The Ancient Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu, Peru (Archives)

Overlooking Machu Picchu – Lost City of the Incas
Nothing prepares you for the first sight of those wonderful ruins laid out before you, with the mists snaking around that incredible mountain in the background.

The guide books will tell you it takes 45 minutes to walk down from Machu Picchu into the town of Aguas Calientes.

They don’t tell you how long it takes to walk up, because trekkers normally come down through the Sun Gate and non-trekkers normal bus up the winding hill.

Unfortunately, the year we walked it, the rains had been particularly bad, and part of the trail to the Sun Gate was washed away. This meant that we had to detour down to the town of Aguas Calientes and climb or bus up to Machu Picchu from there. After walking the Inca Trail for three days, however, there was NO way we were NOT going to walk the last stretch.

We broke camp at 4:30 to prepare for the final ascent, straight up into the UNESCO-listed ‘Historic Sanctuary’ of Machu Picchu itself. Unfortunately, both our guides – who had opted for beds in town – slept in, leaving us stranded for some time by the side of the road in the dark – looooong story. When we finally set off, residual anger mingled with anticipation and sheer grit got us up the hill in 55 minutes: a rise of over 500 meters of sweat-drenched panting steepness. At least there was no altitude to contend with! We arrived at the entry to be met with – you guessed it – more steps leading up, and up, through the agricultural terraces to the main gates.

What can I say about Machu Picchu? Pictures are just no preparation for rounding the bend, and seeing the ruins laid out in the shape of a giant condor before you, against a backdrop of that iconic mountain and the Andes. Awe inspiring – massive beyond comprehension (and I think they said more than one third was still covered over). There truly is a magical energy around the place, even for someone like myself who knew very little about it beforehand. The more we read about the design and construction after returning home with all the books we had bought, the more amazed I became.

Of course, having got there under our own steam made it even sweeter!

Into the National Archaeological Park
In the early-morning dark, we cross the road from our Aguas Calientes campsite to the bottom of the stairs that will lead us up to the citadel.

Stone steps from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu, Peru

Steps Up …
It is a 500 metre (1640 feet) rise from the valley to the citadel, so naturally, we are met with more steps!

Outer Perimeter – Machu Picchu
At the top, we find more steps leading up, and up, through the agricultural terraces to the main gates.

Us on Machu Picchu
And there it is – stretched out below us. After the effort we’d been through to get here, I think we can be forgiven a touristy selfie!

Machu Picchu
Even though we are only at 2430 m (7,972 ft), clouds cling to the mountain.

Guide Roger
Our guide updates us on what archaeologists currently believe about the construction and history of the site.

Grazing Llama
Site maintenance is greatly reduced when you have roving llamas keeping the grass trimmed.

Guardhouse
Soldiers used to guard the two main entrances to Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu
From here we get a good overview of the floorplan.

Temple of the Sun
It is amazing to consider that this sacred precinct, built around 1450, was supposedly put together without mortar.

Industrial and Residential Areas
The complex is a veritable maze of buildings, stretching out neatly in all directions.

Sobralia Dichotoma Orchidaceae
This beautiful native plant was growing all around the site. It is one of the almost 200 classes of orchids registered in the Sanctuary.

Terraces
In the other direction, steep and narrow terraces built to withstand intense rains climb the mountainside. Different crops were grown at different elevations, and water was used to help regulate humidity and temperature.

Tidy Squares

Inside the Principal Temple
Most of the sacred areas of Machu Picchu are clustered together here in the upper town. This temple, Wayrana, or ‘a very windy place’ in Quechua, is believed to be dedicated mainly to the God Wiracocha, creator of everything in this universe.

Up to the Intihuatana
From the Principal Temple, we can climb up to the Intihuatana Stone, …

Intihuatana
… the Solar Clock. Carved from one piece of rock, they say it vibrates with energy but visitors are now prevented from touching it.

Edge of the Mountain
As we walk back down, the mountain is shrouded in mists.

The Urubamba River
It’s a long drop to to the river below – and to the campsite we started out from.

Doorway
Machu Picchu is built on two seismic fault lines, making render and mortar virtually useless. So, Inca craftsmen shaped blocks of stone to nest together tightly without mortar.

Window
Doors and windows are trapezoidal – narrowing slightly from bottom to top – which also helps stabilise the structure.

Temple of the Condor
That scoop of rock below is one of the wings of the sacred condor, the messenger of the skies or heavens. It is an example of the creative use the Inca made of stones in their natural positions.

Condor Head and Beak
With a wide-angle lens I would have been able to illustrate this better: the condor’s head and beak are carved into the flat rock on the ground, and the wings rise up either side.

Royal Tomb
This is another example of creative use of rock: a small natural cave under the Temple of the Sun has an entrance carved into solid rock. It is thought to have been a mausoleum.

Into the Valley
I just can’t get over the steepness of the mountain we are on – or of those around us!

Aguas Calientes
By ten thirty in the morning the hillside was overrun with tourists. Thank heavens we had had an early start! It was time to catch the bus down to town, where we were amused by this converted minibus on the rail line that doubles as a main street.

Coca Cola
The giant Coca Cola sign welcoming us to the Cusco was the first thing I noticed from the airplane when we arrived in the Andes. It seemed fitting that empty Coke bottles would be my last image of our Inca adventure as we finished it – even though real, locally-grown coca (from which cocaine is extracted) is no longer part of the soft drink recipe.

In spite of tired muscles, I returned to Cusco feeling completely re-energized. Of course, we were all greatly improved by hot showers and clean clothes!

The next morning at breakfast, back in the same hotel we had left four days before, I jumped up and clicked my heels like Mr. Bojangles, in defiance of that woman who had DARED suggest we might not make it (see: The Inca Trail, Day 1)!

Text: ¡Salud! Difficult? Definitely! The trail was a test of physical fitness, pulmonary function, and relationships. Would I do it again? Absolutely!