Quick facts: UNESCO site, New 7 wonder of the world; GPS: -13.164224, -72.544759; GMT-5; Altitude: 8051′
Machu Picchu (Machu Pikchu) – After sleeping in a little I got up and went down to the lobby to get some breakfast. After breakfast I went back to my room and got ready to head out for the bus. Out in town I had to find the ticket office for the bus up to Machu Picchu. Luckily the sidewalks are labeled and that made it pretty easy to find the important things around town. After getting the bus tickets for today and tomorrow, which required a passport as they’re really cracking down on all things touristy here, I found my way to the end of the line. After a little while I saw they were starting to stage people for the afternoon buses, my ticket for today is for noon and they won’t let you in before your time. I asked about the noon bus line and was told I should move to that line, so at about half way through the line I went to the back of the afternoon line. In hindsight this was a mistake because by time I got to the bus it was well after noon and I was originally in line before 10:00 so I lost several hours just waiting in line.
Once on the bus it’s only a 20 minute ride up to the gate. About half way up the trees start to thin out a little and the road starts to switch back and forth and you can see out at the mountains. Within a few minutes of arriving at the gate I was on the right side and was able to catch a quick glimpse of the ruins before the trees got in the way again.
At the gate, they checked my eticket and passport to make sure I had paid and wasn’t trying to get in early even though at this point I was almost an hour past my ticketed time of 12:00. After that it was a couple minutes walk through some wooded area before the trees disappear and the whole site opens up. It sort of reminded me of the first time I went to Petra and saw the Treasury after walking through the passage leading up to it. Walking to the lookout spot, the whole of the site can be seen. The weather was not ideal in a traditional sense but the cloudy/overcast scene made taking in everything even more picturesque. The faint clouds hanging over the mountains only added to the mystery of the place.
For the next several hours I wandered around as much as I could. The way Machu Picchu is set up is almost like an Ikea. The intent is to funnel tourists around the site in a one way manner. There are a few places where you can circle around but for the most part one is restricted by either the oncoming flow of traffic or the plains-clothed officials that will redirect you. For the most part this is fine as long as it’s known going in but could be frustrating if like me you want to see where the wind takes you and end up accidentally skipping a bunch. The other big issue with the setup here is the only restroom is outside the entrance and there are no re-entries allowed.
I am amazed by the construction of this whole place. I think that while it is incredible, it is well within feasible understanding of human ability. Unlike the pyramids or even Tiwanaku which are questioned to this day, Machu Picchu is a complex structure but can be explained by manpower, ingenuity, and artisans! The biggest wonder might be how they managed to get all the building material up to this altitude except that there are rocks all over the place and one can walk through the quarry that is on site.
Considering that this site is quite a bit more recent than the aforementioned places, the question I have is why was it abandoned relatively quickly after its construction. Supposedly the Incans left even before the Spanish arrived. The Incas did not have a writing system so it is hard to know for sure. I would like to know why someone went through all that trouble to build such a large complex and why this spot was chosen. Luckily though because of its remoteness and that it was never found by the Spanish the world is able to enjoy this mostly unadulterated Incan hidden gem.
The restrictions at Machu Picchu have become even more limiting this year. The ticket time one purchases is a set time and the park cannot be entered before the time on the ticket. Not only that, but supposedly the entry is only good for the time frame of that ticket time, ie AM or PM. All of these are being imposed to limit the number of tourists and help preserve the site.
After making the most of the time I had for today, I made my way to the exit just before 17:00. Before getting into line for the shuttle back to town, I stopped and stamped my passport with the “official” Machu Picchu stamp. The line for the bus back was much quicker than on the way up and before too long I was back in Aquas Calientes.
As it was getting late, I took some time to find a new restaurant for dinner and found a promising place on Trip Advisor that was rated #3 in town, Incontri del pueblo Viejo. Even though I had a little trouble finding this place, only because I walked right past it, it was well worth the search! The setting was nice and had a large fire pit in the middle of the room that they kept feeding with logs. By the looks of it this place hand makes everything they serve right there on premise: pasta, pizza, and maybe even some beer. I ordered a few different things to try and wasn’t disappointed in anything. I ordered the bruschetta incontri, an alpaca al pesto, and for the main course the lomo saltado. The winner for presentation was definitely the alpaca al pesto as it was brought out on a slab of stone with a mound of salt burning like an inferno. Everything was delicious.
After dinner I was ready for bed and headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow is an early day so I wanted to get to sleep early; I have more to see in the morning.