First off, Yes, it is worth it! There is a valid reason it is one of the ‘New 7 Wonders of the World’. You will see more than the normal number of superlatives in this post. They are unavoidable. Oh, by the way, we liked it.
On a formal note, the information I give about Machu Picchu is garnered from books I have read and comments from guides. By no means am I an expert, just a gobsmacked observer.
The first step is getting to Aguas Caliente (actual name is Machu Picchu Pueblo) from Cusco. You cannot drive there so walking or rail is the only way. Walking wasn’t going to happen so onto the shuttle bus for a 2 hour ride to the train station.Peru Rail is the rail line we ended up using for all of our trips in Peru. Other than the typical problem with trains running a bit late, they were awesome.We were an hour late departing the train station. The good part of that was being able to watch them build our train in the yard.As well, I was fortunate to find the station dog relaxing on one of the service sidings.The coaches in this train were comfortable and the views were lovely.While I was at the end of the train taking some photos I asked this fellow if I could take his picture. He was good enough to let me. Then it got better.He indicated for me to come to the door and step out. While I stepped down to the outside steps hanging on with one hand and my camera in the other he hung on to me as well as I got some classic shots of the train on a bend. It never hurts to be polite to people.
Machu Picchu Pueblo is a town born out of necessity. It was an equipment staging site and a temporary residence for the railway workers building the railway that opened in 1931. After the opening of the railway it quickly took off as a tourist destination. It is the closest town to the historic Machu Picchu. You can walk the 6 kilometres or take the shuttle buses to the site.
It is surrounded by rivers and also has a hot springs, thus the name, Aguas Caliente.As the town is very restrained by the topography of the region the streets are very narrow and steep. These electric trucks are everywhere hauling every imaginable type of load all over town.The buses that shuttle tourists up to Machu Picchu are very hard on tires. I found it very reassuring to see fresh tires being delivered off of the train. And yes, all the shuttle buses were brought to town by train.The company that runs the buses are very good at what they do. It seems chaotic but they move thousands of people a day in an organized fashion with a minimum amount of excitement.You have to bear in mind the roads are busy. Being shared by trains, buses, electric trucks, and tourists wandering around staring in all directions.On the lighter side we found a statue of Paddington Bear right outside our hotel. Did you know that Paddington Bear was Peruvian?
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the dogs. Oh the dogs, they are everywhere. They are all wonderfully behaved and a very eclectic group. From ugly to cute they all seem to be reasonably well cared for and many even have their own outfits they wear. I just wanted to share a couple of shots of them before getting on to the main attraction.
Ok, thank you for your patience. On to the main attraction. We hired a private guide for our time at Machu Picchu. They are not that expensive and are so worth it. Ours met us at our hotel and helped us navigate the bus system and made sure we had a smooth entry into the grounds. It takes 2 – 3 hours to walk circuit 2 which was the one we had selected. There are three circuits to choose from and you should read the descriptions before you purchase your tickets. About the tickets, get them months in advance. The government does a good job of trying to control the numbers that enter Machu Picchu each day and the restrictions are adhered to.
This is part of the original Inca Trail that leads to Machu Picchu. The trail that people trek to get to Machu Picchu is a tiny portion of the system the Incas built. There are between 30,000 to 40,000 kilometres of trails the Incas built over South America. The 4-5 day trek that people do is spectacular based on the comments we heard from people who had finished it.
Due to fears of overuse the government currently restricts the use of the trail to 500 people a day with only 200 of those being trekkers. If you want to do it, book early.
The ancient entrance to Machu Picchu gave us a peak of what was to come. The doorway is tall so the King and Queen could be carried through on their litters. Remember, the Incas were quite short in stature. Whatever way you choose to get there, when you first catch a glimpse it is truly awe inspiring.The terraces that once fed the occupants are still in amazing condition.The tiny bird chirping a welcome just added to the magic.A lot of what archeologists write about Machu is pure speculation. But their best guesses and modern techniques all indicate a civilization far ahead of what Europe had at the same time.
When you look at the photos it is important to remember that 85% of the structures you see are original. Very little has been rebuilt. Now the only work done is to protect what is here.
Part of protecting the site is trying to control the jungle. Plants grow everywhere so these gentlemen are working to remove plants from between the rocks.This section is considered to have been built by a civilization that pre-dated the Incas. Other than the damage on the right side notice how perfectly the stones fit together. Incredible craftsmanship.The exquisite workmanship is everywhere you look here. I was happy we were here in the rainy season as the crowds were minimal and you could enjoy yourself.The current occupants didn’t seemed bothered with the people.The resident chinchillas simply knew to stay out of reach.Of course the roofs are all gone as the Incas used grasses to weave shelter from the rain. This was confirmed in photographs taken when Machu Picchu was first seen by Europeans in July 1911. Their leader Hiram Bingham then decided to burn the entire site to get rid of the vegetation, and any flammable relics, to make it easier to explore. Thankfully archeologists try not to be so destructive these days.Construction of Machu Picchu is considered to have started around 1420. Look at the detail of the original stone, simply breathtaking.Archeologists believe these were the accommodations for the nobles. Who knows, they have a great view though.
A note about the weather at Machu Picchu. I can’t speak for the dry season, but if you go in the rainy season you want to be getting tickets for the early morning. Ours were for 8:00 and it was perfect. The morning clouds were just receding but still providing some great atmosphere. Early afternoon it is pretty well guaranteed to start raining. We even managed to get the occasional sunshine peaking through. I think that is just a result of good living.
It is a magical place to spend time with someone you love.When possible the workers leave vegetation that poses no danger to the site.Some of the nobilities residences.Look at the stone work. Absolutely incredible.I know, it is a lot of stone. Here’s beautiful flower growing from the wall.It was good to see that they bring in the locals to help with cutting the grass and fertilizing it.This is the best preserved celestial observatory at the site. The windows all line up to capture the full effect of the sun, moon and planets during the twice yearly solstices. My mind was blown by the idea of what the sky would have looked like at that altitude (2430 metres). Truly spectacular.As if an intricate knowledge of the skies wasn’t enough. Archeologists also found rooms with mirrors created using stone and water. I know our life expectancies are longer now and we can do incredible things, but I find it hard to believe that we are much smarter than the Incas were in their time in history. Bearing in mind all of this was done in the middle of the jungle at altitude, without wheels or beasts of burden to move objects. Kind of humbling.Just after we finished our circuit and were just sitting and soaking it all in the rain started. Certainly it is a great way of clearing the site out.By the time we got to the parking lot the line up for buses was just over a hundred metres long. But we were out of there in 20 minutes. Pretty impressive.
A couple of parting thoughts on visiting Machu Picchu. If you want to see it do it sooner rather than later. Our guide indicated that the current guess was within 10 years no-one would be allowed on the actual site. Within the last year, two of the most popular photo spots have been closed to the public due to the stupidity of supposed ‘influencers’ trying to get the perfect IG moment and falling off ledges and injuring themselves. Apparently you can’t fix stupid. The second more positive note is that walking around the actual site is not that physically taxing. Obviously if you are trekking in the standard of fitness is somewhat higher, but the site itself is pretty easy. If you are really concerned, choose circuit 3 as it has less steps. The altitude can be a problem for some, but that is an individual thing and there are drugs that can help with that. We used them and we had never serious issues.
I hope you enjoyed our peak of Machu Picchu.Hasta luego.
Beautiful photos!! We were lucky to have spent 2 days there in 2013 before any route restrictions plus we were able to climb Huanya Picchu. One of our most incredible travel memories.
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