Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is ranked as one of the Seven Wonders of the World and an iconic symbol of Peru. This ancient place was “discovered” by Hiram Bingham (a historian from Yale University) in 1911. The village couldn’t be seen from the valley floor and was overgrown by greens, which preserved it untouched for more than 400 years. Many artifacts from Mach Picchu were transported to the US and now it is about the time to return Peruvian treasure back where they belong.

Machu Picchu is a small city of 200 homes and 1,000 residents. The city had been abandon after the Spanish conquered Incas, but Spaniards never were to Machu Picchu. The reason why the city was abandon is mysterious.

There is so much to see and explore; you need to spend at least one full day at Machu Picchu ruins. I would recommend you find a place from where you can enjoy the magnificent view, to have a moment to grasp the first impression, meditate on the scene and just relax for a minute.

The best thing is to hire a tour guide and sink in oblivion of ancient story. If time allows you can have two tours, because each guide has a different narrative style and adorn the story with his or her particular details which are depended on the guide’s interest.  The tours are affordable and the tipping in a range of $7-$10.

We were not so fortune and were limited in time, because we made the tip from Cusco to Machu Picchu and back in one day. The transportation was uncomfortable and tedious. Two hours by buss and then two hours by train, which was delayed, to Aguas Calientes the city below the city.

The train to the city of Aguas Calientes

The final part, climbing up hill trough the crooked and narrow path by small buss to the entrance of Machu Picchu’s park, took additional 25 minutes. In high-winter seasons there is a train directly from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, but during summer (the winter in Europe), a rain period, the trace is closed due to harsh rains.

The narrow path up to the village.

By entering the sacred gate of the ancient village at 12:30 we had had just three hours for our disposal and two of those we spent with a tour guide. The remaining hour I was rushing and jumping around trying to take pictures. Unfortunately, I hadn’t enough time to fully relax and enjoy the moment. In addition, the high altitude and steep stairs made me reconsider my self-assurance of my top physical training.

And yet, I enjoyed every moment of being in this magnificent place and I still remember every detailed of the prodigious beauty. I was puzzled how the Incas managed to build such a place in such challenging conditions. The soil was brought up from the floor villages and the building materials such as huge stones were dragged from the special place in the valley. Incas worshiped the nature and thought even the stones and rocks had souls. They cutout from the rocks different shapes which were adorning the village.

The profile of a Inca with a crown on his head.

I want to visit this place one more time and stay a little bit longer than three hours. I want to learn more about the Incas culture. I want to take an Incas trail, a four-days walking tour from Cusco to Machu Picchu. I love to climb up to the top of the Huayna mountain and enjoy the view.