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This log is current to February 16, 2008 Machu Picchu NEW: Peru Photo Gallery On January 22, 2008 we boarded a train in Cuzco at the crack of dawn and traveled four hours (118 kilometers) over a high plateau (12,500 feet) and then down the Urubamba River to Aguas Caliente (6,000 feet). There, we boarded a bus and climbed 2,000 feet to Machu Picchu. Nothing quite prepares one for the majesty and size of this place, or the incredible labor it took to build it. Thousands people worked decades, facing unimaginable hardships constructing this city in the clouds. We were lucky to see it at all. For days, rain and low clouds obscured the ruins. But shortly after we arrived, the clouds lifted and we were treated to the destination of a lifetime. Our first reaction was one of awe. We stood in silence and the scene appeared below. The Spanish chased the Incas across the Altiplano, they chased them down river valleys and into the great Amazon Basin. They destroyed much, but they never discovered this most amazing Inca accomplishment of all. Today, people from around the world come here to marvel that hundreds of thousands of people dedicated their lives creating this city and place of worship. And yet much about daily life here, and about the meaning of certain structures, remain to be learned. Thousands of perfectly level terraces were cut into precipitous mountainsides, terraces that have withstood the test of time, weather and exploration for hundreds of years. Note about pictures: we will soon post much larger photos in the Peru photo galleries. Note about expenses: We paid $71 each, one-way, for train fare (Vistadome class) from Cuzco to Aguas Caliente. From the halfway point on, there is no road, the train is your only option. The round trip bus fare from Aguas Caliente to Machu Picchu was $12, and the entrance fee (purchase your tickets in A.C.) was $42pp, for one day). Once at the site, you may walk anywhere you wish, but stay off the Inca walls unless you want to be whistled at and scolded by guards. Don’t underestimate the amount of walking involved. The site is large, and everything, it seems, is either up or down endless steps. Many people hire guides for the first hour or two and find the information useful and more current than some guidebooks. It is also possible We wandered the site for several hours, taking hundreds of photos and nearly two hours of high definition video (to be displayed on YouTube and this site soon). Still, nothing could do it justice. The only way to truly appreciate Machu Picchu is to Elsewhere in this site, you can read our words of awe about Angkor Wat, in Cambodia. Machu Picchu is much different, but its “awe value” is equal. In our opinion, people who are physically able to should do everything possible to see both sites. But if you plan on staying at the only hotel actually at Machu Picchu, bring plenty of money. If you stay in Aguas Caliente, you will find accommodations not inexpensive for what you get, and the town not particularly pleasant. We stayed at the Wiracocha Inn ($40, cash only). Although it’s uphill from the train station, it’s on a rushing river, which masks town’s nighttime noise. We didn’t find Wirecocha particularly clean. There was hot water only occasionally. Breakfast was minimal and the hours limited. Part of the ceiling and one wall were missing, in what appeared to be a stalled construction projec Still, we suggest doing whatever it takes to visit Machu Picchu. Your time at the site will be limited, but it is possible to take the train back to Cuzco the same day. M.P. is truly breathtaking, and not just because of the altitude. This is a work of art on an incredible scale. It is a place of mind-numbing sacrifice. Built with no modern tools of any kind, it is testament to what is possible, given the will. Whatever inspired these people, it was potent. Sadly, Machu Picchu was not long finished before the Span Note to visitors: There is no way for people who are not ambulatory to visit Machu Picchu. In fact, the tens of thousand of rock stairs are a challenge for all visitors. But if you can come, do. You won’t be sorry. If you have specific questions, please contact us here: mail at twogypsies dot com (use standard addressing format). |
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to hike here (except in F ebruary, when the Inca trail is closed). The trek is four days, a shorter variation is two. We spoke with several people who said the hike was strenuous, but worth it -- but for long periods of heavy rain. Some people said that when they finally arrived, they couldn’t see a thing. This is the rainy season.
learn as much about it as possible, sit on a rock overlooking the site, and ponder the motivation, determination and sacrifice of the people who created it. 
We were told that standard double rooms are now $1,100 per day, meals included.
t.
ish invaded the continent and systematically set about destroying this culture -- which at one time ruled most of western South America.