Tuesday 19 January

Sacred Valley – Machu Picchu

Today was another early start (and it will not be our last) with a 5.30am breakfast, so we could catch the 7am train from our hotel Tambo Del Inka in Urabumba, stopping in Ollantaytambo, on the way to the town of Machu Picchu. There are three different levels of train travel: standard, with carriages pulled by a diesel engine; the one we travelled in - diesel carriages (no locomotive) with lunch supplied; and the Inca Rail (Inca Princess) which had lounge carriages with pot plants, flowers and gold rail side balcony, so passengers could take photos of the scenery. In all, the journey took about two and a half hours through magnificent country.

The only way in and out of Machu Picchu is by rail, so everything, including buses, trucks, earthmoving gear, building material, food, and tourists, has to travel from Ollantaytambo along the railway adjacent to the Urabumba River.  The train goes at a maximum speed of 45kph.

The railway was built through the valley in 1905 by the Government, some 7 years before the Machu Picchu ruins were discovered. In January 2010, the river flooded and washed away parts of the railway, trapping over 2000 tourists and the local population, all of whom had to be helicoptered out of the township.

We saw some interesting things on the way. One was a hotel for adventurous people - three pods attached to a vertical cliff, about 200m up. They sleep four people, and can only be accessed by climbing up! One of our guides had been up there, but she didn't stay. It is basic, to say the least but is very popular apparently! 

As you descend the valley the landscape changes from steep barren slopes with a valley floor in the upper reaches to steeper forested mountains, and only wide enough for the railway, beside the river. The river flows very fast, and where the valley narrows the river is an angry torrent over huge boulders. We were wondering what grade the constant rapids might be – and doubted that anyone would be stupid enough to try (surely?)! The river is normally brown, from the soil of further up the valley. We passed where the Inca Trail begins (a three day-four night trek to Machu Picchu). We passed Inca bridges and terraces. On the train we were served a small meal.

Incan bridge foundations - survived the heavy floods in 2010

suspension bridge with Inca terraces in background

Machu Picchu township is right on the banks of the river and is about 100m wide and about 500m long with the railway passing through the middle of it. The first train is around 5am and the last at 10pm, so everyone hears the trains, with their horns warning people to move off, or not cross, the railway line.

At around 9.30am we disembarked from the train in the upper of the stations, and went straight to the buses to ascend the 300m up to the ruins via a very winding road (13 very sharp U bends). During peak times, buses run every 2 minutes. Visitor numbers are restricted to 2,700 per day with parts of the site further restricted to only 400 people. Gates open at 7am and close at 5pm, so there is a rush to be at the gates when they open.

By 10am we were in the ruins and spent the next 2 hours being guided around the major features of the site. We then went back to the adjacent restaurant for lunch. After lunch, and in a light drizzle, we went back onto the site to view the upper areas we didn’t walk through earlier. As the afternoon wore on the clouds lifted and we were able to get some incredible photos. It is truly a magic site, made all the more mystical by the clouds drifting across.

entering the site

Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and consists of many Inca buildings and terraces, most of which are complete and missing only their rooves, which would have been thatched. The Sun Temple had two trapezoidal windows facing different directions – one to get the Winter Solstice, and the other the Summer Solstice. I can only imagine the feelings of the American who ‘discovered’ it in 1911 (the very local people knew of its existence but said nothing). What we see is not completely original, as parts were knocked down, and moved around when they were clearing the site of vegetation after discovery. They didn’t use the care and attention that would be used today. Our guide said it is about 70% original.

Sun Temple, with two windows for the Summer and Winter Solstace

King's bedroom, with his bed in front

The quarry on site where all the stone came from

steep slope of site

pink colour on walls is evidence that the Incans plastered the walls for decoration

Condor, sacred bird icon, evident in stone - the two large stones and back left and right are the wings, and the beak is the 'v' at front and the head behind it.

Cloud finally lifting - it did clear completely.