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Published: March 30th 2007
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Machu Picchu has become one of the major tourist attractions in South America, and Hiram Bingham is recognized as the man who brought the site to world attention, although many others contributed to the archaeological resurrection of the site. The switchback-filled road that carries tourist buses to the site from the Urubamba River is called the Hiram Bingham Highway.
Bingham has been cited as one possible basis for the 'Indiana Jones' character. His book Lost City of the Incas became a bestseller upon its publication in 1948
Machu Picchu sits 2800 metres above sea level, on top of a ridge between two peaks of different size. The smaller peak, called the "Huayna Picchu", is the one most often seen in photographs of the ruins. With the passing of the centuries, the ruins' original name has been forgotten. The name "Machu Picchu" comes simply from its geography. It literally means "old peak", just as "Huaynu Picchu" is "young peak". The more accurate translation relates to the concept of size, with Machu Picchu as the "bigger peak" and Huayna Picchu, the "smaller peak".
With its discovery in 1911, Machu Picchu made its debut as an authentic archeological enigma. Its purpose continues to
intrigue, with mysteries that perhaps will never fully be unraveled.
The adventure to Machu Picchu started early 6-00am at the railway station,we all piled into the train .I had already decided that the Inca Trail was not for me,a 4 day hike /trek (42Klms)over rough steep ground on mountains sleeping in tents at up to 4500metres is for the extremly fit young nuts who are gung ho action man.
The 117klms to Agua Calientes(Hot Springs) where I was to stay the night was to be a slow journey ,on leaving Cozco you are at 3800metres and you immediately start climbing out of the valley,the diesel engine working really hard and for an hour you ascend in a zig zag fashion 2k forward then back 2k then forward again on a zig zag path eventually you are at 4200metres you then start trundling down the valley parrallel to the river, a raging torrent, dirty brown in colour, progress is slow it takes 4 hours .this must be the most expensive train in the world .train fare plus bus tickets a $20 hotel $200 US and this is the backpacker option ! Go Hiram Bingham Pullman, train alone $500 US
with it´s 5 * lunch and drinks etc.Stay at the ecological Hotel at the top by Machu Picchu $475 US /night.They really have the tourist cash cow as tight as a drum To go on the Incas Trail Trek is $500 that has to be booked at least 3 weeks in advance so they have got all ways .
We finally get to Agua Calientes ,it´s coming down stairods, boy am I glad I am not going up today like a great deal of the people.I checked into Hotel yes up at least 50 steps 1in 2
Agua Calientes is really like a shanty town plenty of corrugated iron roofs but has learned how to wring the last dollar out of the tourist.It cradles at the bottom of very steep mountain sides which tower enormously over you right in the middle of the jungle.
During the afternoon it rains constantly, on the train I had met a German chap and an Irishmen. Frank the German is the action man likes hiking, Jerry the Irishman who lives in San Fransico is more my style, laid back .
We meet up that night for drinks and general chat .
The agent in
the office said you can go up to Machu Picchu anytime but in reality its a
6-00am start!!meet at the bus station check with your guide and pile on the bus (Modern 28 seater Mercs ,not surprised the price of everything)
Its a slow grind out of the valley climbing up steep rough roads ,25mins later we are at the top and the entrance to Machu Picchu.this is where the $475/night hotel is located .
We check in with our tickets ,the guide then says he will meet us at the house at the top in about 20mins .my God look how steep it is and how far the house is .The assault course has begun 100´s of steps, steep inclines gasping for oxygen, resting, then grinding up very slowly eventually you arrive. Hurray!! Gasp gasp
Wow !!! it´s incredible, the view really mind blowing.
The guide arrives fresh as a daisey and starts to explain the complex structure of Inca Life ,he explains the layout of M.P.It was built for the higharchy of the Incas no more than 500 people .It took 40years to build each Inca of the lower class had to pay a tax annually of 1
months labour so 15,000 people worked for 40 years to build M.P.it was more like a retreat ,a weekend away thing
It is incredible that it was built here at all it so inaccessible,one side is protected by a drop off 600metres straight down the mountain ,there is only one entrance well protected ,its at the top of an enormous mountain and is in dense jungle
One side of the complex is for houses there is a central meeting area the other side is where there was a school and right at the peak are the temples the most important the Sun temple .the mountains themselves are also very important .the three important things that are paramount to thier way of life are the Puma ,the Condor and the Snake all have conitations in thier religion in conjunction with the Sun.Moon ,Stars .
Looking at the mountain carfully you can see in the rockface the outline of the puma .I tried to photo it but it´s not very successful .They also say the condor is etched into the mountain but I couldn´t see that,.following the guide we scrambled up and down the whole complex him explaining different parts and looking
at significant relics cumulating in the most important stucture relating to the Sun .the whole way of life was very complex and it was difficult to obsorb everything ,the guide kept us on the go for 3-1/2 hours ,finally the tour ended everyone was pretty knacked I certainly was .
The size and remoteness of the site is trully staggering.One has to be amazed at what those people achieved
After resting for a while we retreated to the main entrance down 100´s steps and had a spot of lunch.
I had really struggled with the altitude and was keen to have lunch and rest for an hour .
Those people who opt for the Inca Trail must be extremly fit or mad and it´s expensive
4 days treking under canvas before you start!!
It was then back down to Agua Calientes to catch the 15-55 train back to Cozco,
By this time just about everyone was done in and weren´t looking forward to the 4 hour train journey.For some reason it took 4-1/2hours to get back
To travel in Bolivia and Peru is hard,.altitude and long train or bus journeys are a way of life here, however what you
see is unique.
As an aside the Peruvian Government in 2000 sold the hotel at Machu Picchu into private enterprise and were negotiating to privatise Machu Picchu,at the time J Walter Thomson an American advertising agency were filming an ad for Cusquena Beer (Peruvian Beer ) at the most sacred site, the Sun Temple , during the shoot the boom of the camera crashed into the the Sun dial and knocked a lump off !!The country was in uproar and couldn't believe what the government was doing, selling thier heritage, the negoitation for the sale of the Machu Picchu collapsed and so did the government.
Phileas
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dave and trish
non-member comment
wow
just what we,ve been waiting for rog,superb photos of sth america, keep up the good work,and happy hols matey..