Oct 27, 2008 - Up, Up, Up and Over

Prior to visiting the famous Machu Picchu we first had to complete a small walk over some mountains. ... We visited Machu Picchu on the 4th day, via the Peru Railway. ... Well Machu Picchu is quite simply spectacular and a must see place in the world. ...

Oct 23, 2008 - Machu Picchu

Today, I was up at 4 am to catch the 5:30 train to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo. ... I decided that I needed a low-key,rest day, so I purchased my Machu Picchu tickets ($42 for one days visit) and the round-trip bus ticket ($7 each way. ... ) From Aguas Calientes, I will make the last part of the trek to Machu Picchu by bus. ... I will be able to arrive at Machu Picchu before the crowds from Cusco can get there. ...

Oct 18, 2008 - Machu Picchu and back down to Cusco...

We were up at 4.30am this morning, had a quick breakfast and then it was off to get our bus up to Machu Picchu. ... We wanted to be on the first bus but there was already quite a line when we arrived with our guide at the bus stop.We were up at 4.30am this morning, had a quick breakfast and then it was off to get our bus up to Machu Picchu. ... We wanted to be on the first bus but there was already quite a line when we arrived with our guide at the bus stop....

Oct 13, 2008 - Machu Picchu

Cusco is for many tourists the gateway to Machu Picchu ´lost city of the incas´, most people including us arrive in Cusco to get to Machu Picchu. ... To be honest neither of us had adapted to altitude as well as expected and the thought of paying nearly 300 pounds each put us off! We made the decision to take the train to Machu Picchu and bought our tickets with Peru Rail. ... After a 4 hour journey, we arrived in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) and then had to take a bus 8km up a steep and winding mountain road (dirt track). ... Once the bus reached the top we bought our tickets and made our way into Machu Picchu. ...

Sep 24, 2008 - Machu Picchu, Peru

The most famous of all Inca ruins but also the one about which least is known, the ruins of Machu Picchu are located on a high knife-edge ridge above the Urubamba river, about 80km northwest of Cuzco. ... Machu Picchu is never mentioned in any of the accounts of the Spanish Conquest and seems to have already been abandoned by the time the conquistadors arrived in Peru. ... There are numerous religious buildings at Machu Picchu, including the large carved stone named "Intihuatana" or "hitching post of the sun". ... When Machu Picchu was re-discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911, it was barely visible beneath the vast undergrowth. ... Today travellers to Machu Picchu can hike 3-4 days along the Inca Trail or catch a train to nearby Aguas Calientes. ...

Sep 21, 2008 - Machu Picchu

The next day, John, our guide, took us to Hydroelectrica (the old, but still operating power station) were we covered ourselves from head to toe in bug repellent and sunscream and started our 4hr hike to Aguas Callientes at the base of Machu Picchu. ... After being beaten up on the bike and walking 20km in searing heat, and since we didn´t want to shell out the US$700-US$1000 to stay at the top of Machu Picchu, we whimped out of the 4am walk up to the top and instead decided to take the 1st bus. ... Obviously no one from Johnson & Johnson has been to Machu Picchu !!! The 90 min train ride from Aguas Calientes to Olytaytambo was painfully slow and in the dark, very boring (in an effort to reduce our load we opted against bringing any time-killers). ...

Sep 21, 2008 - Travel Update - Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley of the Incas

After the Amazon jungle, our next stops were the sacred valley of the incas and the awe-inspiring Machu Picchu. ... This was our visit to Machu Picchu. ... Machu Picchu is an inca site (known as the lost city) which was built in about 1460, and abandoned about 100 years later (no one knows exactly why). ... We had a wonderful local guide at Machu Picchu who had in depth knowledge of every aspect of Macchu Picchu, and we were absolutely captivated by her words and what we saw. ...

Sep 6, 2008 - Inca Trail: Trek to Machu Picchu

The 'Inca Trail', the 3-day long trek to Machu Picchu included in most 'top 10 travel musts' lists, was the focal point of the early part of our trip, something we'd planned and looked forward to months in advance, and walking it was one of my all-time ambitions. ... Our final day was the climax of the trip- we were going to Machu Picchu, the most spectacular of all the Inca sites and the one everyone wants to see. ... We walked around the corner into the gate and there it was in front of us- Machu Picchu in it's glorious mountain setting. ... There was a buzz among the backpackers as we stood for a while at the gate taking pictures and congratulating eachother, before we made the final triumphant descent into Machu Picchu, city of the Incas, never found by the Conquistadores, finally discovered by American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911. ... There are far better places to read about Machu Picchu than here, all I will say is that it is every bit as fantastic as I could have hoped, and as with all the othe Inca sites we have seen over the last week, it is impossible not to wonder 'how did they build such things?'. ...

Sep 4, 2008 - The hike and Machu Picchu

Hola! I am just back from my 4 day hike in the Andes. The fourth day, we woke up at around before 4am to hike to Machu Picchu. ... Although the mist was blocking some of the view, Machu Picchu still had a mistical vibe to it. ... In conclusion, it wasn't so much the destination, as it was the journey (as corny as that sounds!) I've posted a few photos from the trek.Hola! I am just back from my 4 day hike in the Andes. The fourth day, we woke up at around before 4am to hike to Machu Picchu. ... Although the mist was blocking some of the view, Machu Picchu still had a mistical vibe to it. ... In conclusion, it wasn't so much the destination, as it was the journey (as corny as that sounds!) I've posted a few photos from the trek....

Aug 26, 2008 - The Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu. ... Thought to be the intellectual center of the Incas Sacred Valley inhabitants, Machu Picchu was a legendary city in the ears of the Spanish that was never to be discovered, thanks to the Incans decision to destroy the only remaining Incan Trail leading to the city, in hopes to preserve their magnificent architecture. ... Citizens from surrounding areas of the empire would travel especially to Machu Picchu to participate in the construction of the marvel. ... They heard of the intellectual center of Machu Picchu (which, by the way literally means “Old Mountain” and was not the original name of the city) but could never find it because of the destroyed path, and because of their preoccupation with finding the “El Dorado” of the Incas, Vilcabamba. ...

Aug 26, 2008 - Day 5 - Salkantay Trek

Apparently Machu Picchu opens at 6:00, and there is a long line of people before dawn waiting to take the first bus there. ... You´ve seen pictures of Machu Picchu before, right? Pictures that show all the ruins with a prominant mountain in the background? Well, that mountain is Wayna Picchu, and there is a trail all the way to the top of the mountain. ... Normally, I wouldn´t think of climbing a mountain with tendinitis in both feet, but when will I ever have the chance to do it again?? So why so early? Something like 5000 people visit Machu Picchu every day, and only the first 400 are allowed to climb Wayna Picchu. ...

Aug 16, 2008 - Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu was all I hope for and more. ... We woke up at 4:30AM today to try and catch the earliest bus to Machu Picchu so that we could stand in line to be one of 400 people to get a trekking ticket to climb Wayna Picchu (the large mountain next to Machu Picchu). ... (The sun wasn't even coming up at that point for heaven sakes!) Nonetheless, we made it to Machu Picchu on one of the early buses and I managed to snag ticket number 388 out of 400. ... Whew! We then had a walking tour around Machu Picchu. ... Reaching the peak of Wayna Picchu though was great! I was so happy to be there and to be able to look down at Machu Picchu from such a magnificent vantage point. ...