Machu Picchu Peru View V

This view shows the river that is below Machu Picchu. I’m not sure how far below me the river was in this shot but I do know that there was no way I wanted to fall that far, One of the things that gives Machu Picchu such an impact on a person’s psyche is that it is so disorienting in terms of how high it is relative to the river below it that surrounds the site on three sides. It is also lower than the surrounding mountains on the other side of the river. I was constantly being reminded of the spatial disorientation that the site produces. Plus, I was always worried about tripping or falling on the stone walkways or stairs. Every time I went somewhere that the Incas had established a serious presence I was impressed by how they liked to live adjacent to high precipices that I found disorienting.