Magical Machu Picchu

No photo can prepare you for the wonder of Machu Picchu!

Machu Picchu is the mysterious lost city of the Incas…… Perched high amongst cloud forests in the Andean mountains, it was completely lost to the world for hundreds of years…...

Nobody really knows why the Incas built Machu Picchu - or why they left!

We do know that it was one of the few Inca citadels never to be discovered or destroyed by the Spanish Conquistadors. Whatsmore the quality of the Inca architecture and sophistiated craftsmanship, means that these Inca buildings have withstood earthquakes that have destroyed much more modern-day buildings.

Everyone’s probably seen images of Machu Picchu - but when you see it for real - it takes your breath away!
It’s twenty times better than any photo.
It’s not just the sacred ruins themselves, it’s the sheer size of the site and above all, the setting and perspective….

Towering over Machu Picchu are the tallest, most beautiful mountains, densely cloaked in cloud forest.
That may sound over-dramatic - but it is!

There’s something totally shocking, awesome even, about the place…..

If you can escape the crowds that is!

The Peruvian government supposedly restrict visitors to Machu Picchu to 2,500 per day.
The first sight literally takes your breath away...

Even so it’s a lot.
Queuing through the ruins is not the adventurous idyll that most of us imagine.

But it is possible to escape the crowds:

Instead of catching the daily Vistadome train back with the crowds at 3.00pm - stay another night in Aguas Calientes nearby. That way you can linger as the site empties and enjoy the sunset in relative solitude.

You can also be back for sunrise the next day and climb Wayna Pichhu in the early morning mist - but that’s another story (or hopefully the next travel blog!!)

When we first arrived at Machu Picchu, we turned left, climbed up the mountain side and sat leaning against the side of the cottage by the “funeral” stone where it is believed they embalmed and mummified the bodies.

We sat on the cold wet ground and just stared at the view for over an hour.
It started to rain, but we just got out our dustbin bag ponchos.
For over 45 minutes we sat there staring in total slilence.....
(With three kids, it’s hard to imagine, I know!) But even Jake said he felt totally “zoned out”.

There’s definitely something
Imagine yourself back in the mysterious world of the Incas...
spiritual about Machu Picchu - they try and explain it as the high mix of iron in the rock - but it’s more than that!
It feels special, significant, mesmerising.
Whether it’s the vast scale of the site, or the spectacular mountain setting, you feel like it’s you who’s been privileged enough to discover a lost world!

It’s so complete, so sophisticated, so spiritual, you can imagine yourself right back in the mysterious, magical world of the Incas…………



If you're interested, have a look at the following two pages of photos.

Lastly a big THANK YOU to everyone who sent Jake a Birthday Message! It's actually his birthday today (but it's only 3.00 am now!). As soon as he gets up I'll show him all the comments and messages and I know he'll be delighted to hear from you all!

Many thanks,

Rachel x

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