Peru - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 753

drinks. Most groups will camp outside the
structure, but still enjoy the hot showers.

backdrop of forested mountains that
spike up from the deep valleys of the
Urubamba and its tributaries.
With many legends and theories
surrounding the position of Machu Picchu
(meaning “ancient mountain”), most
archeologists agree that the sacred
geography of the site helped the Inca
Pachacutec decide where to build it. Its
intactness owes much to the fact that it
was never discovered by the Spaniards, and
the atmosphere, as you wander around,
drinking it all in, is second to none.

9

DAY FOUR
To reach Intipunku (“The Sun Gate”) for
sunrise the next day, most groups form a
bottleneck at the Wiñay Wayna guard post
long before it opens at 5.30am; groups are
no longer allowed to leave the campsite any
earlier. A well-marked track from Wiñay
Wayna skirts the mountain, leading you
along some gentle ups and downs for about
an hour before you reach a spectacularly
steep set of stone steps - the last ascent of
the hike - which leads to a pathway paved
by the Inca. This in turn culminates in
a large stone archway, Intipunku, where
you catch your first sight of Machu
Picchu - a stupendous moment, however
exhausted you might be. From Intipunku,
to reach the main ruins, it's an easy
thirty- to forty-minute descent.

SOME HISTORY
Unknown to the outside world, for many
centuries the site of Machu Picchu lay
forgotten, except by local Quechua people.
In the 1860s it was first looted by a pair of
German adventurers and then rediscovered
by the US explorer Hiram Bingham , who
came upon it on July 24, 1911.
It was a fantastic find, not least because
it was still relatively intact, without the
usual ravages of either conquistadors or
tomb robbers. Bingham was led to the
site by an 11-year-old local boy, and
it didn't take long for him to see that
he had come across some important
ancient Inca terraces. After a little more
exploration Bingham found the fine
white stonework, which led him to

MACHU PICCHU
The most dramatic and enchanting of
the Inca citadels lies suspended on an
extravagantly terraced saddle between
two prominent peaks. MACHU PICCHU
(daily 6am-5pm; S120) is one of the
greatest of all South American tourist
attractions, set against a vast, scenic

ARRIVING AT MACHU PICCHU
If coming from the Inca Trail, you'll need to descend to the main entrance and register your
entrance ticket before doubling back to the ruins. Or, if you're arriving from Aguas Calientes,
you can either hike up to the ruins (1-3hr, depending on how fit you are) along a clearly
marked footpath that's much shorter than following the winding paved road, or take one of
the buses that run throughout the day (every 10min, 5.30am-5.30pm).
If you're travelling independently, it's best to buy your entrance ticket to Machu Picchu at
the INC (Instituto Nacional de Cultura) o ce in the main square before going up to the ruins;
that way you'll avoid the long queues at the ticket o ce at the site itself.
There is no accommodation near Machu Picchu itself apart from the hideously overpriced
Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge , located right at the entrance to the ruins. The lodge serves
up a good lunchtime buffet that will set you back US$35; otherwise, there are expensive
sandwiches (S20-25) to be had at the café by the gate. It's best to bring your own pack-lunch
from Aguas Calientes, although bear in mind you must consume your food outside the ruins.
Water bottles are allowed in.
There are two left-luggage o ces: one next to the entrance to the ruins (S5) and one
just as you go inside (S3); you must check in any large rucksacks and camping equipment.
There are toilets just outside the entrance (S1) and this is where you can also hire a guide
(approximately S100 for a 2hr tour, per group), though they tend to be of varying quality.
When walking around the ruins, stick to the designated trails, or the zealous wardens will
blow their whistles at you.