“Step by step, moment by moment, Machu Picchu isn’t just a destination; it’s a journey through history, culture, and incredible landscapes."
Jason, myself and our Overseas Adventures Travel (OAT) group led by Salvador Torres, made its way to the Ollantaytambo train station for a two and a half hour scenic train ride through the Sacred Valley. Upon arrival we boarded a bus bound for Machu Picchu. Like Lima and Cuzco, Machu Picchu is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This ancient city was a place little known not only to foreigners, but also to the Inca people.
Only a select few were ever allowed to visit this mysterious sanctuary. Even though it was “discovered” by Hiram Bingham in 1911, Machu remained inaccessible until the 1940s, when the Inca trail was found by an Archaeological expedition. We stayed overnight at Casa Adina in Aguas Calientes which allowed us to explore at a relaxed pace and return to continue our discoveries of this famous site the next morning.
Aside from its beauty, inching up to the edges of cliffs high above the Urubamba River, and seemingly, floating high above the clouds, this mystical stone city stretches boldly across a high ridge in the Andes Mountains. Much of the mystery surrounding Machu Picchu stems from the Inca’s remarkable engineering feats; without mortar, they somehow placed the stones so perfectly, and built underground foundations so strong, that, when an earthquakes hit, the stones simply “dance” and then fall right back into place. Pure genius!
