Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail

I have to admit, I was a little bit skeptical of Machu Picchu.

All the hype, all the cliches, all the postcards with that famous shot.

But, Machu Pacchu is the real deal.  It is probably one of the coolest places in the world.  I´ve seen big mountains, and I´ve seen ancient ruins, but I´ve never seen ruins this impressive on mountains this big.  Wow.

On top of that (no pun intended!), the site is clean, organized and traveler friendly.  For all its faults, the Peruvian government takes its responsibility here seriously.  Getting to and from the site is a breeze.  You can see Peru´s best side here.
Machu Picchu´s obscure history, combined its mountaintop-in-the-clouds-surrounded-by-jungle setting make it a really special place. 

No one really knows what Machu Picchu was for.  It was abandoned when the Spanish came (although the Spanish never found it), and then re-discovered in the early 20th century by an American explorer and archaeologist.  Some people think it was a center of religious worship and power - like the Vatican.  Others think it was a retreat for royalty.  Others say it was built in the shape of a condor and symbolized the ascent to the afterlife.

Regardless, it´s worth a visit.



Machu Picchu visitors wear all sorts of hats as they wait for the train.



There are two classes of trains -
tourist class and local service.  Tourist class hits western standards of comfort and cleanliness, and is accordingly much much more expensive.

The canyon is so narrow it´s basically impossible to build a servicable road.  Even the train tracks get buried a few times a year from mudslides.  Service stopped before Cuzco because tracks further down the line were washed away.

Luckily, there is Peruvian time, and there is tourist time (which is usually on time).  Service is good but very bureaucratic... sometime I´ve noticed in other places too.  There are about 3x too many people checking tickets.

These women walk covered in blankets and other trinkets from head to toe.  How much do they sell?  How much money do they make?  It´s a little heartbreaking seeing these women work so hard to sell a few trinkets, especially when you do the math on how much they must earn for a days work. 

The best coffee in all of Peru.  It was delicious. 

Skylights on the train.

Our hike began with this rickety bridge.



I´m not even that into flowers, but you couldn´t help taking pictures.  The flora really was amazing.



Just two gringos in the jungle.

Mountains as steep as the Tetons, covered in vegetation, and shrouded in clouds.  It sounds good in theory and it is incredible to actually see it.

Winded but happy.

As clouds appeared and disappeared the views would change dramatically.

Terracing high up in the mountains.  Scientists think this might have been an agricultural supply zone for Machu Picchu.




Brutal steps.  But worth the view!





 

More views from the trail.

The train snakes it way at the bottom of this canyon.

Using a little fish-eye lens to try and capture just how larger than life the view is.

To give a sense of scale, this mountain is about 2,000 feet tall with near vertical cliffs, and just sort of sits there in the middle of the canyon.  Amazing.



Welcome to Machu Picchu!



And in black in white.



Making our way through the jungle.  Just 30km away the climate is dry and alpine... amazing how quickly the landscape can change out here.

And here is that famous shot of Machu Picchu. 

For my parent´s refrigerator.

This time without people - just like the postcards!

Shrouded in clouds early in the morning.

Birds of prey.

We weren´t as lucky with weather on the second day - but the clouds and fog give Machu Picchu a very mystical vibe.

You can see a piece of Machu Picchu in the bottom right, with peaks in the background. 

Jungle vegetation with the clouds as a backdrop.

There is so much moisture that some of the plants live just off of the water in the fog - like parts of the Pacific Northwest.

An eerie place.

Mr. Weiner travelling in style!