Machu Picchu Info and Review
About Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a city located high in the Andes Mountains in modern Peru. It lies 43 miles northwest of Cuzco at the top of a ridge, hiding it from the Urabamba gorge below. The ridge is between a block of highland and the massive Huaynac Picchu, around which the Urubamba River takes a sharp bend. The surrounding area is covered in dense bush, some of it covering Pre-Colombian cultivation terraces.
Machu Picchu (which means “manly peak”) was most likely a royal estate and religious retreat. It was built between 1460 and 1470 AD by Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, an Incan ruler. The city has an altitude of 8,000 feet, and is high above the Urubamba River canyon cloud forest, so it likely did not have any administrative, military or commercial use. After Pachacuti’s death, Machu Picchu became the property of his allus, or kinship group, which was responsible for it’s maintenance, administration, and any new construction.
One of the most important things found at Machu Picchu is the intihuatana, which is a column of stone rising from a block of stone the size of a grand piano. Intihuatana literally means ‘for tying the sun”, although it is usually translated as “hitching post of the sun”. As the winter solstice approached, when the sun seemed to disappear more each day, a priest would hold a ceremony to tie the sun to the stone to prevent the sun from disappearing altogether. The other intihuatanas were destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors, but because the Spanish never found Machu Picchu, it remained intact. Mummies have also been found there; most of the mummies were women
Things to do
There are so many things to do in Machu Picchu, such as; visiting the Ruins, Huayna Picchu, Inca Trail, Scenery, Sacred Plaza, Temples, seeing Llamas, terraces, sacred city and El Intihuatana.
Reviews
Luca from Milan, IT, commented about the scenery, he said:
“Also knows as “the lost city of the Incas”, Macchu Picchu is the world’ famous reckon site of Peru, and for sure one of the main beauty of whole South America, perhaps of the whole globe. I would not say anything about the history, as I think you should check it by your self if interested, but believe me, get to such place with one information more is always better! The only one thing I could say about such a beautifull place is: GO andVISIT IT! No way to miss it. Try to get to Macchu Picchu as early as possible, as there will be so many people at already around 09AM that will not make you enjoy this place at100%. So try to take the first bus from Auguas Calientes (06AM) that will get to MP after 30/40mins. At this time the place is still quiet empty and you can feel amazing sensations!….(the pic has been taken at 06.30AM) The site empty takes really your breath away! Then, when the visitors will get to Machu Picchu, you can leave the main site and take a quiet easy (but not too much) hiking and hike the Huayna Picchu. The trail is pretty easy, in some points is quiet deep but there are not so big troubles…and the views of MP from the top of Huayna Picchu are simply great! (take a look on my other pics). Before to take the way to Huayna Picchu, you must fill your details in a register at the entrance. The way will take something like 1 hr 20 mins or so (depends on your phisical situation) Well, what to say more, just DO NOT ABSOLUTELY MISS this place! You weill just regret this decision! “
Joshua from Stamford, US wrote about Huayna Picchu: Big Picchu. He commented:
“I did not challenge the record of 17 minutes, but took our time with the 35 minutes of drugery (as it was described in the guide book). We climbed up a little before 11, after seeing most of the main site. This is just when the Day Trippers are arriving from Cusco. It is simple, if occassionally strenuous to make the climb, as there are carved Incan stairs all the way up. We took the right fork when we had a choice. The 3rd right fork brings you to one of the greatest views in the Western hemisphere. The alone view is worth the price of admission. After the view, the trail was slightly confusing, and I ended up scrambling over a rock, and not under it like I was suposed to. I had to drop several feet to the ground, but luckily I was feeling invigorated from the view. The proper top is not quite as good as the previous view, but the last bit of the climb is kind of fun. There were a bunch of annoying people sitting on top, but they will probably of left by the time you read this. If you are physically capable, this is a must do. You have to start before 1pm and besure to sign in and out at the entrance hut. There are some side trails off the main trail, which we did not check out. “
Joaquin, from Madrid, ES, commented about Inca trail. He said,
“Here is where the trekking really begins. There is a railway station here, so you can reach this point by train from Cuzco. Here you find a tickets control, and after crossing the bridge over the Urubamba river, you enter the National Park and start the trekking. “