Machu Picchu
I hope that the posts up to this point have shown that there is more to Cusco and Peru than Machu Picchu. That said, do NOT miss Machu Picchu. The name means “old mountain”, but it’s probably better known as the lost city of the Incas. Unlike other Inca sites around Cusco, the Spanish never found Machu Picchu and it remained pretty much untouched and forgotten for over 300 years.
When you first enter the site, head left up the hill towards the Caretaker’s hut.
On the way to the Caretaker’s hut, there are amazing views of the front side on Machu Picchu…
…and the backside of Machu Picchu.
The Urambamba river forms a horse-shoe around the base of the mountain.
Just how high in the clouds is Machu Picchu? 2430 metres (almost 8000 feet)!
There are several areas on site which include the Ceremonial area (shown here), the Residential area, and the Industrial area.
Doorway overlooking the Central Plaza, a wide open green space in between the ceremonial sector from the residential sector.
According to a guide, all windows face east and all doors face west. We didn’t learn this until after we left Machu Picchu, so we couldn’t put that statement to the test.
This is the onsite quarry where the rocks were taken from during the 50 years it took to build this place.
The Temple of the Sun. The only example of a curved wall on the site.
The Principal Temple, one of the few places where the ground sunk and the walls gave way.
At the highest point of the site is an Intihuatana, the “Hitching Post of the Sun” which are rare finds because many were destroyed by the Spanish.
The Sacred Rock of Machu Picchu.
And close up of the moss growing across the rocks.
During peak times, there can be as many as 2500 visitors a day to Machu Picchu.
The gateway to Wayna Picchu (Young Peak"). We didn’t go, but the views are said to be incredible if you’re one of the lucky ones to pre-buy the limited tickets and survive the steep vertical climb.
There are many ways to Machu Picchu, that don’t include a 3-4 day hike along the Inca trail. For us, we were able to do it in a very long day trip from Cusco.
In order to reduce the amount of foot traffic, there are two ticket times to Machu Picchu (the morning and the afternoon). We took the afternoon ticket which enabled us to take the train in from Cusco in the morning. While we did miss the sunrise, by 2pm, we pretty much had the site all to ourselves.
Studies suggest that at its fullest, Machu Picchu could have been home to a community of 500 people.
Ceremonial niches are said to have held valuable treasures and object.
Be prepared for all types of weather here. We had everything from blistering sun to moody mist to light rain. There are only a few covered places that offer shelter from the rain. Thank goodness for umbrellas and ponchos!
A royal retreat or perhaps a hidden school in the mountains. There are many theories about why Machu Picchu was built, and even more about why it was abandoned.
The Romans are known for their straight roads, but the Incas aren’t too bad either!
It may not look like it from the ground, but from neighboring peaks, Machu Picchu is said to be built in the shape of a condor.
Time to go! Even the llamas are heading out for the day.