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Machu Picchu - Winter Solstice { 27 images } Created 13 Aug 2012

On June 21st, 2012, the rising sun of the winter solstice struck the peaks and remains of Machu Picchu in Peru. This is a visual representation of that morning on one of the most sacred sites in Incan history.
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  • Tour guide Juan Fabrizio Garcia rests against the ruins of Llactapata on the Salkantay Trail, a day out from Machu Picchu in Peru.
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  • A tour guide connects with his parent company via phone while his group takes in the sites of the Andes and the ruins of Llactapata, one day out from Machu Picchu on the Salkantay Trail in Peru.  Although the mountains are very remote, improvements in technology have enabled tour guides to stay in contact with their operators most times.
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  • The view of Machu Picchu mountain from the ruins of Llactapata, Peru.
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  • Workers on the PeruRail heading from the town of Hydroelectric towards Aguas Calientes pack the train with customers bags prior to departure.
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  • Passengers on the PeruRail heading from the town of Hydroelectric to Aguas Calientes, the embarcation point for reaching Machu Picchu, sleep or take in the sights as the foliage passes by.
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  • The sun rises on the winter solstice over the peaks of the Andes mountains surrounding and shielding Machu Picchu.
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  • The sun of the winter solstice rises behind the tree in Machu Picchu named Pisonay.  These trees have a tradition in Cusco, Peru, and are planted in various plazas of various towns in the region.  The tree signifies all the generations of the inhabitants of the town in which it grows.
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  • The early morning sun of the winter solstice on July 21st hits the remains of Machu Picchu in Peru.
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  • Sunlight on the winter solstice illuminates the terraces of Machu Picchu and the House of the Guardians in Peru.
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  • A sun worshipper comes to give thanks and praise to the sun during the winter solstice at Machu Picchu.  The Incas believe that the god of the sun was named Inti and was considered the giver of life.
    machu_picchu_17.jpg
  • Tourists watch as the sun of the winter solstice completes the Chakana, or Inca Cross, with a shadow in Machu PIcchu Peru.  There are four large flat sides that represent water, air, earth and fire, and the twelve points symbolize the three worlds: the underworld, the current world, and the upper world, the three animals: the snake, the puma, and the condor, the three affirmations: I live, I work, I love, and the three rules: don't lie, don't steal, and don't be lazy.
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  • The view of Machu Picchu from the House of the Guardians in Peru.
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  • The House of the Guardians is the highest structure at Machu Picchu in Peru.
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  • The terraces of Machu Picchu in Peru.
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  • The terraces of Machu Picchu in Peru.
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  • The terraces of Machu Picchu in Peru.
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  • The terraces of Machu Picchu in Peru.
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  • A couple shares a moment in the sun at Machu Picchu in Peru.
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  • Britt Whitelaw admires the stonework of the Incas at Machu Picchu in Peru.
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  • Stonework of the Incas within Machu Picchu in Peru.
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  • A still-life of the famed terraces of Machu Picchu, Peru.
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  • A tourist takes a photo at Machu Picchu in front of the famed terraces of the Incas just before full sunrise on the winter solstice of 2012.
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  • Tourists gather at Intihuatana, a stone carved into an astronomical clock, at Machu Picchu in Peru.
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  • A group of tourists looks towards the Andes mountains from one of the terraces of Machu Picchu in Peru.  The site draws up to 2,500 visitors a day, who can either walk up from Aguas Calientes, take a harrowing switchback bus ride, or arrive via one of the ancient trails through the mountains.
    machu_picchu_13.jpg
  • Two men admire the view of the Andes mountains from a terrace in Machu Picchu, Peru.  The estate is very large and despite the 2,500 tourists that enter every day, it is easy to find quiet spaces.
    machu_picchu_14.jpg
  • A worker is seen restoring an area of the ruins of Machu Picchu, the estate created by the Incas for royalty.  The Peruvian government has limited daily entrance to 2,500 people, but constant work is still needed to ensure the estate maintains its condition.
    machu_picchu_15.jpg
  • A lone tourist takes in the view and the sunshine of the winter solstice from a terrace in Machu Picchu, Peru.
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