Mystical Machu Picchu

Explore and explore!!!

The site is large and has many different sections contained within it. Every single corner or flight of stairs leads you to a new discovery that you feel is your own and seen for the first time by an outsider.

Wraiths of mist constantly swirl, obscuring everything in sight, and then disappear so rapidly you could swear it was a visitor of a past god. Scenes like this only add to the mystical quality.

The location is also stupendous, built high within a saddle of two mountains. It is actually a mountain on a mountain. Photos do not do it justice! The cliff edges tumble down towards the raging river far below. You can only marvel at how they ever managed to build it in the beginning.

The climb to Wayna Picchu is a must do, it is steep but don't be put off when standing at the bottom prior to the climb, it is fairly tough but the classic poster view of the ruins make every step worthwhile.

Don't miss the only Incan sun dial that the Conquistadors did not find; just don't rely on telling the time from it to make your afternoon train!

Quick Tips:

For the hike up to Wayna Picchu you need to sign in by 1pm. After this try to also do the walk out to the "Sun Gate". The classic "Inca entry" at the end of the Inca trail trek is well worth the walk and gives you another new aspect of the ruins.

Tour agencies will sell you a package from Cusco for the day with train, entry, bus, guide etc. Pass it up. Take a taxi to the station for 3 soles (75 cents) and buy your train ticket.The travel agency (previously used) touched us for each, train alone. This was after trying to sell a package tour for each. Doing the same thing ourselves but sans guide and after being touched for it cost us about each.

Don't stress about having a guide as everyone we met their guide had told them a different story. A little bit of research prior and a trusty guide book is sufficient. Just enjoy the ruins for what they are.

Allow two nights in the Pueblo(village). Don't try to do it in a day. You have probably spent a long time time getting here so make your dream journey worthwhile!

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking, walking and more walking!!!

You are basically free to wander all over the ruins,there are very well laid out stone steps throughout.

You have to take the train to Aguas Calientes from Cusco & you will arrive in the Pueblo late morning, don't get excited & rush up the mountain, relax for the rest of the day. Then the following morning go up to the ruins VERY early & make a full day of it.

It is such a waste spending only 3-4 hours at the ruins on a day trip from Cusco. Also after a day walking the ruins the last thing you will want to do is return to Cusco on the afternoon train.

Coming from the village, you arrive prior to the bulk of the tourists.

If you don't fancy a long walk up a very steep hill take the bus, nearly everyone does. They leave every half hour from 6 am and charge for the one hour round trip. After a full day at the ruins your body will love you on the trip home.

This is a really warm, welcoming and friendly place. It located towards the top end of the main street on the left and worth the steep hike to get there. Beto & Martha are very welcoming (& not to mention great cooks).If their kids (& friends) are home from school they will want to know everything possible about where you come from. Their dog, a shepherd "Apu" also makes you feel right at home especially if you are pining for your best friend that's been left at home. Try to obtain the room right at the top of the hotel, lots of steps but worthwhile. I can't remember the number but it is the only one that has a balcony from where you look straight up the valley towards Machu Picchu. We only paid 30 soles without breakfast (US$8) but the normal rate was US$40 with breakfast. I still think this would be fantastic value as was not only the room spotlessly clean & comfortable but it was the very best shower we had in Peru or Bolivia and not electric. The communal lounge room with TV was also bonus for filling in the time waiting for the train or if you were unlucky enough to have rain whilst there.

This was our second choice and we chose not to stay here, however the rooms were comfortably furnished and decorated. If we had not been able to secure the room we did we certainly would have stayed here. The room we were shown looked out over the river however due to the amount of water rushing down from above was really noisy.

The price was $45 US with breakfast and still represented good value.

It just seemed to lack the spit and polish of its neighbour La Cabana opposite.

Don't miss Papa Beto's cooking or the trout. We had the most sensational Garlic Trout, split lengthwise and flattened then grilled with "loads" of garlic and served with fried potatoes and fresh salad. It was to die for!! And so fresh, obviously straight from the local river. At the time I had caught a head cold and boy with all that garlic it was all gone by morning.

They will also open early to prepare your breakfast with advance notice if you are taking the early bus up the mountain. Breakfast with an eggs, bread, juice and coffee is only around US $2-3. If the kids are cooking and they were when we were there don't expect a gourmet breakfast but it still fills the hole in the stomach ready for that big day on the mountain.

Although we ate here for breakfast it was really good. The all inclusive breakfast was only about US $2-3 each or 10 soles. We ended up with the a la carte breakfast rather than the all inclusive after a slight mixup in the orders.

But the scrambled eggs we had here were the best we were served and the it was the only place we were served strong, HOT,coffee and just to top it off in a mug. Sublime on a chilly morning.

We just wished we had of had the time to come back for lunch or dinner but we had to take the train that afternoon. They offered a medium pizza plus a drink for 18 soles, about $4-5US.

Just to add to the conviviality the restaurant even had it's own little watchdog. If you looked up there is a pet parrot that lives under the awning just eyeing off your toast and who can resist? Although it certainly wasn't underfed I think it just knew how to play the customers, us not withstanding.

When you look up from the main section of the ruins your first thought is, no way we must be crazy but it's just one of those things. If you don't do it I really think you would regret it. And that classic photo from the top makes it all worthwhile. We also met many more mature people on the way up and down so it can't really be that bad.

When you are nearing the summit the trail forks, I recommend taking the right hand fork although it contains a very narrow flight of steps through a cave it is much easier than the steeper left fork. Also on steeper left fork at the very pinnacle you need to scrabble up the side of a very steep rock to reach the top.

If you do want to do the full loop (we didn't but backtracked) this relatively smooth rockface is easier to slide down than climb up.

On a previous tour in the Sacred Vally our guide who was training to be an archeologist explained to us that the layout of Machu Picchu from Wayna Picchu was actually shaped to represent a condor, one of three sacred animals in Incan beliefs. The other two being the toad and the serpent. See if you can see it!! Just remember you do need to sign in with the gate warden to do the hike by 1 pm.

It really is worth the exertion and just remember it's not as bad as it looks!!.

At the end of a long day walking over the ruins when you finally subside onto that seat on the bus you are elated and satisfied and feeling so good about the day.

As the bus winds it way back down on the mountain, doubling back on itself but dropping a little lower each time. A teenage boy greets you at the turn and yells out "goodbye", everyone yells back, then the next turn lo and behold there he is again, "goodbye". It gradually dawns on every one that this boy is running down the more direct walking trail and greeting the bus on every turn. Of course, down near the bottom the bus stops and the boy in his "native" tunic & matching money bag hops on and you guessed it starts the rounds for tips. Everyone feeling all warm and fuzzy throws in loads of soles! And if the truth be known theres probably more soles in the bag than most of the local people earn in a days wages.

Call me cynical but I just think that it was really quite crass and quite obvious that the bus company was picking up the extra loot and probably paying the boy a pittance for his fleecing.

But if it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling throw him your soles!