The day had come - we are going to the famous Machu Picchu
Leaving the station from Urubamba, we boarded the train that headed West through Ollantaytambo then to Machu Picchu station and the township located on the other side of the mountain ridge of the site.
This peak is called Veronica, named after the lady on the first expeditionary team from France & Switzerland that climbed it.
Then from the village of Machu Picchu with the swift river rapids running through the gorge, we took the bus to the famous Inca city.
Wait for it - along the path..And round the next bend....
and here it is....
Arguably the most famous place in South America, Machu Picchu was never discovered by the Spanish; so never ransacked and was simply abandoned and then allowed to be reclaimed by nature. The Inca began builting about 1400AD, however about a century later the rulers abandoned the site at the time of the Spanish conquest.
In 1911, based on stories told by a local farmer to him, the complex was discovered by Hiram Bingham. Despite being overgrown with brush and undergrowth, one can only imagine his feeling of wonder and amazment on seeing something that had been lost for about 400 years.
Photos of the discovery in the exhibition in our hotel.
When we arrived and saw this sight, our guide, Georges, a native of Cusco, said " Welcome to the amazing Machu Picchu" and the dream held in my mind for over 50 years was realised.
This is an Inca city with temples, houses, plazas and agricultural terraces that cling to a mountain ridge and is linked by stairways and paths, and watered by mountain springs.
Entrance to the Temple of the Sun
The terraces are all the way up the slope to the top
This stonework has withstood earthquakes showing the engineering and architectural skills of the Incas
Funerary Rock believed to be used as sacrificial alter
Andean group providing music at lunchtime
This local was wondering what we we looking at
The llamas were more interested in tasty grass.
Back at our hotel room - view from verandah
Machu Picchu has to be seen to appreciate the enormity and complexity of this undertaking by the Inca civilization. Many of the details of how it was built and what this amazing civilization achieved are still talking points for scholars but the incredible beauty and scale is able to be enjoyed by all.
The staff and passengers enjoyed the train trip to Ollantaytambo and many of us helped the local economy with the purchase of baby alpaca woollen items.
