Some places along the journey don't live up to the hype, Machu Picchu isn't one of them. Getting to the iconic site required a train ride, bus ride and a little standing in line but it's all part of the experience.
It is widely believed that Machu Picchu, which means "Old or Ancient Mountain", was built as an estate for the Incan Emperor Pachacuti. It was built around 1450 but abandoned around 100 years later during the time of the Spanish Conquest. Let's just say they did a whole bunch of work for a little bit of time. While a small number of locals living in the area knew of it's existence, it was unknown to the outside world until 1911. That's when a Yale University professor on a South American expedition, guided by locals, was led to the site. At first he mistakenly identified it as Vilcabamba, the "Lost City of the Incas". He shared the news of his discovery through books and lectures. On future explorations he figured out that what he had discovered in 1911 was Machu Picchu and not Vilcabamba. Peru is full of historical Incan sites, but 100 years after it's discovery it is certainly the crown jewel.
We took an early train (6:50 AM) from Urubamba (Tambo del Inka Hotel Station) to the small town of Aquas Caliente which is also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo. The train ride was a real treat. The route followed mostly along the river and through mountainous thick jungle. Along the route we saw part of the Inca Trail which you can do a 3-4 day trek to reach Machu Picchu. Sounds like fun but the train is quicker, reaching the town in a little under three hours.
The town itself is a combination of quaint and touristy. It's small and definitely worth spending a little time in either before or after seeing Machu Picchu. We roamed around the city a little before catching the bus, as well as at the end of the day. It was good to see it both times and it was certainly more lively in the evening.
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| On board the Vista Dome train from Urubamba to Aquas Caliente |
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| Aquas Caliente.........the river runs through the town |
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The main plaza in Aquas Caliente  |
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| The plaza in the evening |
To get from the town to the actual site is about a 30 minute bus ride. The buses run continuously but there can be a bit of a line to purchase both the tickets as well as to board the buses. Lines start forming as early as 4:30 AM for those who want to see the sunrise. I talked to one person who was in line at 5:00 and was on the 16th bus of the morning. That made me think, you've really got to want to see the sunrise, and that there isn't much to do while waiting in line but count buses. I'm sure it's a fantastic experience for those who put forth the effort.............unless you get up there and the sunrise is blocked by the clouds.
Entrance tickets into Machu Picchu are sold as "morning entrance" which starts at 6:00 AM and "afternoon entrance" which you can actually use beginning at 11:00 AM. We had the afternoon entrance tickets so a little before 10:30 we got in line and within about 15-20 minutes we were on the bus and heading up.
The entrance was a little crowded. Be patient if you make the journey because you're in for a real treat soon. If you want a guide there are plenty of them available at the entrance. The literature actually says a guide is required, but it isn't. Makes me wonder who wrote the literature! We opted not to hire a guide. We've come to the realization that the less we learn the less there is to forget. Besides, we like moving at our own pace, which involves a lot of stopping and soaking in the sites.
We headed up to one of the highest points ( past The Guardhouse) overlooking the site and were soon free and clear of most of the mass of people. The view down to the plateau was amazing. It was so amazing that we spent the next couple of hours moving around to different places on the terraces. The mix of sun and clouds gave us constantly changing views and the Llamas that hung out with us added to the ambiance.
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| The view from the Guardhouse area |
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| Hopeless Romantics! |
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| Hopeless Romantics or Helpless Hillbillies! |
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| Beth and her new best friend! |
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| Me and my new best friend |
After taking in all we could take in from up high, we headed down and walked through the ruins. The complexity of the construction spoke volumes of the ingenuity and intelligence of the Incan people. Of course a little manual labor was required as well, and it's doubtful there were many labor laws in effect in the 1400's.
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| The terraces are along the south side and were used for growing crops. They could grow enough to sustain around 1,000 people |
Even without a guide providing all the details the walk through gave us a deep sense of appreciation for what was built. Parts of the grounds have been reconstructed to give an accurate look at what it looked like when it was originally built. It's quite a site now and it must have been quite a site back then.
We finished the day doing something a little out of the ordinary for us. Something we like to refer to as "fancy pants". We took the Sacred Valley train back to Urubamba. This was a two car train (a dining and a club car) with sixteen passengers last night. Along the three hour journey back we were served a three course dinner............pretty "fancy pants" for a couple of traveling idiots!
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| Let's Eat! |
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| Pumpkin Soup |
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| Beef Cheek Stew |
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| Baked Pineapple |
Tips for visiting Machu Picchu:
You're not going to be the only one there. Breathe deeply, or as deep as you can because you're still pretty high. It's worth the effort.
When you go to buy the bus ticket there is a ticket booth alongside the river. We discovered there is another one that is "cash only" behind the bus boarding line that is much shorter.
From the town you can also walk to the entrance. It's takes about an hour and a half to walk. You follow the same route, and at times share the road with the buses. You can hike it both up and down. If you were only going to hike it one way I'd recommend the downhill route back to the city.
Don't forget your passport. You won't get in without it!
You won't necessarily need hiking boots but comfortable walking shoes with good ankle and foot support are highly recommended. There are a lot of uneven steps throughout.
Go up beyond the Guardhouse area for a great view and less crowds.
At the present time you do not need a guide even though you may be led to believe you do.
You can take water bottles. Although food is not permitted inside, we along with most folks had snacks that we munched on throughout our visit. (Food and water are not sold inside)
The morning tickets show you are permitted inside from 6:00 AM until Noon. Once inside they are not checked and if you come on a morning ticket you can stay as long as you like.
If you have an afternoon ticket you will be allowed to enter beginning at 11:00 AM. The last bus down is listed as 5:00 PM.
The most important tip...........my tips are subject to change! Do a little research before your visit and be prepared for an amazing day.
That Yale professor that I mentioned earlier was named Hiram Bingham III. He must have been quite a guy. In addition to his academic position, he went on to be a US Senator from Connecticut.
In his bio it shows he was a Republican and that his degrees were from Yale, Harvard and Cal. Berkley................not exactly hotbeds for producing Republicans these days. His gift of introducing Machu Picchu to the world may only be topped by the fact that the character Indiana Jones is believed to be based on this great South American explorer of the early 1900's. Thanks Hiram!
