As any tourist who has traveled a lot knows, popular destinations tend to be busy places. For Jesse Katayama, a global pandemic and some sympathetic officials conspired to leave Machu Picchu almost alone.
According to the New York Times, Katayama, a Japanese citizen, had embarked on vacation around the world when global blockades caused by COVID-19 left him stranded in Peru for seven months, bound for Machu Picchu, the celebrated 15th-century Inca citadel. in the Andes, but at most public space the coronavirus pandemic was closed to visitors.
Last weekend, Peruvian authorities allowed Katayama to enter the site due to her patience and preference to get to know Machu Picchu, the site, which welcomes thousands of visitors a day, was almost empty, with the exception of some tour guides.
When Katayama learned she couldn’t leave Peru, she rented an apartment, taught local boxing categories, and worked on physical education exams. There was a brief opportunity to participate in an emergency evacuation organized through Japan, but Katayama felt the charge was prohibitive. wait until the end, and it was worth it.
Katayama is about to return to Japan, a reopening date for Machu Picchu is still pending.
[h/t The New York Times]
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The south of England is home to a forest that looks like a horror movie. In New Forest National Park, the trees are engraved with symbols dating back many years, some of which intended to ward off evil spirits. the park and its “witch marks” venturing alone into the forest. As the BBC reports, New Forest arborelyphs can be viewed online.
An arborglyph is a mark engraved on the bark of a tree. These engravings can mean a lot of things. The “Mark of the King”, one of the most common glyphs in New Forest National Park, an arrowhead shape used by the Royal Navy to mark trees reserved for shipbuilding until the early 19th century. While iron and metal have become non-unusual fabrics for ships, the wood fell out of service and many trees for harvest were allowed to grow.
Visitors to the forest will also find concentric circles and double V engraved on the trees. These so-called witch marks would possibly have been used as protective amulets against evil spirits. Similar symbols dating back to the 16th century have been discovered in the caves. barns and churches in England.
After inviting visitors to submit their tree graffiti images, the park made the photographs loose for anyone who could see them on its website. The site features dozens of virtual photographs and an interactive map showing the sculpture in its express location. The king’s marks and witch marks, the forest is also full of dates, initials and drawings covering 500 years of English history. You can take a virtual tour of the site here.
[h/t BBC]