N E X T J O U R N E Y . O R G


Machu Picchu is a large, but not immense archeological site. The three daily trains from Cuzco are usually paced so that the tourists arrive in distinct waves. But on this day, all the trains were late, forming a huge convoy, and the small depot town of Aguas Calientes was overflowing. After the hours spent listening to passengers' complaints and worries, I wasn't in the mood to visit Machu Picchu in a slow-paced group. I told the guide I would meet him on the train back that night and I hopped on the first bus to the Sanctuary (a scene straight out of Tennessee Williams' Night of the Iguana: a busload of elderly Brazilian lady-teachers, singing their hearts out with their guide conducting the chorus with a little Brazilian flag).

In order to bypass the numerous groups, I chose to visit the Sanctuary backwards. I had a guidebook with me, so I'm pretty sure I could tell the Temple of the Condor from the Chamber of the Queen and so on. I never stopped walking, so I saw a lot. It took me about one hour to shake off the vibes from the train trip, and after that, I was able to savor the beauty of the monuments and the natural setting which they occupy.
Not much is known for sure about Machu Picchu. It was built by the Incas, probably abandoned before the conquest, and never reached by the Spaniards. Machu Picchu was discovered by the American Historian Hiram Bingham in 1911. Once the jungle was cleared, it was obvious that Machu Picchu is a site as impressive as the Great Pyramids and the Great Wall of China. 

(When I wrote this, I hadn't yet seen the Great Wall. Now that I have, I can vouch that Machu Picchu is a far more attractive and evocative site than the Great Wall.)

Machu Picchu was never a city. It was more likely some important ceremonial location. The Sacred Valley between Cuzco and Machu Picchu is dotted with minor sites, and chances are that Inca priests walked the trail to Machu Picchu just as backpackers do today.
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