Peru Part II: Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu: a true Wonder of the World

Erin, Sue and our guide, Wilfredo

All too often a well known tourist site proves less than its hype.  Not so with Machu Picchu! The site and the experience far exceeded our expectations.

Inkan construction--perfectly built walls with no mortar and each rock carved to intersect with its neighbor. They did this with no metal and no pack animals...How??

Located in the Sacred Valley about 75 miles from our base, Cuzco,  it's possible to get there, by car, but we chose to use Perurail, which provides a comfortable three hour train ride passing through picturesque Peruvian countryside and ending at Aguas Calientes, the gateway town for Machu Picchu.

Only authorized buses are permitted to travel from the town to the site; a stomach lurching experience providing breath taking views of the town, valley and the Urubamba River as you wind up the mountain on a continuously switchbacking road.

Arriving at the entrance to the Park, we were met by our guide, Wilfredo.

What are thought to be ruins of dorms or class rooms

Born nearby, he grew up speaking Quechua, the language of the Inkas, but as a teenager, he signed on as a cruise ship steward, learning English and seeing the world, as he says.  But now, he has come home and having completed the necessary training, he is a certified Machu Picchu guide.

For the three of us he was the perfect guide. Considerate, patient and well informed, he provided a tailor made tour for two aging American tourists and their more youthful daughter.

More of the incredible Inka construction (bottom rows) and feeble attempt at reconstruction (top)

Not as high as Cuzco, touring the site still involves a lot of walking, hiking and even scrambling, but Wilfredo understood our needs and provided a lot of stops for history lessons, picture taking, and reflection on the incredible accomplishments of the Inkas.

One of Wilfredo's heroes is Hiram Bingham, the Yale professor and Indiana Jones model, who rediscovered Machu Picchu in 1911 and shared his discovery with the world.

Machu Picchu was, possibly (no one knows for sure), a religious and learning center for the Inka Empire, consisting for the most part of a population less than a 1000.  It was dependent on other larger settlements, like Pisac (which we also visited on this trip) for its food and other necessities.

Terrace farming, which would have provided food for only about 40 people.  Might have been experimental, as perhaps 1000 were thought to have lived here

The Inkas did not have any metal tools or any beast of burden animals, nor did they have a written language.

 Despite all of these disadvantages, they managed to construct a true architectural and engineering wonder.

They transported stones weighing thousands of tons and constructed incredibly complex and beautiful buildings.

Erin and Sue

Even today, after hundreds of years, seams in some of the buildings are so tight that you cannot insert a wedge into them.

As we walked around the ruins, we listened attentively to Wilfredo's account of the history and what the daily life in the city must have been.  He also shared Bingham's book complete with photos of the site as it looked when first discovered.  Though attempts at restoration were made, that was halted forever when the site was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983.

Erin expressing how we all felt !

As we often tell ourselves, we are so fortunate to have the resources, the time and the opportunity to experience places like Machu Picchu and indeed Peru itself.

Can you tell we had a fabulous time ?

If you have the opportunity to visit Machu Picchu--don't pass up the opportunity!  We are truly happy we could have the experience and very highly recommend it.