo ngamadoda nabafazi abaxakekileyo. Imvakalelo yenye yezinto eziqheleneyo nesiphithiphithi phakathi kwesiqhelo-andiboni bantu bamanye amazwe. Iijusi ezintsha ezivela kwiziqhamo endingazaziyo ziyakhanywa zinikwe kwiiglasi ezinde. Kukho izinto zothando ezithengiswayo, kwaye zibomvu huayruro imbewu ngethamsanqa. Kwaye, ewe, kukho igqabi le-coca.

Nayiphi na ingxoxo engafihlisiyo yeCuzco — okanye phantse naphi na kwiiAndes — kufuneka iquke icoca. Ndidibana neengxowa zeplastiki ezicacileyo ezigcwele amagqabi aluhlaza ngobuninzi eMercado San Pedro kwaye ndibona amadoda abonakala ehloniphekile ehamba ezantsi eAvenida El Sol izidlele zikhukhumele, ziluma iintsimbi zezinto. Nokuba ihotele yam yaseMelika esulungekisiweyo inikezela ngeendwendwe ezifika Ndibulale i-coca , iti epholileyo eyenziwe ngamagqabi ecoca, ayilelwe ukunciphisa ukugula okuphezulu.

Iibhloko ezimbalwa ukusuka ePlaza de Armas yincinci, ebanzi iMuseo de la Coca. Ngaphakathi kukho imisebenzi eyahlukeneyo yobugcisa yokudumisa igqabi, kubandakanya umzobo weNtombi Enyulu ephethe amagqabi amathathu phezulu, uncumo lobuso ebusweni. Kukho ipaneli enkulu echaza iipropathi zesondlo sesityalo-amanqanaba aphezulu eprotini, i-vitamin C, i-potassium, i-beta-carotene, kunye ne-calcium, kunye neenzuzo zayo zokukhulelwa. Phezulu kumgangatho wesibini yimiyalelo ecacileyo kwinkqubo entsonkothileyo yokwenza icocaine kumagqabi. Kwaye ke ekugqibeleni kukho igumbi elibonisa ububi beli chiza, kunye neefoto zamaxhoba alo-imvumi u-Amy Winehouse (owasweleka ngenxa yetyhefu yotywala), umlingisi webhola ekhatywayo u-Diego Maradona-kunye ne-mannequin ethe tyaba ngokungaphili ebhedini inaliti ikhutshiwe yengalo yayo kunye nophawu lwenzwane lulenga ngonyawo lwayo.

Kwivenkile encinci yezipho yomyuziyam, u-Angela Rodriguez upheka imbiza ye Ndibulale i-coca . Kwimeko yayo yendalo, icocekile kwaye isempilweni, uyandithembisa. URodriguez ngumfazi omncinci omncinci, ophakathi wasePeru kunye nobuso obufudumeleyo, obuvulekileyo kunye noncumo olulula-eyona nto ikhangeleka intle ukusuka kwi-coke fiend. Kungenxa yokuba abantu bayisebenzisa ngendlela engeyiyo inegama elibi. Nayiphi na imveliso exutywe neekhemikhali iba sisiyobisi. Sesinye sezizathu zokuba kubekho imyuziyam apha, ukunceda abantu baqonde.

Ivenkile ithengisa zonke izinto zecoca: iicookies, iitofi, iivenkile zamandla, kunye nokutya okungapheliyo kweti kunye namagqabi avulekileyo. Onke amafama asemasimini ahlafuna. Kubanika amandla, kwaye kubenza bangalambi. URodriguez uyancuma. Ndihlafuna yonke imihla, uyandixelela-kwaye ngokuqinisekileyo ubonakala onwabile.

Njengokuba ndithatha ikhefu, inenqaku lokugqibela ekufuneka elenzile. Kukhuselekile ukuba ngaphandle koncedo lwesityalo seCoca, iMachu Picchu ayinakuze yakhiwe.

Le nkcazo ayimangalisi ukuba kungekudala okanye kamva, phantse yonke ingxoxo endinayo eCuzco iya kuMachu Picchu. Akunakwenzeka ukugqithisa umphumo we-Incan site yakudala kwisixeko.

Eyakhelwe embindini wenkulungwane ye-15, eyafunyanwa nguHiram Bingham ngo-1911, yanikwa iwonga leLifa leMveli yi-UNESCO ngo-1983, iMachu Picchu iye yaba yinto ebaluleke kakhulu kuluhlu lwamabhakethi. Ukufumana umbono wokungenisa okukhula rhoqo kwamanxuwa e-Incan, amanani ambalwa aluncedo. Ngo-1992, ngabakhenkethi abangama-9,000 kuphela abathatha uhambo oluya eMachu Picchu. Kwiminyaka engaphantsi kwama-20, elo nani lalidlulele laya ngaphaya kwama-850,000 ngonyaka.

Xa uMlambo i-Urubamba wakhukula ngo-2010 kwaye wakhukulisa imizila kaloliwe, ukufikelela encotsheni yentaba kwavalwa. IMachu Picchu ivaliwe ngaphezulu kweenyanga ezimbini kwaye, ngokomphathiswa wezokhenketho, iPeru yalahlekelwa yidola engama-200 ezigidi. ICuzco yabethwa kakhulu.

Wonke umntu waqonda ukuba sixhomekeke njani, Unda Cano undixelela njengokuba sihamba ngaphaya kwePaza de Armas. Iindawo zokutyela, iihotele, yonke into ivaliwe.

Mhlawumbi ndandingenangqondo xa ndicinga ukuba ndingabuyela eCuzco ndize nditsibe into abaninzi abayithatha njengeyona nto ibalulekileyo eMzantsi Melika, kodwa ke andizange ndiyiqonde ngokupheleleyo indlela ezi dolophu zidibene ngayo — indlela ekufeni enye inike ngayo ubomi enye. Ukufumana amava eCuzco namhlanje, kuye kwafuneka ndibone iMachu Picchu. Ngeli xesha ndiyenza ngesimbo.

IBelmond UHiram Bingham uloliwe Iipampers abambalwa abakhweli kwiimoto ezimbini zohlobo lwePullman ezenziwe ngo-1920s zokuhombisa. Uloliwe uhamba kancinci iikhilomitha ezingama-68 unqumla kwi-Sacred Valley, udlula kumathafa aqengqelekayo, wehlela kwi-Pomatales Gorge ecaleni komlambo ogqumayo, udlula kwidolophu yase-Ollantaytambo (kunye namabhodlo ayo amakhulu e-Incan), udlula kwiqhwa elixhonyiweyo kwiNtaba iVeronica, phambi kwe Utshintsho lwendalo ukusuka kwinduli yaseAndean ukuya kwihlathi kunye nehlathi lamafu.

Uhambo alunakuphikiswa; ukufika akunanto ngaphandle. I-Aguas Calientes luhlobo lwedolophana edlakadlaka, nenamathuba amahle athi akhule ukuze enze imali kwindawo ekufuphi yabakhenkethi. Ukukhawuleza ukuhanjiswa ngcono. UMachu Picchu uhleli kwisiqwenga semoto esentabeni emiqengqelezi, isiqingatha seyure sihamba ngenqwelomoya. Nokuba kutyelelo oluphindaphindiweyo, umbono wokuqala ubangela ukuba intloko ihlunguzele. Benze njani? Bade bacinga njani ngayo?

Kwangokunjalo imibuzo engathandekiyo engenampendulo iza engqondweni yam rhoqo ngeentsuku ezimbini endizichitha kule ndawo. Kukho amabali amaninzi kunye neengcamango malunga ne-Incas kunye nokuba kutheni bakha iMachu Picchu. Ngubani owayehlala apha? Ngoba? Ngaba ngokwenene yayiyingcwele yeentombi? (Hayi, kubonakala ngathi akunjalo.)

Amava ahlala nzulu kwi-psyche yam kolo hambo lokuqala kwiminyaka engama-20 eyadlulayo kangangokuba amabhodlo amhlophe egranite azive eqheleke-ukuba kugcwele kakhulu. Ndiphinda ndiqwalasele i-Hitching Post yeLanga, ndinyukele phezulu kwicandelo lezolimo elixhonyiweyo kwiHutman's Hut, ndizingela iTempile yeeFestile ezintathu. Kule minyaka-nditsho naxa bendikule ndawo- ndivile iingcinga ezininzi zokuba kutheni iMachu Picchu ibikhona (ukumisela ubusika okanye ihlobo lasehlotyeni, ukubingelela ngabantu, ukufundwa kweenkwenkwezi, ukufaka izindlu zexabiso). Ngexesha elithile ndiyishiya ingqondo yam esebenzayo ndedwa kwaye ndibhadule ngokulula, ndivumela uMachu Picchu ahlambe ngaphezulu kwam.

Kwaziswa imithetho emitsha eya kuthi ithintele ukuhamba okuzimeleyo kuyo yonke i-citadel, kodwa ndifumana ngaphezulu kwekona engenanto kwaye ndihleli ndedwa njengenkungu isihla kwaye iphakamisa. I-Hummingbirds zip ezidlulileyo. Iiorchids zikhula zasendle kwaye zihamba-hamba emoyeni. Umhambi ubonakala phezulu eHuayna Picchu. Ekugqibeleni ndenza indlela yokuphuma, ndigqibe kwelokuba ndihlale okokugqibela.

Kulapho umfazi omdala wasePeruvia andigibisela ngeembambo. Kulapho ndijika khona ukuze ndimngenise ngaphakathi, kwaye ndijonge kwicala alibonisileyo-kumxube wenkungu namafu nemvula nelanga. Sijonge kunye kwaye xa evuka ekugqibeleni ukuba ahambe, savuma. Ndihlala ithutyana, ndijonge phandle. Isangqa sokhozi siphezulu phezulu. Ndilandela ikhosi yakhe ephuculweyo, kuphela ziincam zamaphiko akhe ezihlengahlengisa emoyeni. Emva koko utsiba-tsiba aze angene emanzini, awele nzima ukuya kumzantsi-mpuma, aze adlule kwincopho elandelayo — esiya eCuzco.