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One of the new seven wonders of the World.
Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas, is nestled 7,500 feet above sea level in the Andean mountain range above the Urubamba valley.
Machu Picchu was probably created around 1450 near the height of the Inca Empire. It has been speculated to be a prison and some thought it was a defensive retreat, but the most common belief is that Machu Picchu was the estate of an Inca emperor.
Machu Picchu was a self-sustaining city. The evidence for this comes from the farming terraces. Because the city was so high they acclimatised different fruits and veg to grow at altitude using these terraces.
Probably one of the most significant features of Machu Picchu history is the architecture. Like the pyramids of Egypt, it was created using massive stones hauled over great distances. However, unlike the Egyptians, the Incas didn't use any kind of mortar to bind their stones together. Instead they cut the stones with such precision that they fit together so tightly that you couldn't even fit a thin knife blade between them. We tried with a credit card and had no joy! This design made the Inca structures highly resistant to earthquakes and it's one of the reasons Machu Picchu is still standing today.
Machu Picchu was 'discoverd' by Hiram Bingham - from Yale University in USA. We say discovered because he found it by asking the locals. After months of searching the locals stopped laughing and just told him, they always knew where it was, they just left it alone! And when I asked if he was respected in Peru, our guide Juan told us he is thought of as no more than a common thief and arsonist - he set the city on fire to excavate it and took all the best preserved pieces back to Yale university, where they still remain today.
At the back of Machu Picchu is Huayna Picchu or Wayna Picchu which is one of the most famous mountain images in the world. With a height of 2667 meters above sea level, it beautifully rises over Machu Picchu. Although we could have taken amazing photos from here, we decided not to hike it and get up at 3.30 am.
After an amazing morning, we headed back to town for a late lunch and a dip in the hot springs, before jumping on the train back to Cusco.
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