Peru 2011             Journey Day: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18

                                                               

 

                                                                                        Machu Picchu is the most visited tourist attraction in Peru. It shows the wisdom of the Incas, building a city over a base of giant 

                                                                                        stones. This city is situated in a difficult place and the stones perfectly fit together. Although the Incas came along long before the 

                                                                                        wheel, it is a mystery how they were able to get the stones to the site. And there is nothing to indicate that there was a place to 

                                                                                        get stones within miles around. The extraordinary effort by the Incas to construct this city is considered to be an incredible 

                                                                                        architectural achievement.  Its geographical location and the physical surroundings of Machu Picchu, make it a rare and beautiful 

                                                                                        place.

                                                                                        Machu Picchu means: "old mountain" in Quechua. It was given this name because its location is on the top of a mountain, over the 

                                                                                        valley of Urubamba, and in the middle of the tropical jungle, over 32,592 hectares. In front of this mountain there is another one 

                                                                                        called Huayna Picchu, which means: "young mountain".   Machu Picchu is made up of two large areas: an agricultural area, which is 

                                                                                        formed primarily by a terrace system (different levels made by men on a mountain which are used for harvesting crops and as a 

                                                                                        system of irrigation). The second area is urban and is known as the sacred zone. Temples, plazas and mausoleums can be found here.

                                                                              

                                                                The Inca trail to Machu Picchu is known as the most famous trekking route in South America. It is the same route the Incas followed 

                                                                to get to Machu Picchu. The total distance to the sanctuary is 39.6 kilometers.

                                                                In the walk, one will find suspension bridges, a eucalyptus forest, archeological ruins, precipices and the Yanacocha pond. The 

                                                                walk lasts for four days and at certain points, tourists are up to 4,200 meters above sea level.

                                                                During the walk, experiences include beautiful sunrises, flora and fauna including el gallito de las rocas - the national bird of Peru, 

                                                                the Andean bear or the ucurami, the strange little deer or sachacabra, the tanka taruca, pumas, Andean fox, river otters, gatos 

                                                                monteses and more than 300 species of birds. The flora is particularly diverse and interesting. There are nearly 200 species 

                                                                of orchids that have been registered in the sanctuary.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                   

                                                Lake Titicaca

 

 

 

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