Machu Picchu

As soon as we laid eyes on it, we knew why Machu Picchu is considered by many to be the most spectacular archaeological sites in South America. It retains its air of grandeur and mystery, no matter how many tourists are trampling over it (literally thousands in the high season) and its location, nestled in high mountains falling away to bottomless river valleys, is nothing short of breathtaking.

Machu Picchu was built by the Incas sometime in the 1400´s, not long before the Spanish arrived. It was then mysteriously deserted at the end of the century for reasons we can only guess at. There are many theories which only add to the delicious mystery. The Spanish never discovered it and the city lay unknown for hundreds of years before its discovery (in the "Western sense") by an American in 1911.

We left Agua Caliente at the crack of dawn to climb the 1000 or more steps to the site. The bus was an option but that would have spoiled the significance of the 45 kms we had already hiked to get there. Luckily we arrived before the throngs of tourists, so got to take some photos of the ruins without people.  We were also extremely lucky to have a relatively clear day. The mist that swarmed up later in the morning only served to accentuate the mystery and romance of the location. Our friends, who arrived the day after, had rain and thick cloud to contend with which is common at this time of the year.

After some views from above, we walked into the ruins for a thorough potter.  Machu Picchu consists of temples, squares, quarries and houses and even had public toilets! We were in awe of the stone work and couldn´t begin to imagine the hard work and patience it must have taken to cut the rocks from granite and lay them with such precision as they did. Our imaginations were in overdrive trying to imagine what the houses looked like in there prime.  But what really made the whole experience special was the setting of the Machu Picchu with its green terraces stepping down the sheer river on both sides and the mountains all around, covered in lush green foliage.

Another highlight for me was the llamas. They live on the terraces of Machu Picchu fulfilling their purpose as mobile grass cutters. When they are not eating grass, they lie on the terraces and look out onto the ruins, as if deeply contemplating the beauty of the surroundings. I got to snuggle up to one. Thankfully it did not spit a lungful of phlegm into my face, like the one at the zoo in the UK.

After viewing Machu Picchu up close, energetic Mami persuaded us to climb up nearby Huayna Picchu for a view from on high. Strenuous does not begin to describe the hike!

But well worth it when we reached the summit and enjoyed the amazing views...

Here we are celebrating our energetic feat...

We then walked around the mountain to find "The Temple of the Moon" Why it is called this, I am not sure - something to do with the lunar equinox. 

A highly spiritual place for many, I got to sit in the Temple´s cradle and feel the buzz.

And another of me