Macchu Pichu

Eating guinea pigs wasn't the only purpose of us being in Cuzco. The city was the centre of the Inca empire in the 15th/16th century and so had lots of Inca ruins. The main one being Macchu Pichu or more dramatically known as 'The Lost City of the Sun'.

We had planned several ways of getting to Macchu Pichu but each attempt was folied by bad bellies and a need to be near the loo (the guinea pig was chuckling somewhere). After three days of delays we decided to take the easy option and join the herds of tourists on the train to Aguas Calientas which is the town next to Macchu Pichu (or mucho poopoo as we now called it).

Rather than rush up the hill to see the ruins we stayed the night in the town so that we could get up and be at MP for sunrise. Spent the day chilling and swimming in the natural hot springs which gave the town its name.

Next morning, very early, we got the bus up to the site and were rewarded with a perfectly clear sky and barely any other people. It gets notoriously packed with people up there and most of the time the site is covered in cloud so we considered ourselves to be very lucky. We had an explore around then made our way up the steep path to the summit of Waynu Picchu which is the moutain overlooking the site. Brill views.

The site is very impressive due to it's location and how well the buildings are preserved. Gives you a real feel for how the Incas worked, played and worshipped. Even Phil agreed it was more than a pile of stones. By 10 am the place was rammed which was actually quite helpful as you could stand behind tour groups and listen to their guide giving information for free. The temple was the most interesting part as it was designed to let the sunlight in at certain times of the day and year. In truth though, not much is known about the site. Some theorists believe that it was built following the Spanish invasion to hide up high and preserve the Inca ways. Others think the city had been abandoned long before then. Either way a remarkable site to explore.