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Machu Picchu was built by the Incas around 1462, abandoned less than 100 years later, and found in 1911 by Hiram Bingham on a National Geographic sponsored expedition. It was the only major Inca settlement not found by the Spanish conquistadors and it is still being excavated.
We were able to find and hire the local shaman named Kucho as our guide. (above) He meditates over the ancient Inca ruins with condor feathers, Pisco liquor and incense. The great thing about having a shaman as your guide during the day, was that he was allowed to bring visitors in at night and perform his rituals.
One of the lessons learned from extensive traveling is to always plan to always see a site with the right people and at the right time. We could have just gone at any time but we planned to be there with the a shaman and during a full moon. The Shaman performed rituals for us and a few new friends, and the experience was great as a result. We were very fortunate that there was a visible full moon and a lightning storm with no rain at night. We fell asleep in the ruins and left around 6AM as it started to lightly rain.
We would add that many people consider Machu Picchu to be one of the top 10 sites in the world but it is just too crowded and overpromoted to rank higher than here. Discovering a stunning world class site without hundreds of people, adds another dimension to your travels.
There is one hotel at the ruins called the Sanctuary Lodge, just steps from the entry to Machu Picchu. All of the others are a long drive down the hill in the small city of Aguas Calientes. Regardless of the higher cost, you should stay at the Lodge. It used to be a step above dorm room quality but its now run by the Orient Express Hotels and is much nicer and more expensive. Apparently they pump oxygen into the rooms at night to help visitors better adjust to the altitude (8000 feet). All of the German and French tourists leave at 4pm on the last bus, to go down to Aguas Calientes, and you more or less have the park to yourself and few other visitors until it closes. You used to be able to bribe the guards, even without a guide, to go in at night, but we are not sure that still works.
Cuzco is one of the great cities and traveller meccas of the world. Its like Katmandhu in central Asia or Bangkok in souteast Asia. Spend at least two days there going to the markets and visiting the old conquistador hotels and buildings. Sacsayhuaman is the the wall of giant perfectly carved stones and is worth seeing, but a bit overrated as it is not very long. The winding train and helicopter from Cuzco to Machu Picchu are both great, but the aerial views are definitely better. Many travellers we respect, walked the Inca Trail to the ruins and really liked it, so if you have 4 days, you should consider it.
Best Time to Go: April to November is the dry season with many people preferring April or May before it gets overrun with tourists. November to March is rainy but much less crowded. June 24th is the very colorful, annual Inti Raymi solstice festival at Sacsayhuaman.
How Long to Stay: 2 nights with lots of hiking
What To Do: 2 days at Machu Pichu hiking and learning the history, 2 days on Cuzco
General Costs: High
General Costs: High
UNESCO World Heritage Site? Yes for Machu Picchu and Cuzco
Weather: Rainy in winter and warm to hot in the summer
Language: Spanish
Weather: Rainy in winter and warm to hot in the summer
Language: Spanish
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