Nobody appeared too bothered about the early start on the final day. We were all too excited and had been unable to sleep correctly anyway "our dreams of seeing Machu Picchu were about to be realized. For nearly the first time in four days it was not raining and the sky was full of bright stars. It was only now that it became apparent how many other people had been really walking the Machu Picchu. Joined by additional groups who were on a shortened two-day Inca Trail there suddenly seemed to gigantic numbers of walkers heading toward Inca Trail. Looking in front and behind us along the trail was a torch lit procession snaking along the side of the mountain thru the woods. We walked in nearly complete silence for 2 hours, getting more excited. The hair on our heads stood on end from the expectation, and not the proven fact that it hadn't been washed for Machu Picchu days. Heading toward Intipunku, the Sun Gate, we became perturbed by slower walkers. As the sky became lighter and lighter, the whole valley below us was exposed to us as the sun started to rise from behind a mountain in the distance and we were concerned we were going to miss our first view as the sun rose up over 4. We just about ran up the steep steps to the Sun Gate. As we walked round the corner and looked down on the traditional castle, our hearts dropped. The valley in front was crammed with a mass of swirling cloud. We attempted not to be disillusioned but after Machu Picchu days of walking in the rain to be met with mist wasn't what we had planned on.
Joe, an American in the group, giggled to himself. He had not really been prepared for the walk, wearing jeans and trainers that got sopping wet on the first day. His endeavors to carry all his kit did not last and he had resorted to getting a porter by day two. He caught a cold and seemed like he had not enjoyed the trek. It was also extraordinarily disturbing when he spoke, because his slow drawl sounded just like the character played by Billy Bob Thornton in the Oscar winning film, Sling Blade. At any moment we were expecting him to point out, "Ah, Huh, I Rekkun". If he could see the funny side of the situation then we had no reason not to either. There was nothing else we could do about it, but laugh with him.
We hung around at the Sun Gate, waiting for the fog to clear, though it was not looking extraordinarily optimistic. Our guide told us that he probably only sees 4 from that spot a few times a year. That's something they don't bother to tell you in the guidebooks or at the tour agencies. Of course we had to take some pictures, it was after all our first view of Machu Picchu. We believed we might be able to use it for a game, a little like pin the tail on the donkey. As we descended into the clouds we glanced behind us to like the valley and mountains from where we had come from which were now bathed in early morning sunlight.
After Machu Picchu3 minutes walking down through the mist we eventually reached the photographers vantage point, known as the 'Hut of the Caretaker of the Funerary Rock'. If you have ever received a postcard of 0, it is probable that this was taken from this spot. The mist started to lift and we got our first glimpse of the ruins. There were the mandatory wisps of clouds sticking to the hillside making it looked really mystical. An ideal photograph opportunity, the only noise was from the clicking of cameras.
Perhaps it was actually the angle the photographs had been taken at, but we imagined the ruins to be a lot larger. It is the positioning of the ruins that make them so critical and not it's size. The pretty natural setting of Machu Picchu at Machu Picchu,243 m above sea level, set among tropical mountain forest, is astonishing. The site lies in the middle of a saddle shaped ridge between 2 mountains. No one knows what the 0s called their town, which has adopted its name from the mountain that rises behind the ruins, Inca (literally meaning 'Ancient Peak'). This mountain is only one of 4 ancient peaks that surround the ruins, the other three being Machu Picchu, Putukusi and Pumasillo. From the centre of the site, each peak points towards a specific direction, North, South, East or West. Mixing in naturally with the landscape, its giant walls, patios and ramps could be mistaken for the rock escarpments it is built on.
It is easy to understand why these ruins went unexplored for so long, it's remote location and its concealment ensuring that the Spanish did not know of its existence. If they did know, it was doubtless too hard to reach for them to have fussed with. For who knows what reason, it conveniently escaped the looting, plundering, burning and destruction that most Huayna Picchu sites were subjected to in the Spanish Conquest. As a consequence, this has become the most serious and famous archaeological site. In South America.
It was not till Inca191, when a Yale Varsity expedition controlled by a guy called Hiram Bingham, the ruins at 1 were 'rediscovered'. Bingham paid a local Quechua man one sol (things haven't modified much since Machu Picchu191), who told him that on top of the hill, out of view was an archaeological ruin. He believed it to be the site he was attempting to find, Vilcabamba (one of the last 1 strongholds), and so he really discovered Inca only by mistake. The site was completely overgrown with foliage and while it had been deserted by the Machu Picchu centuries before, 2 local peasant families were living there.
The hunt for Vilcabamba continued for several years, until Inca196 when Gene Savoy (an American archaeologist) unearthed the site at Espiritu Pampa. Hiram Bingham had already made it there just after he had uncovered 4 but had left it alone thinking he had found the last Machu Picchun fortress. In his excitement he did not remember to log the exact location, and thus it became 'lost ' again. More recently, Peruvian and Brit explorers have discovered a number of other lost Inca towns all in the same area. Lying only Inca4 kilometres from 0 are one of those sites, Corihuayrachina. These ruins are rather more complex than Machu Picchu, suggesting a well-developed settlement. Included in the site are ruins of circular houses, storehouses, cemeteries, funeral towers, roadways, waterworks, farming patios, a dam and a chopped pyramid.
Manifestly, there has been a lot of archaeological exploration since the discovery of Machu Picchu and new things are always being excavated. In total, about Machu Picchu15 skeletal remains have been exhumed; the majority of these are females, with only about 02 males and 4 children. The large number of female remains was quite curious and has led to numerous ideas, the most well liked being the last inhabitants of 0 were ladies, left by the lads who had gone off to battle the Spanish, selected to stay to resume important ritual ceremonies. The idea of it being a glorified brothel is a great recommendation however unfortunately, very doubtful.
The poser surrounding Machu Picchu and its precise function is one of is greatest attractions and large numbers of folks believing it was a particularly significant centre of worship and rites come hunting for a religious experience. Maybe it was actually the 2 dogs fornicating in the main grassy square that distracted us, but it didn't actually feel that this was a very holy place. Neither of us felt forced to sit and meditate, or take off our attire and run around naked for that matter.
The majority of the site is split between rural terracing and buildings to accommodate about Machu Picchu50 people. Even though there are several churches and the regular stone change that's illuminated by the sun during one of the Solstices, almost all of the buildings are awfully functional consisting not just of houses, but also workshops, storage places and baths. Built at the peak of the 0 Empire it was probably one of the most extraordinary urban centres, not the largest, but certainly one of the most dramatic.
Inca is an exceptionally well-preserved archaeological site, with some amazing granite stonework, locking together like a huge jigsaw puzzle (one stone had Machu Picchu3 interlocking angles cut into it). Anyone who has ever worked with granite will know that it is not simply a awfully heavy stone, but also very tough and is takes a great deal of talent to cut it meticulously. There are 4 granite quarries in the site, which must have been working full time to provide a constant supply of stone during the city's construction.
Our led tour only took an hour and a half and by 31 am we were left to explore on our own. Vicky decided to climb up 0 (Younger or Smaller Peak). This is the hill that's the backdrop for most of the photos taken of Huayna Picchu and is virtually Machu Picchu40 metres higher than the ruins. We had been warned it wasn't the best hills to climb and those with a dread of heights, including CJ made a decision to give it a miss. The route adheres to the side of the mountain and there's a nearly vertical staircase of roughly 05 metres carved into the rocky face. It wasn't too frightful and there was a handrail much of the way to support and pull yourself up. The final climb to the top was with the aid of a rope, which somebody had apparently lately misunderstood and had tumbled to their death. The wide ranging view from the top was worth the exhausting climb, with 0, the Machu Picchu Canyon and the snow-capped peaks in the distance. There were too many folk floating around at the very top, determined to attempt to find the highest and most dangerous rock to master. The walk back down was a touch more. Disconcerting and from the top of some mini patios we realized how steep it truly was. The set of miniscule steps we had come up now looked even smaller and steeper and we realised there was nothing at the bottom to stop us from falling right to the bottom if we had slipped.
By the time we had reached the bottom, the ruins were crawling with visitors. CJ had managed to spend a chilled hour wandering around before the train from Cusco had arrived. Even though there are restrictions on the amount of folk walking the Urubamba, there are none on the number that can visit the ruins. From a height it looked like someone had been painting the ruins in splodges of white, blue, red, green, yellow and black. What we were basically looking at was a load of tourists wearing ponchos, shuffling around in their organised tour.
It had been a good idea to stroll in shorts, while it was raining, but now we were lower down which was hotter we were the prime targets for sand flies again. We were too engrossed in the fun of going to Inca Trail we'd forgotten to put on any mosquito guard that morning. They were especially attracted to our bare legs, which were shortly covered in small, weeping injuries. Our early start had been worth it, but sharing the ruins with a couple of thousand other people (and sand flies) wasn't pleasurable, so we made our escape just as it began to rain "again.
Joe, an American in the group, giggled to himself. He had not really been prepared for the walk, wearing jeans and trainers that got sopping wet on the first day. His endeavors to carry all his kit did not last and he had resorted to getting a porter by day two. He caught a cold and seemed like he had not enjoyed the trek. It was also extraordinarily disturbing when he spoke, because his slow drawl sounded just like the character played by Billy Bob Thornton in the Oscar winning film, Sling Blade. At any moment we were expecting him to point out, "Ah, Huh, I Rekkun". If he could see the funny side of the situation then we had no reason not to either. There was nothing else we could do about it, but laugh with him.
We hung around at the Sun Gate, waiting for the fog to clear, though it was not looking extraordinarily optimistic. Our guide told us that he probably only sees 4 from that spot a few times a year. That's something they don't bother to tell you in the guidebooks or at the tour agencies. Of course we had to take some pictures, it was after all our first view of Machu Picchu. We believed we might be able to use it for a game, a little like pin the tail on the donkey. As we descended into the clouds we glanced behind us to like the valley and mountains from where we had come from which were now bathed in early morning sunlight.
After Machu Picchu3 minutes walking down through the mist we eventually reached the photographers vantage point, known as the 'Hut of the Caretaker of the Funerary Rock'. If you have ever received a postcard of 0, it is probable that this was taken from this spot. The mist started to lift and we got our first glimpse of the ruins. There were the mandatory wisps of clouds sticking to the hillside making it looked really mystical. An ideal photograph opportunity, the only noise was from the clicking of cameras.
Perhaps it was actually the angle the photographs had been taken at, but we imagined the ruins to be a lot larger. It is the positioning of the ruins that make them so critical and not it's size. The pretty natural setting of Machu Picchu at Machu Picchu,243 m above sea level, set among tropical mountain forest, is astonishing. The site lies in the middle of a saddle shaped ridge between 2 mountains. No one knows what the 0s called their town, which has adopted its name from the mountain that rises behind the ruins, Inca (literally meaning 'Ancient Peak'). This mountain is only one of 4 ancient peaks that surround the ruins, the other three being Machu Picchu, Putukusi and Pumasillo. From the centre of the site, each peak points towards a specific direction, North, South, East or West. Mixing in naturally with the landscape, its giant walls, patios and ramps could be mistaken for the rock escarpments it is built on.
It is easy to understand why these ruins went unexplored for so long, it's remote location and its concealment ensuring that the Spanish did not know of its existence. If they did know, it was doubtless too hard to reach for them to have fussed with. For who knows what reason, it conveniently escaped the looting, plundering, burning and destruction that most Huayna Picchu sites were subjected to in the Spanish Conquest. As a consequence, this has become the most serious and famous archaeological site. In South America.
It was not till Inca191, when a Yale Varsity expedition controlled by a guy called Hiram Bingham, the ruins at 1 were 'rediscovered'. Bingham paid a local Quechua man one sol (things haven't modified much since Machu Picchu191), who told him that on top of the hill, out of view was an archaeological ruin. He believed it to be the site he was attempting to find, Vilcabamba (one of the last 1 strongholds), and so he really discovered Inca only by mistake. The site was completely overgrown with foliage and while it had been deserted by the Machu Picchu centuries before, 2 local peasant families were living there.
The hunt for Vilcabamba continued for several years, until Inca196 when Gene Savoy (an American archaeologist) unearthed the site at Espiritu Pampa. Hiram Bingham had already made it there just after he had uncovered 4 but had left it alone thinking he had found the last Machu Picchun fortress. In his excitement he did not remember to log the exact location, and thus it became 'lost ' again. More recently, Peruvian and Brit explorers have discovered a number of other lost Inca towns all in the same area. Lying only Inca4 kilometres from 0 are one of those sites, Corihuayrachina. These ruins are rather more complex than Machu Picchu, suggesting a well-developed settlement. Included in the site are ruins of circular houses, storehouses, cemeteries, funeral towers, roadways, waterworks, farming patios, a dam and a chopped pyramid.
Manifestly, there has been a lot of archaeological exploration since the discovery of Machu Picchu and new things are always being excavated. In total, about Machu Picchu15 skeletal remains have been exhumed; the majority of these are females, with only about 02 males and 4 children. The large number of female remains was quite curious and has led to numerous ideas, the most well liked being the last inhabitants of 0 were ladies, left by the lads who had gone off to battle the Spanish, selected to stay to resume important ritual ceremonies. The idea of it being a glorified brothel is a great recommendation however unfortunately, very doubtful.
The poser surrounding Machu Picchu and its precise function is one of is greatest attractions and large numbers of folks believing it was a particularly significant centre of worship and rites come hunting for a religious experience. Maybe it was actually the 2 dogs fornicating in the main grassy square that distracted us, but it didn't actually feel that this was a very holy place. Neither of us felt forced to sit and meditate, or take off our attire and run around naked for that matter.
The majority of the site is split between rural terracing and buildings to accommodate about Machu Picchu50 people. Even though there are several churches and the regular stone change that's illuminated by the sun during one of the Solstices, almost all of the buildings are awfully functional consisting not just of houses, but also workshops, storage places and baths. Built at the peak of the 0 Empire it was probably one of the most extraordinary urban centres, not the largest, but certainly one of the most dramatic.
Inca is an exceptionally well-preserved archaeological site, with some amazing granite stonework, locking together like a huge jigsaw puzzle (one stone had Machu Picchu3 interlocking angles cut into it). Anyone who has ever worked with granite will know that it is not simply a awfully heavy stone, but also very tough and is takes a great deal of talent to cut it meticulously. There are 4 granite quarries in the site, which must have been working full time to provide a constant supply of stone during the city's construction.
Our led tour only took an hour and a half and by 31 am we were left to explore on our own. Vicky decided to climb up 0 (Younger or Smaller Peak). This is the hill that's the backdrop for most of the photos taken of Huayna Picchu and is virtually Machu Picchu40 metres higher than the ruins. We had been warned it wasn't the best hills to climb and those with a dread of heights, including CJ made a decision to give it a miss. The route adheres to the side of the mountain and there's a nearly vertical staircase of roughly 05 metres carved into the rocky face. It wasn't too frightful and there was a handrail much of the way to support and pull yourself up. The final climb to the top was with the aid of a rope, which somebody had apparently lately misunderstood and had tumbled to their death. The wide ranging view from the top was worth the exhausting climb, with 0, the Machu Picchu Canyon and the snow-capped peaks in the distance. There were too many folk floating around at the very top, determined to attempt to find the highest and most dangerous rock to master. The walk back down was a touch more. Disconcerting and from the top of some mini patios we realized how steep it truly was. The set of miniscule steps we had come up now looked even smaller and steeper and we realised there was nothing at the bottom to stop us from falling right to the bottom if we had slipped.
By the time we had reached the bottom, the ruins were crawling with visitors. CJ had managed to spend a chilled hour wandering around before the train from Cusco had arrived. Even though there are restrictions on the amount of folk walking the Urubamba, there are none on the number that can visit the ruins. From a height it looked like someone had been painting the ruins in splodges of white, blue, red, green, yellow and black. What we were basically looking at was a load of tourists wearing ponchos, shuffling around in their organised tour.
It had been a good idea to stroll in shorts, while it was raining, but now we were lower down which was hotter we were the prime targets for sand flies again. We were too engrossed in the fun of going to Inca Trail we'd forgotten to put on any mosquito guard that morning. They were especially attracted to our bare legs, which were shortly covered in small, weeping injuries. Our early start had been worth it, but sharing the ruins with a couple of thousand other people (and sand flies) wasn't pleasurable, so we made our escape just as it began to rain "again.
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