After 6 days trekking over the Andes we arrived in Aqua Caliente, a small city at the foot of Machu Picchu where visitors usually stay before visiting the fabled sacred city in the sky. Aqua Caliente is a land-locked city tucked in a narrow canyon accessible only by rail.
The itinerary of the REI Tour is to spend a day and a half at MP before catching a train to Cusco.
Being a fit group, we covered almost all of high-points of MP in the first full day - the Inka Bridge, the Sun Gate, and a thorough walk about of the main city complex.
Although I have seen numerous documentaries of MP, seeing one of the seven wonders of the world in person is an out-of-body experience. It's hard to imagine how an ancient civilization could have constructed such an amazing city on top of a mountain without the aid of modern equipment and tools.
I kept kidding our tour guide, Fernando, that it was impossible for the Incas to accomplish such feats without the aid of extraterrestrial help. It's totally mind-boggling to see the exacting precision of the stone work of the temples, buildings and walls on such steep terrain.
The logistics alone of supporting such a massive work force is amazing. What makes it all the more remarkable is the Inca kings employed cooperation among the populace rather than slave labor to build its empire.
To view the album, click on "Machu Picchu" below the photo:
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| From Machu Picchu |
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