all my life, i've known the astronomical significance of my birthday.
the sun reaches its northernmost point on its path, and begins heading
south on that day. and so many civilizations took that day to mark
this change, this culmination. the mayans were one. the incans were
another. and at machu picchu, there is a stone in what was a temple
that is only illuminated on that day.
in 3 weeks, i will be going to stand by that stone.
this fascination that has been imprinted on me by the day on which i
entered this world -- the day the sun is celebrated in such a fashion --
will finally have something to use as a physical link. something i can
witness as a testament to that day and to our sun. to the motions in
our solar system that grant this day its relevance.
why am i not going there on the 21st of june, you might ask? opportunities
come when they do, and should not be taken for granted. i will get
to see how incan and christian religions blended together, though, as
it is the week of pascua. typically christian holy week, but things
are not so cut and dry in peru. and i'll be interested in seeing how
the two have melded.
and when the sun does not dominate those green mountains, there will be
the stars. stars that i have never seen. stars i have wanted to see
for so very long. alpha centauri. all you northern hemisphere readers,
have you ever seen our second closest stellar neighbor? no?
know why? unless you live below about 18 degrees north latitude, you
can't. so i finally will. and the large and small magellanic clouds.
all those episodes of starblazers (or space battleship
yamato) that i watched as a kid, and i never could see where the
argo (yamato) was headed. now i will.
finally.
i got my hiking boots today. there are a few more inoculations i have
to get. and someone will have to look after the chinchillas while i
pay a visit to their ancestors' homeland,
even if i am not getting as far south
as the atacama desert.
but i am going. i am going to the southern hemisphere, and i am going
to a place that was sacred to people who worshipped the sun. people
who knew just what june 21st meant on our trip through the solar
system.
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here is what i've been able to assemble from my pics from this trip so far.
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