Three weeks ago (pardon the delay, but I really need to catch everyone up on my recent travels) Pedro, Nicky, and I decided last minute to make the venture to Peru’s most magical attraction, Machu Picchu. It is by some considered one of the wonders of the world, and has brought substantial revenue to the Peruvian economy. We soon realized exactly why it is such a fascination here, but not until we took a taxi, plane, bus, taxi, train, bus to get there! Situated in the Urubama Valley near the ancient town on Cusco, Machu Pichu is extremely difficult to get to – visitors either take our fast route or the four-day hike along the Inca Trail to reach the site. We did not have enough time to partake in the latter, but saw just enough of both Cusco and Machu Picchu. Arriving to Cusco airport we could immediately feel the altitude as we were short of breath – the city is 3,400 meters high, and our hotel driver immediately had us sipping on coca tea, which is meant to help adjust to the high altitude.
Cusco is a charming little city; we stayed directly in the center, and enjoyed browsing around and snapping photos our first day there. You can immediately sense how much less developed of a city it is than Lima; short women walking around with goats, lambs, and children wrapped to them in their traditional clothing gave me the feeling I was definitely outside of Lima and closer to the true society of Peru. Markets, churches, and large squares dominate the town, and while it is un poquito touristic, Cusco emanates a sense of inimitability that serves as the perfect gateway to Machu Picchu.
next morning we set out to the UNESCO World Heritage Site pretty early, and we FINALLY found ourselves on the bus ride, which takes you on a curvy, steep, narrow path to Machu Picchu. Rounding the final corner was almost suspenseful, as we saw the enormous, breathtaking site come into view. Everyone who has visited Machu Picchu agrees; there exists some kind of inexplicable vibe at the ancient historical sanctuary – perusing through the perfectly-placed stone walkways and structures was definitely an experience! Exploring took the entire day, and after many hours walking under the close sun we wrapped up our picture-taking and set back to Cusco.
Like this blog post, our visit was definitely a short one, but I have truly captivating memories from this trip. Capturing the essence of Machu Picchu in words is somewhat difficult, and I will just have to recommend that you find out for yourself what all the fuss is about…
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