Peru - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 756

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to as a sundial, is one of the very few not to
have been discovered and destroyed by the
conquistadors in their attempt to eradicate
sun worship. Its shape resembles Huayna
Picchu and it appears to be aligned with
the nearby mountains. Inca astronomers
are thought to have used it as an astro-
agricultural clock for viewing the complex
interrelationships between the movements
of the stars and constellations.

Machu Picchu gate when it opens,
which means queuing for the bus in Aguas
Calientes as early as 4.30am. If you are
coming directly from the Inca Trail, you
won't get here early enough. From the
summit there's a great overview of the ruins
suspended between the mountains among
stupendous forested Andean scenery.

Temple of the Moon
From Huayna Picchu, two trails signposted
“Gran Caverna” lead down to the stunning
Temple of the Moon , hidden in a grotto
hanging magically above the Río
Urubamba. Not many visitors make it this
far, but if you do you'll be rewarded with
some of the best stonework in the entire
site, the level of craftmanship hinting at the
site's importance to the Inca. The temple
is set in the mouth of a dark cave and there
is a flowing, natural feel to the stonework
and the beautifully recessed doorway. Its
name comes from the fact that it is often
lit by moonlight, but some archeologists
believe the temple was most likely
dedicated to the spirit of the mountain.
The best way to visit the temple is to
take the steep downhill trail from the
very top of Huayna Picchu (30min,
including a near-vertical section involving
a lashed wooden ladder) and then follow
the other trail from the side of the main
cave, which ends partway up Huayna
Picchu (1hr).

Sacred Rock
Following the steps down from the
Intihuatana and passing through the
Sacred Plaza towards the northern
terraces brings you in a few minutes to
the Sacred Rock , below the access point
to Huayna Picchu. A great lozenge of
granite sticking out of the earth like a
sculptured wall, little is known for sure
about the Sacred Rock - though its
outline is strikingly similar to the Inca's
sacred mountain of Putukusi, which
towers to the east.

Eastern side of the ruins
On the other side of the Sacred Plaza
lies the secular area, consisting largely of
workers' dwellings and the industrial sector.
At the back of this area lie some shallow
circular depressions, dubbed the Mortars ,
possibly used for astronomy, though their
real purpose remains unknown. On the
other side of the passageway from the
Mortars lie the Prison Quarters - a maze
of cells, the centrepiece of which is the
Temple of the Condor , named after
a carving on the floor that resembles the
head and neck of the sacred bird. The rocks
behind it bear a resemblance to a condor's
outstretched wings.

Intipunku
If you don't have the time or energy to
climb Huayna Picchu or visit the Temple
of the Moon, simply head back to the
guardian's hut on the other side of the
site and take the path below it, which
climbs gently for forty minutes or so
up to Intipunku , the main entrance to
Machu Picchu from the Inca Trail. This
offers an incredible view over the entire
site, with the unmistakeable shape of
Huayna Picchu in the background.

Huayna Picchu
Huayna Picchu is the prominent peak at
the northern end of the Machu Picchu
site that looms behind the ruins in every
photo you see. It is easily scaled by anyone
reasonably energetic and with no trace of
vertigo (allow 40min-1hr); access (daily
7am-1pm; 200 people at 7am and 200
people at 10am; free) is controlled by
a guardian from his kiosk just behind the
Sacred Rock. To get a ticket to this sacred
mountain you will need to be at the

Cerro Machu Picchu
If you have time to spare, head for
Machu Picchu mountain, which towers
above the ruins opposite Huayna Picchu
and offers a 360-degree view of the
surrounding valleys, as well as of the