The Inca ruins of
Machu Picchu are one of the
New Seven Wonders of the World. Abandoned in the 1500’s by the Inca and rediscovered in 1911 by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham today Machu Picchu plays host to thousands of visitors every year.
Most journeys to Machu Picchu begin in
Cuzco, Peru where travelers can take the train to Kilometer 88 and then hike the famous
Inca trail from Kilometer 88 to the lost city. The hike covers 48 kilometers (30 miles), takes about four days. You must be relatively fit to follow the Inca Trail as it is a strenuous hike with no amenities along the way and no way to bail out if it gets too difficult. The high altitudes make the hike even harder for the unprepared or unfit. But if you decide to hike, you will be rewarded with breathtaking scenery and some interesting archeological sites.
Alternatively you can do a shorter 8 kilometer hike (5 miles) along the Inca Trail from Kilometer 104. This hike only takes one day and will reward the hiker with spectacular views and bragging rights. For those who don’t want to hike you can take the train from Cuzco to all the way to
Aquas Calientes, a small town at the base of the Andean mountain where Machu Picchu is located and then take a tour bus from Aquas Calientes up to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu, which means "Old Peak" in the Quechua language, is considered “one of the most beautiful and enigmatic ancient sites in the world.” Located high atop an Andean mountain (elevation 9,060 feet or 2,788 meters) Machu Picchu is said to have been built between 1460 and 1470 AD by Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, an
Incan ruler. The city was abandoned in the 1500’s and lost until Bingham rediscovered it in 1911.
Machu Picchu is a completely self-contained city of roughly 200 buildings including residences, temples, and other public buildings. It is built of granite blocks using polygonal masonry, which did not require mortar. The site is surrounded by agricultural terraces and has natural springs for water.
One theory is that Machu Picchu was an astronomical observatory because of the Intihautana stone which is a date indicator of the equinoxes. The Intihautana stone is described as “a column of stone rising from a block of stone the size of a grand piano” and is referred to as the “hitching post of the sun.”
Whatever Machu Picchu’s original purpose was or why it was abandoned not long after it’s construction we will never know. Today it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Peru drawing people from all over the world to see this amazingly well preserved feat of architecture and construction.
For more information on Machu Picchu: http://www.sacredsites.com/americas/peru/machu_picchu.HTML
For information on hotels: http://www.peru-hotels.com/machupic.htm
For tour packages visit the following websites:
http://www.ecotravellogue.com/planning-a-trip/manu-national-park-and-machu-picchu.HTML
http://www.latinvoyages.com/english/machupicchu.ASP
http://www.vso.org.uk/events/challenges/peru.ASP
http://www.gapadventures.com/destination_guide/overview/Machu%2520Picchu
