Machu Picchu

---

On Thursday we got up early to go up to Machu Picchu before sunrise. Once the hotel staff had managed to wake Felix (aided by some quite strong banging on the door) we set off and got up there by 6am. The whole thing was covered in cloud and we couldn't yet see the whole thing together but we walked up to the guardhouse looking over the city to begin our tour. On entering the place I asked Felix if we could then have the long-awaited guided tour and information about Inca Culture and when he again refused I started to make it very obvious that I intended to listen to other guides instead as they had more interesting things to say!

Machu Picchu is incredible to see however many photos of it you seen before. You walk around it and wonder how the hell they managed to build it and how many years it must have taken. Actually most people probably don't wonder this. They are probably informed by their guides! Anyway, we walked around the urban area, the agricultural terraces and then down to the gardens and the sundial and sacrificial stone. The city was re-discovered by an American, Bingham in 1911. Although quite how he is attributed to that I am not sure as there were actually 2 local families living there and growing corn in the agricultural section when he The city is very peaceful despite the tourists.

---