Panoramic view of the site just before sunrise

Watching the sun rise over Machu Picchu

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May 30th 2011
The train trip to the magnificent ruins of Machu Picchu from Ollantaytambo a distance of 46 klms - in a very modern train (but not cheap!) - took about one and half hours. It followed the river most of the way and we had regular sightings of the mountains in the distance. The river - Rio Urubambo - was very fast flowing though didn´t appear very deep. We saw severe damage to the river bank though ... read more

South America » Peru » Cusco » Machu Picchu

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Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1... ... read more