Mysteries of Machu Picchu


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South America » Peru
April 5th 2014
Published: June 6th 2017
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Geo: -13.1628, -72.5158

Breakfast was in the hotel and then we met at 7:15 to take a bus to Ollantaytambo Train Station to board the train to Machu Picchu. The train ride was ride was and hour and a half and then we arrived at the train station. We then boarded buses that took us up to Machu Picchu. The road has 17 switchbacks to get us to the entrance. Before going into the park, we had a buffet lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge.

Once we were in Machu Picchu or guide Diego, took us for a climb to an overlook where we got the famous shot of Machu Picchu. Then we climbed higher and higher to overlook the site. We learned that this site was a sacred site that housed 300 people when the king was not there and up to 1000 when the king was at Machu Picchu. Like other sites we toured, we learned that there were several structures build to alert them to the summer and winter solstice. We also learned that the Incas worshiped mother earth. We sat the Sun Temple where stones were laid on top of natural mountain rock with the stones representing heaven, the natural rock represented mother earth and, below the natural rock was a cave representing the underworld.

There were dwellings and a whole bunch of terraces. It was quite a site.

The mountain overlooking the city is Machu Picchu is Machu Picchu (old mountain) and the smaller mountain near the city is called Huayna Picchu (young mountain). That day we climbed the equivalent of 175 flights of steps.

Once we were done for the day we took a bus back down the mountain to the train station , boarded the train and went back to the Sol y Luna hotel for dinner in the hotel restaurant.


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