MACHU PICCHU: Guest Post by Tom Scheaffer

Machu Picchu, Peru

My brother Tom loves to travel and is a true intrepid tourist. He is currently on a trip to South America, which has included stops in Ecuador, Peru and Paraguay. In Peru he and his friends visited Machu Picchu, the World Heritage ancient Inca site in the Andes. I have never been to Machu Picchu but would love to go some day. Several Intrepid Tourist readers have shared their experiences at Machu Picchu in past articles. I am always impressed that even though the place is the same for everyone, each person's experience is unique, depending on the time of year, the weather, and what they personally bring to the visit. Here are a few of Tom's comments and photos.
 
Today we took the train from Cusco down to Machu Picchu. (The elevation of Cuzco is over 11,000 feet (3399 meters);  the elevation of Machu Picchu is 7,972 feet (2,430 meters) above sea level.)

Taking the train to Machu Picchu

We are staying in a really nice hotel right by the river looking at a beautiful green mountain.

View from the hotel window.

Tomorrow morning we go up to the temple and spend the day hiking around up there.

Machu Picchu, viewed from above. For scale, note the size of the people compared to the ruins.

Machu Picchu was built by the Incas more than 500 years ago. It was part of a large network of settlements throughout the Andes.

A path leads down into the valley below Machu Picchu

Amazingly, no mortar was used for building the walls of Machu Picchu

In 1983, Machu Picchu was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For more about Machu Picchu, click HERE.

For Owen Floody's report on Machu Picchu (TIT Jan 2, 2017), click HERE.
For Scott Chandler's report on Machu Picchu (TIT Nov 28, 2016), click HERE.