Machupicchu

Machupicchu.

Machu Picchu is south America’s best known and most spectacular archaeological site. During the busy dry season months of June to September, you might see up to a thousand visitors at the Lost City of the Incas, as it’s popularly known. Despite the huge tourist influx, the site manages to retain its air of grandeur and mystery (though see the boxed text ‘Endangered Machu Picchu’ for another point of view) and is considered a must see for all visitors to Peru.

History.

Machu Picchu is both the best known and the least known of the Inca ruins. It is not mentioned in any of the chronicles of the Spanish conquistadors, and archaeologists today can do more than speculate on its function. Although Machu Picchu was known to a handful of Quechua peasants who farmed the are, the outside world was unaware of its existence until the American Historian Hiram Bingham stumbled upon it almost by accident on July 24, 1911. Bingham’s search was for the lost city of Vilcabamba, the last stronghold of the Incas, and he thought he had found it at Machu Picchu. We now know that the remote ruins at Espiritu Pampa, much deeper in the jungle, are the remains of Vilcabamba. Machu Picchu remains a mysterious site, never revealed to the conquering Spaniards and virtually forgotten until the early part of this century.
The site that was discovered in 1911 was very different from the one we see today. All the building were thickly overgrown with vegetation, and Bingham’s team had to be content with roughly mapping the site Bingham returned in 1912 and 1915 to carry out the difficult task of clearing the thick forest from the ruins, and he also discovered some of the ruins located on the Inca Trail. Peruvian archaeologists Luis E. Valcarcel undertook further studies and clearing in 1934, as did a Peruvian American expedition under Paul Fejos in 1940-41. despite these and more recent studies, knowledge about Machu Picchu remains sketchy. Over 50 burial sites, containing more than 100 skeletal remains (about 80% female), were discovered. An early theory that it was a city of chosen women who catered to the Incas needs has lost support, and it is now thought that Machu Picchu was already an inhabited, forgotten city at the time of the conquest. This would explain why it wasn’t mentioned to the Spaniards. It is obvious from the exceptionally high quality of the stonework and the abundance of ornamental rather than practical sites that Machu Picchu must once have been an important ceremonial center.
Newer finds include some burial sites on Huayna Picchu mountain in the early 1980s and, in late 1986, the exciting discovery of a city larger than Machu Picchu and 5km north of it. Local and US archaeologists have named the city Marapampa (or Mandorpampa ). Neither of the new sites is easily accessible to the general public at this time, though there are plans to eventually open Marapampa to tourists.

Huayna Picchu.

At first glance, it would appear that Huayna Picchu is a difficult climb, but there is a well maintained trail. Although the ascent is steep, it’s not technically difficult. You begin by walking to the very end of the Central Plaza and turning right between two open fronted buildings.
Just beyond is a registration booth, where you have to sign in, it’s only open until about 1pm. The 1 ½ hour climb (less if you are athletic and fit) takes you through a short section of Inca tunnel. The view from the top is spectacular, but if you lack either time or energy. I think the view from the Hut of the Care taker of the Funerary Rock is equally good ( The trail was closed in 1997 and 1998 following a forest fire, it has reopened )
Another walk begins with a climb part of the way up Huayna Picchu. About 10 minutes from the lowest point of the trail, a thin path plunges down to your left, continuing down the rear of Huayna Picchu to the small Temple of the Moon. The trail is easy to follow, but involves steep up and down sections a ladder, and an overhanging cave, where you have to bend over to get by. The descent takes about an hour, and the ascent back to the main Huayna Picchu trail rather longer. The spectacular trail drops and climbs steeply as it hugs the sides of Huayna Picchu before plunging into the cloud forest for a while. Suddenly , you reach a cleared area where the small, very well made ruins are found. Unfortunately, they are marred by graffiti.
From the Temple of the Moon, a newly cleared path lends behind the ruin and steeply on up the back side of Huayna Picchu.

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Tours in Machupicchu

• Reserve
  Cusco 4 Days - 3 Nights (US$ 345.00)
  Includes: Cusco, Machupicchu, Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Sacred Valley, Sacsayhuaman,
• Reserve
  Cusco 3 Days - 2 Nights (US$ 310.00)
  Includes: Cusco, Machupicchu, Sacsayhuaman,
• Reserve
  Inca Trail 4 Days - 3 Nights + 2 Nights in Cusco. (US$ 420.00)
  Includes: Cusco, Inka Trail, Machupicchu,
• Reserve
  Inca Trail 2 Days - 1 Night + 2 nights in Cusco. (US$ 371.00)
  Includes: Cusco, Inka Trail, Machupicchu,
• Reserve
  Trek Lares - Ollantaytambo - Machupicchu 4 Days - 3 Nights + 2 Nights in Cusco (US$ 454.00)
  Includes: Cusco, Machupicchu, Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley,
• Reserve
  Salkantay - Mollepata - Machupicchu 5 Days - 4 Nights + 2 Nights in Cusco (US$ 385.00)
  Includes: Cusco, Machupicchu,
• Reserve
  Cusco and Machupicchu 5 Days - 4 Nights (US$ 334.00)
  Includes: Cusco, Machupicchu, Sacred Valley,
• Reserve
  Inti Raymi Cusco 5 Days - 4 Nights (US$ 457.00)
  Includes: Cusco, Machupicchu, Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Sacred Valley, Sacsayhuaman,
• Reserve
  Peru Southwest 9 Days - 8 Nights (PER-001) (US$ 1,240.00)
  Includes: Amantani & Taquile Islands, Cusco, Lima, Machupicchu, Puno, Sacred Valley,
• Reserve
  Nazca Lines with Andes Experience 9 Days - 8 Nights (US$ 1,240.00)
  Includes: Ballestas Islands, Cusco, Lima, Machupicchu, Nazca Lines, Paracas,
• Reserve
  Southern Peru - Bolivia 14 Days - 13 Nights (PER-008) (US$ 1,860.00)
  Includes: Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Cusco, Lima, Machupicchu, Nazca Lines, Puno, Sacred Valley, Santa Catalina Convent,
• Reserve
  Inka Jungle Trail & Biking to Machupicchu 4 Days - 3 Nights (US$ 324.00)
  Includes: Cusco, Inka Trail, Machupicchu,
• Reserve
  Offer Inca Trail 4 Days - 3 Nights + 2 Nights in Cusco. (US$ 415.00)
  Includes: Cusco, Inka Trail, Machupicchu,

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