Peru – Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is one of those world-renowned, iconic locations that has long been on my bucket list. Despite having seen photos, videos, and documentaries about this marvel of Incan engineering and culture, for decades, none of those things can possibly prepare you for being there. We were fortunate to visit on a beautiful day with a chance to spend a couple of afternoon hours exploring the grounds. They did not disappoint! read on, and check out the photo gallery.

We spent a good portion of the day reaching the site: traveling by bus from our hotel in the Sacred Valley back to Cusco, where we hopped a special train destined for Machu Picchu. This particular train is the Hiram Bingham express, named after the British explorer that rediscovered the lost site of Machu Picchu. Luxurious, the train ride is centered around a delightful lunch at elegant tables, with a festive bar at the tail end of the train.

On reaching the village at the base of the mountains where Machu Picchu is located, we made our way quickly through the maze of tourist-vendor stalls and onto a bus that wound its way, back and forth, up the steep and narrow switchbacks to the ridge top. The view from the bus, when you could stomach a peek out over the precipice, was breathtaking.

“Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historic Sanctuary in 1982 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.” [Wikipedia]

Although the crowds at the entrance to this historic site can be daunting, with busload after busload of tourists arriving, the site is well managed and entrance is controlled to limit the number of visitors and to pace their arrival throughout the day.

We made our way in, using pre-purchased time-limited tickets, and were joined by a local/registered guide specific to Machu Picchu. Every visitor or group is required to be accompanied by a local guide, partly (I assume) to ensure the visitors stay on the paths and respect the integrity of this important archaeological site. We climbed along ancient paths, winding our way out of the forest and into the open along exquisite stone walls that were 500-600 years old. It was slow going, as we were well over 7,000′ (2400m) and we had not yet fully acclimatized. But we soon burst out into the sunshine at an overlook where one could see nearly the entire site, with the walls of the main city below us and the frighteningly steep peak of Huayna Picchu behind it.

“Most recent archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was constructed as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). The Incas built the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later, at the time of the Spanish conquest. … it was occupied from c. 1420–1532.” [Wikipedia]

I took dozens of photographs, striving to capture the majesty of this place; see the full gallery. We wandered down into, around, and through the site, with our guide Sergio stopping periodically to explain the Incan culture, the history of the site, and some of the engineering marvels (such as an extensive aquaduct network that provided ample water from hilltop springs to 16 fountains throughout the site). The walls and structures are dry-stone construction (no mortar), often including surprisingly large blocks… all shaved to fit snugly together with nary a gap. We paused to watch the llamas, managed by the park staff, who were grazing freely as a means to keep the grass trimmed.

In the pre-trip correspondence it appeared we would have a chance to climb the peak of Huayna Picchu, which is almost a thousand feet higher than the core site but on intensely steep trails. Access to that trail is seriously restricted – only 400 people per day – and for some reason we had been unable to get those tickets. It would have been fun to climb, but scary to descend. Amazingly, the Inca had built a temple and more walls atop this peak as well.

On our way out we walked through an agricultural section, where numerous terraces had allowed the Inca to grow some of the food they needed to support this hilltop retreat for the emperor. (Archaeologists estimate a population of 750, most of whom were support staff for the emperor [Wikipedia].)

It was late afternoon, as you can tell from the shadows, so we were grateful to be booked to spend the night at the Sanctuary Lodge, a hotel immediately adjacent to the entrance. It included a wonderful orchid garden out back, and a delightful restaurant.

The next morning a small group of us tried to talk our way back into the site; no luck, they are quite strict. So we hiked down the mountainside, part way, and back up, enjoying the cool and foggy morning air. Our group re-boarded the buses, wound our way back to the village, back through the tourist market, and onto another train back to Cusco. Although intensely touristy, it is a worthwhile place to visit!

Be sure to check out my photo/video gallery!