Machu Picchu

To see Machu Picchu, another World Heritage site - and also on the list of the new version of the Seven Wonders of the World - was obviously one of the major reasons to visit Peru!

The normal way to approach Machu Picchu is to use the train from Cusco, either the whole way to a surprising little town called Aguas Calientes (= Hot Waters), or to leave the train, generally at a point called “Km 88”, and walk the Inca Trial for three or four days. I had dreamt of making the last part by foot, but had some fears about the 4200 meters (13800 ft) Huarmihuañusca (Dead Woman’s) Pass and my (smoker) lung capacity, so I decided at last for the easy way – train all the way (four hours) to Aguas Calientes and bus (30 minutes) on serpent roads up to Machu Picchu. I somehow regret, because I believe I could have done it!

The train trip is already an experience; you first take the direction to Valle Sacrado (Sacred Valley) and then you follow the Urubamba River, downwards, to the end station Aguas Calientes. The landscape becomes tropical – actually the slopes of the Andes here encompass the upper Amazon basin!

Once I got off the bus and entered the Machu Picchu site, I thought I must first at least do part of the Inca Trial, so I made it backwards, some almost two hours’ tough walk up to what for the real walkers is the first point from where they can see Machu Picchu, called Intipunku (2720 meters = 8924 ft). The view of Machu Picchu, some 400 meters (1300 ft) below is splendid, but as it was a little bit misty, it was difficult to make the nice photos I wished.

Anyhow, I walked down the slopes, spent a few hours on the site and took some photos of this marvellous place, but as I wanted something better, I decided after a night at Aguas Calientes to take the first morning bus at 5.30 back to the site, just in time to see the place wakening up at the sunrise at 6.00. It was worth it!

I don’t believe that I here have to tell you the story about the discovery of this place, never found by the Spanish conquerors, in 1911 and how it now has become one of the world’s major tourist sites!

A few words about Aguas Calientes: There are two main streets in this little town, more or less only living on Machu Picchu tourists. One of the streets has also a rail track where some trains pass now and then. The other street climbs to the thermal springs where you can take baths in a number of pools with very varying temperatures, from very hot to ice cold. Some of the below pictures are of the local population.

To see these photos better, I would suggest you go again to my photo blog!